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Family : VARANIDAE
Species : Varanus rasmusseni
Size (snout to vent) : up to at least 46 cm
Size (total length) : up to at least 74 cm
Rasmussen's Water
Monitor is known only from the southern Philippines, specifically the
islands of Tawi-Tawi, Jolo and Bitinan in the Sulu Archipelago. Tawi-Tawi
lies just 60 km off the northeastern coast of Borneo.
This monitor lizard was first described as a clearly distinct species by
Koch et al in 2010. It is part of the Varanus salvator species
group, and is thus closely related to the
Malayan Water Monitor. In common
with the latter, its nostrils are located towards the front of
the snout. It measures up to at least 1.2 metres total length.
Adults of this impressive monitor are mainly brown in colour (on ventral as
well as dorsal surfaces): this is mottled with scattered, bright scales, and
indistinct narrow pale bars on the tail.
Juveniles bear three indistinct dark bars on the snout, and a pale streak in
the temporal region (the side of the head). The dorsal surfaces of the body,
legs and tail of juveniles bear pale spots, and the distal half of the tail
is banded.
Little is known about the ecology of this little-studied species.
Figs 1 to 3 : Example from Tawi-Tawi Island, Philippines. Photos
thanks to Ng Bee Choo.
References :
Koch, A., Gaulke, M., & Böhme, W. (2010). Unravelling the underestimated
diversity of Philippine water monitor lizards (Squamata: Varanus salvator
complex), with the description of two new species and a new subspecies.
Zootaxa, 2446, 1-54.
Sy, Emerson Y. and Romulo Quemado. 2014. Geographic Distribution: Varanus
rasmusseni (Rasmussen's water monitor lizard). Herpetological Review 45
(3): 464
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