Peach-throated monitor


The peach-throated monitor, also known commonly as the Sepik monitor, is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to New Guinea.

Taxonomy

V. jobiensis belongs to the subgenus Euprepiosaurus, which includes species such as the blue-tailed monitor and mangrove monitor, both of which it is sympatric with in much of its range.
It is likely that this species is actually a species complex of multiple different species that have been diverging since the Pliocene, and diverged from the V. indicus species complex 4.7 million years ago.

Distribution

V. jobiensis is endemic to New Guinea and surrounding islands such as Biak, Salawati, Yapen, Normanby, and Waigeo. It occurs in rainforests at altitudes of.

Description

V. jobiensis grows up to in total length. The colour of the throat is white-yellow to red, to which one of its common names refers.

Diet

V. jobiensis primarily eats insects, and sometimes frogs, but may also take freshwater fish and small mammals.

As food

V. jobiensis is hunted for human consumption in New Guinea.

Reproduction

V. jobiensis is oviparous.

Etymology

The specific name, jobiensis, which is Latin, means "from Jobi". Jobi is the island also known as Yapen, which is the type locality of this species.
The junior synonym, Varanus karlschmidti, was named in honor of American herpetologist Karl Patterson Schmidt.