Long-tailed rock monitor

Long-tailed rock monitor
Systematics
without rank:	Toxicofera
without rank:	Sneaky (Anguimorpha)
Family :	Varanidae
Genre :	Monitor lizards ( varanus )
Subgenus :	Odatria
Type :	Long-tailed rock monitor
Scientific name
	Varanus glebopalma
	Mitchell , 1955

The long-tailed rock monitor ( Varanus glebopalma ) is a species of monitor from the subgenus Odatria . Varanus glebopalma lives exclusively in Australia , where it inhabits large parts of the country. The first description was in 1955 by the Australian zoologist Francis John Mitchell (1929-1970). In the English language the species is called “black-palmed rock monitor”, “long-tailed rock monitor” and “Twilight monitor”.

Physique, appearance

When fully grown , V. glebopalma reaches a total body length of 100 cm. The tail is about twice as long as the head-trunk length . The back of the long-tailed rock monitor has a black basic color, which is decorated with some beige scales . The beige scales on the sides form a balanced mesh pattern. In the middle of the back the beige scales form ocells, which have a small black central spot. The tops of the head and limbs are black in color, blended with small cream or beige spots. Larger spots form on the limbs than on the back. At the base, the top of the tail is usually colored black. Whereas the top of the tail tip is creamy to yellow. The throat is white and decorated with a light pink-beige mesh pattern. On the lip of the lower jaw , this pattern merges into darker stripes on both sides. The basic color of the breast and belly is white and has dark, blurred horizontal stripes. The underside of the tail and the limbs are creamy yellow. Shiny round scales adhere to the soles of the feet and appear dark brown in color. These extraordinary scales probably serve as a cushion for the long-tailed rock monitor. By foot pads increased their grip on the jagged rocks when they run high Thempo their prey behind. Their scales on the head are much smoother and smaller than the scales on the body, and they are also arranged without a pattern. The nostril is near the tip of the snout, but far to the side of the head. Around the middle of the body there are 130 - 170 rows of scales. The circumference of their tail is almost round and the scales there have no keels. The tip of the tail of the long-tailed rock monitor is slightly flattened on the side.

Way of life

The long-tailed rock monitor most frequently forages for food at dusk . Its English name "Twilight Monitor" (in the German twilight monitor lizard) indicates this peculiarity of this monitor lizard. Although the animals are very shy and tend to live in seclusion, they can occasionally be seen during the daytime. HUSBAND (personal communication) observed an animal at Ubirri Rock in Kakadu National Park , which was still searching for food that night. The animals are tied to rocky landscapes. Due to the special nature of the soles of their feet , they can move quickly and skillfully between the boulders . Due to their adaptation to their habitat, they are even able to climb vertical rock faces . V. glebopalma prefers medium-sized to large insects , lizards and, more rarely, small vertebrates as food . VALENTIC (1994) observed a medium-sized specimen during the twilight that hunted, caught and subsequently ate an agame . Often one can find large numbers of animals in manageable areas. Many therefore suspect that the long-tailed rock monitor is very sociable and does not live very much in the area.

distribution

Its distribution area begins in the west with the Kimberleys in the Northern Territory and runs in the east to Mount Isa in Queensland . He lives in the states of Western Australia and Queensland and in the Northern Territory.

literature

SWANSON, S. (1979): Some rock-dwelling reptiles of the Arnhem Land escarpment. N. Territory Nat. 1: 14-18.
MITCHELL, FJ (1955): Preliminary account of the Reptilia and Amphibia collected by the National Geographic Society - Commonwealth Government - Smithsonian Institution Expedition to Arnhem Land (April to November, 1948). Rec. S. Aust. Mus. 11: 373-408. ( Here or here )
EIDENMÜLLER, B. (2007): Small monitors in the terrarium. Reptilia (GB) (50): 12-19.
DE LISLE, HF (1996). Natural History of Monitor Lizards. Warrior, Malabar, Florida. ISBN 0894648977
BRANDENBERG, T. (1983): Monitors in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. 1 - 121. EJ Brill, Leide. ( here )
BOULENGER, GA (1885): Catalog of lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume 2. ISBN 1176251392 ( here )

Individual evidence

↑ Long-tailed rock monitor on mampam

↑ In literature by MERTENS 1958, KEAST 1959, WORRELL 1966, BUSTARD 1968, SWANSON 1976, STORR 1980, STORR et al. 1983b, WILSON & KNOWLES 1988, HOSER 1989, COGGER 1992, EHMANN 1992 this behavior was described

↑ Losos, JB & Greene, HW (1988). Ecological and evolutionary implications of diet in monitor lizards. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 35: 379-407. ( here ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. ) @1@ 2

↑ Long-tailed Fälsenwaran / lophognathus gilberti ( Memento of the original from August 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on arkive.org @1@ 2

↑ Long-tailed rock monitor ( memento of the original from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on monitor-lizards.de @1@ 2

[1] Long-tailed rock monitor on mampam

[2] In literature by MERTENS 1958, KEAST 1959, WORRELL 1966, BUSTARD 1968, SWANSON 1976, STORR 1980, STORR et al. 1983b, WILSON & KNOWLES 1988, HOSER 1989, COGGER 1992, EHMANN 1992 this behavior was described