Emerald tree monitor
Smaragdwaran ( Varanus prasinus )
The Smaragdwaran ( Varanus prasinus ) is a species of Squamata ( Squamata ) from the kind of monitor lizards. The native rainforest of New Guinea lizard is arboreal, using its thin, flexible prehensile tail as a climbing aid and feeds on insects and small mammals.
Features
The longest measured specimen had a total length of 84.5 cm with a head -body length of 29.5 cm, normal is a total length of about 70 cm. The tail length is 1.75 times the head-body length. The snout is long and pointed, the head short, the keeled ventral scales for extra grip when climbing. The tail is round in cross section, and as well as in a number of closely related species a long thin prehensile organ that is used when climbing. The claws are very sharp for their size, the limbs are relatively long.
The color is generally a bright green, which sometimes arranged irregularly, is interrupted dark bands. The underparts are whitish, yellowish or greenish. From almost all other types of V. prasinus Group, the Smaragdwaran distinguished by its bright green color, from the similarly colored V. telenesetes it can be distinguished by the absence of a pattern on the throat.
Distribution and habitat
The Smaragdwaran inhabited large parts of New Guinea, and some offshore islands such as Salawati and Boigu ( Torres Strait ). It inhabits monsoon forests, rainforests, palm forests, mangroves and cocoa plantations to 830 m in altitude.
Way of life
The Smaragdwaran is arboreal, and like all monitor lizards diurnal and solitary. He climbs very slowly with the aid of the prehensile tail. The species feeds primarily on small insects, arachnids, centipedes and rodents. The up to 40 g in weight rodents are grabbed by the neck, repeatedly beaten to the ground, scratched with his claws and swallowed head first. The prey is sought both in the trees and on the ground.
Little is known about the reproduction of Smaragdwarans in nature. The eggs are in freedom apparently placed in termite nests, the pups were observed only in October and feed all appearances some time after her slip of termites and their eggs.
System
Within the genus Varanus the Smaragdwaran is placed in the subgenus Euprepiosaurus, where he is a member of the nominate form and V. prasinus group; this group is the sister taxon to V. indicus group.
The Smaragdwaran were assigned numerous subspecies long time, now all former subspecies have been elevated to the species rank. The temporarily out as subspecies in the past Varanus beccarii, Varanus Varanus kordensis bogerti and are now generally operate as a separate species, but the taxonomy in V. prasinus complex remains very doubtful and needs to be revised.
Swell
- Greene, W. H. (2004): Varanus prasinus. In: ER Pianka & DR King ( ed.): Varanoid Lizards of the World, pp. 225-229. Indiana University Press, Bloomington & Indianapolis. ISBN 0253343666
- Rogner, M. ( 1994): Lizards 2, p.29 Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-8001-7253-4