Thai National Parks

Dumeril's monitor

Thai: ตุ๊ดตู่, tud dtoo

Binomial name: Varanus dumerilii, Hermann Schlegel, 1839

Dumeril's monitor (Varanus dumerilii) is a species of lizard, endemic to Southeast Asia. It is a member of the family Varanidae.

Etymology

The specific name, dumerilii, is a Latinized form of the name of the scientist who first described this species, French herpetologist André Marie Constant Duméril.

Geographic range

Dumeril's monitor is found in southern Burma and north of the Isthmus of Kra to Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand, as well as in Peninsular Malaysia, throughout Borneo, Sumatra, Riau, Bangka–Belitung and other smaller islands of Indonesia.

Their habitat is dense evergreen forests with high humidity and mangrove swamps.

Diet

This monitor is a crab specialist; however, it has been observed eating snails, insects, molluscs, fish, frogs, and smaller rodents. Little is known overall about this species compared to other monitor lizards.

Description

Adult Dumeril's monitors are largely dark coffee-brown in colour, with occasional brighter indistinct crossbars. For juveniles the colors and patterns are quite different. "The major color is a dark varnish black which is interrupted by several yellow crossways bars on the back." Juveniles have shiny orange red or, sometimes yellow heads. This youth coloration disappears after only 4–8 weeks. Adult Dumeril's can reach up to 4.5 m in total length (including tail) although typical length is 4 m long.

Subspecies

There are two described subspecies:

• Varanus dumerilii dumerilii
• Varanus dumerilii heteropholis

Note: Sprackland made V. d. heteropholis a synonym of V. d. dumerilii

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