A new blue-tailed Monitor lizard (Reptilia, Squamata, Varanus) of the Varanus indicus group from Mussau Island, Papua New Guinea

By

Weijola, Valter
Donnellan, Stephen Charles
Lindqvist, Christer

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2016

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

568

Pages

129-154

Subjects

Biogeography , Bismarck Archipelago , Melanesia , mitochondrial phylogeny , St. Matthias islands , taxonomy , Varanidae , Varanus doreanus , Varanus finschi , Varanus yuwonoi

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.568.6872

 

Abstract

We describe a new species of Varanus from Mussau Island, north-east of New Guinea. The new species is a member of the Varanus indicus species group and is distinguished from all other members by both morphological and molecular genetic characters. It is the third species of Varanus reported from the Bismarck Archipelago and the first record of a yellow tongued member of the Varanus indicus species group from a remote oceanic island. The herpetofauna of Mussau Island has not been well studied but the discovery of this new species is in accordance with recent findings indicating that the island may harbor several unknown endemic vertebrates. The distribution of the closely related Varanus finschi is also discussed in the light of recent fieldwork and a review of old records.