Varanus dumerilii (Dumeril Monitor Lizard)
The common name of this Monitor Lizard in English is commonly called Dumeril Monitor Lizard and Thai name called ตุ๊ดตู่ (Dtut-dtoo), เห่าช้างขาว (Hao Chaang Kaow).
ตุ๊ดตู่ : Varanus dumerilii Schlegel, 1839
Varanus dumerilii is a species of the Monitor Lizard Genus (Varanus) within the Monitor Lizard Family (Varanidae), Superfamily Platynota, in the Lizard and Snake Order (Squamata), in the Reptile Class (Reptilia), in the Chordate Phylum (Chordata) in the Animal Kingdom (Animalia).
The specific epithet "dumerilii" is honors Named after Dr. Andre Marie Constant Dumeril (1774-1860), French zoologist and herpetologist.
Subspecies
- Varanus dumerilii dumerilii Hermann Schlegel, 1839 (Range: Thailand, Myanmar, West Malaysia, Indonesia, Sarawak, Singapore)
- Varanus dumerilii heteropholis George Albert Boulenger, 1892 (Range: Sarawak, Malaysia)
Geographic Range
This species ranges from southern Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia (the Mentawai Islands, Sumatra, Borneo, probably Bangka, Betilung - D.T. Iskandar pers. comm. 2017), Peninsular and East Malaysia (Chan-ard et al. 2015, Cota et al. 2008), Singapore (Das 2010, Grismer 2011, Chan-ard et al. 2015).
In Thailand, it has been found throughout the country northward up to Sai Yok National Park in Kanchanaburi Province (Chan-ard et al. 2015).
In Malaysia, it has been reported from the states of Kedah (Ulu Muda), Perak (Temengor Forest Reserve), Penhang (Pulau Pinang), Pahnang (Kuala Teku), Pahang (Cameron Highlands and Fraser´s Hill), Selangor (Rawang and Ulu Gombak), Negeri Sembilan (Pasoh) and Johor (Kota Tinggi) (Cantor 1847, Smith 1922, Bennett and Lim 1995, Grismer et al. 2004, Norsham et al. 2005, Chan et al. 2009, Grismer 2011).
In Indonesia, it has been found in Sumatra (Pulau Belitung, Pulau Bangka) and Kalimantan (Chan-ard et al. 2015).
Habitat and Ecology
This diurnal (though there are reports of nocturnal activity - Yong et al. 2008, Cota et al. 2008) and arboreal species inhabits monsoonal peninsular evergreen forest (Chan-ard et al. 2015) and lowland and hilly mixed dipterocarp forest (Auliya 2006, Das 2010, Grismer 2011). It has also been found in coastal mangrove swamps (Bennett and Lim 1995, Das 2010), based on a historical report from an island in Myanmar, although this may be a misidentified Varanus salvator (M. Cota pers. comm. 2017).
Lauprasert and Thirakhupt (2001) report that this species was hard to find and was only recorded in moist forest in Thailand, in primary forests in a few national parks. It has a broad diet ranging from mainly crabs to small insects and birds (Bennett 2004, Grismer 2011); ants, scorpions, beetle larvae, spiders, fish, other lizards, eggs and rodents may also be consumed (Das 2010).
Clutches comprise 4 to 23 eggs and the incubation period ranges between 190 to 234 days (Das 2010; Auliya and Koch 2020). Hatchlings measure 81–83.5 mm snout-vent-length and 17.8–24 cm total length (Das 2010, Auliya and Koch 2020). The species occurs below 900 m asl (M. Kamsi pers. comm. 2019).
This species is internationally sought-after in the pet trade, particularly due to the distinct colour pattern of the juveniles (M. Auliya pers. comm. 2020), but also because its non-aggressive behaviour in comparison with some other varanid species (M. Cota pers. comm. 2017).
Indonesia (the only range state that commercially exports the species) had an annual export quota of 900 live specimens in the period 2010-19 (CITES trade database); during the period 2000–18, the country exported 8,569 live specimens of which 83% were sourced from the wild (CITES trade database).
There is domestic trade in this species in Thailand, and international trade from Malaysia and Indonesia. There is apparently some trade in skins and food, but levels are unknown (D.T. Iskandar pers. comm. 2019).
Synonym
- Monitor dumerilii Hermann Schlegel (1839)
- Varanus dumerili dumerilii Hermann Schlegel (1839)
- Varanus dumerilii Pieter Bleeker (1858)
- Varanus dumerili Pieter Bleeker (1858)
- Varanus macrolepis William Thomas Blanford (1881)
- Varanus dumerilii George Albert Boulenger (1885)
- Varanus heteropholis George Albert Boulenger (1892)
- Varanus heteropholis Nelly de Rooij (1915)
- Varanus dumerili Nelly de Rooij (1915)
- Varanus (Tectovaranus) dumerilii dumerilii Robert Mertens (1942)
- Varanus dumerili heteropholis Robert Mertens (1942)
- Varanus dumerili heteropholis H.F. De Lisle (1996)
- Varanus dumerili dumerilii H.F. De Lisle (1996)
- Varanus dumerilii Ulrich Manthey & Wolfgang Grossmann (1997)
- Varanus (Empagusia) dumerilii Thomas Ziegler & Wolfgang Böhme (1997)
- Varanus dumerilii Merel J. Cox et al. (1998)
- Varanus dumerilii Eric Rodger Pianka & Laurie Joseph Vitt (2003)
- Varanus (Empagusia) dumerilii André Koch (2013)