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Present Status of Three Monitor Lizards (Varanus Bengalensis, V. Flavescens and V

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Present Status of Three Monitor Lizards (Varanus Bengalensis, V. Flavescens and V ISSN 0375-1511 Rec. zool. Surv. India : 113(Part-1): 203-210, 2013 PRESENT STATUS OF THREE MONITOR LIZARDS (VARANUS BENGALENSIS, V. FLAVESCENS AND V. SALVATOR ) IN THE SUNDERBANS VARADARAJU* Zoological Survey of India, Sunderbans Regional Centre, Canning - 743392, West Bengal INTRODUCTION (1998) who listed about 77 species and recently Sunderbans is one of the important biosphere Bohme (2003) listed about 58 different species and reserve's and a world heritage site too. They cover 28 subspecies of monitor lizards. Very recently of about 9630 sq/km, out of which 4264 sq/km Koch et. al. (2010)who listed 73 extant species of holds mangrove forest and an area of 1330.1 monitor lizards in the world. There were 46 sq/km is designated as core area. It has more than species of monitor lizards so for found on three 106 Islands. It is one of the largest wetland continents namely Africa, Australia and Asia and ecosystems with number of rivers, rivulets and only about 9 species of monitor lizards were creeks. It is home for a rich and varied fauna and reported from Asian Continent (Bennett, 1998). flora and also a feeding and breeding ground for There are only four species of monitor lizards in the nesting water monitor and also is the ground India i.e. Varanus bengalensis, V. flavescens, V. for Olive Ridley Turtle. salvator and V. griseus. Excepting the Desert monitor, the remaining three species are recorded The modern squamates evolved from a from the study areas. common ancestral Diapsid reptile stock which inhabited earth roughly about 155 million years The populations of monitor lizards have ago in the middle of the Jurassic period of the severely shrink in number and the lizards are at Mesozoic era. The Order comprises nearly 3272 risk throughout the range of their occurrence. species under 357 Genera included in 12 Families The monitor lizards have been exploited from all over the world except Arctic, New commercially for their valuable skin and also Zealand and Ireland. The reptilian fauna of India captured for eating by fisher folk in the comprises 500 species (Das, 2003) and they occur Sunderbans. Hence, all the four species of monitor in varied habitats from plains to mountains, low lizards were protected under Schedule I of IWPA, to heavy rain fall area and even in deserts, 1972. The protection and preservation of the occupying every ecological niche of the Republic endangered species in the wild is one of the of India. primary goals of wildlife conservation and management. The objectives of the present study The monitor lizards are the largest Saurians of were to accumulate information on diversity and the world and inhabit Africa, Arabian Peninsula, distribution of monitor lizard Sin Sunderbans and South and South-East Asia as well as Indo- (ii) to determine current status and threat faced by Australian Archipelago including Australia and the monitor lizards in Sunderbans. Since, the several Pacific Islands. One of the comprehensive information would be helpful for conservation listings of monitor lizards was published by Lisle and management of monitor lizards in its natural *Present Address : M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053 204 Rec. zool. Surv. India habitats. It is hoped that the results achieved KNOWN DISTRIBUTION during the study will help a better management of The Indian Monitor occurs throughout the the valuable and endangered reptiles. Indian subcontinent including Western Ghats. In TAXONOMY addition, the species is recorded in Sri Lanka, Systematic position of Indian Monitor Myanmar, Bangladesh, South east Iran, Lizards are: Afghanistan, Pakistan and South eastern Uzbekistan. CLASS: REPTILIA ORDER: SQUAMATA The Yellow monitor is recorded from FAMILY: VARANIDAE Northern and North eastern India from Punjab to Genus: Varanus Merrem Orissa, West Bengal and Assam. In Orissa, it Varanus bengalensis (Daudin, 1758) Common Monitor inhabits the drainage system of Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers. In West Bengal, it is widely Size: Adult, medium distributed and is found in Terai, Siliguri in Weight: 3.5 Kg Darjeeling District; Botanical gardens in Howrah Length: From snout to vent= 74 cm; Tail 100.0 cm. District; Sagar Island, Pathar Protima and Kakdwip in 24 Parganas District; Krishnagar in Field notes: The Indian monitor is dorsally dark brownish or olive brown with blackish dots Nadia District; Singur in Hooghly District; and ventrally yellowish, spotted with numerous Goalbathan, Pakur, Kharagpur and Medinipur in black spots. Tail is quite long and compressed. It Medinipur District. In Assam the yellow monitors always preferring undisturbed places far from reported from Guwahati and Goalpara in Dhubri human settlements, the common monitor is active District. In Bihar the monitor was reported from during the summer. Patna. In Uttar Pradesh the monitor was recorded Varanus flavescens (Hardwicke & Gray, 1827) from Gorakhpur, Fatehgarh, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Agra District. Also reported the county's Yellow Monitor capital, New Delhi. Elsewhere known from Size: Adult, medium Bangladesh, Nepal and also Pakistan. Weight: 3.0 Kg. The water monitor restricted to the mangrove Length from Snout to vent: 31.5 cm; tail swamps of Sunderbans in West Bengal, 38.4cm. Bhitarkanika in Orissa and Andaman and Field notes: The yellow monitor is dorsally Nicobar Islands. Very recently it has been light brown or yellow, with fused light transverse recorded form Khasi Hills from Meghalaya. bars. The tail is very short. It is partial to wetlands Outside India recorded from South east Asia, where it can burrow easily and seek its food. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Southern China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kampuchea Laos, Varanus salvator (Laurent, 1768) Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Water Monitor Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Size: Grown up adult STUDY AREA Weight: More than 6.0 Kg. The study was carried out throughout the Length: Total length including tail Sunderbans selecting localities Gosaba, approximately 250 cm. Sajnekhali, Pakhiralaya, Sajalya and Basanti; Field notes: The water monitors dorsally looks B a k k h a l i a n d B h a g b a t p u r ; K a k d w i p , dark alive, snout light with transverse black bars. Bishalakshipur, Namkhana, PatharProtima and Ventrally yellow, head is tapering, long slender Sagar Island (Chhayerghari, Sreedham, neck. It is the longest of all the monitor lizards. Chamagudi and Kali Bazar). VARADARAJU : Present Status of Three Monitor Lizards 205 TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE OF THE status of these species in Sunderbans and the STUDY AREA details are as given below : (i). Physical features: In Sunderbans tides First survey was undertaken from 20.10.2008 to influence the water quality and water 29.10.2008 movement caused by surface and Second survey was undertaken from 13.08.2009 to bottom currents. The circulation of 22.08.2009 water is a major factor in maintaining Third survey was undertaken from 26.03. 2010 to the populations of sessile and benthic 04.04. 2010 organisms. The salinity of the water is Fourth and final survey was undertaken from an important factor influencing the 13.09.2010 to 22.09.2010 distribution and biology of organisms. The depth and width of estuary are also METHODOLOGY varied with season and depends upon The survey were undertaken throughout the influence of fresh water and distance Sunderbans in selected localities for the period from sea. Turbidity is high during from April, 2008 to march, 2011. The surveys were monsoon and low during winter. conducted at different habitat types including (ii). Climate: The weather of Sunderbans the protected areas. can be classified into three types as The observations on monitor lizards were monsoon-it starts from July and made using visual encounter surveys method continues upto October with occasional (VEL) (Campbell and Christman, 1982; Com and rains throughout the year. The post Bury, 1990; Crump and Scott, 1994) to gather data monsoon is characterised by cold on population of Varanus and general areas. weather with thunder storms, of which Surveys were carried out in different aquatic and usually happen during March-June terrestrial habitats using a binocular. Thorough every year. investigation were conducted in different habitat (iii). Vegetation: the Sunderbans is unique in types including forest, grassland, human nature and their tools for survival settlements, wetlands and agricultural lands the evolved over millions of years makes time of sighting, number of individuals, size and interesting scientifically. The mangrove the habitat types were noted with GPS forests are salinity resistant and hence coordinates. Morphological measurements were they are called as halophytes where they taken using 1 m measuring tapes. After recording developed extensive root system with a the measurements, the animals were released into number of pneumatophores to draw their original habitats. The representative habitats oxygen. In all there are 26 species of were surveyed by foot between 1000 hr to 1600hr. mangrove plants are found in in The animals were identified and verified by the Sunderbans. In terms of the faunal help of field guide of Daniel (2002). elements, there are more than 980 species of vertebrates and ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR invertebrates. The fishes, birds among Indian Monitor vertebrates and arthropods, mollusca and annelids among invertebrates Habit and Habitat: The Indian monitor is constitute the dominant group of diurnal in habits. It inhabits forest, desert, river animals. banks, by the side of nullah, marshy land, and tidal creeks. It occupies burrows, dense STUDY PERIOD vegetation, hollows of trees, creeks and cervices. Totally four surveys were undertaken during It is a god climber, runner and also a good different seasons to assess the population and swimmer. 206 Rec. zool. Surv. India Food and Feeding habit: It is carnivorous and motionless during basking nearly for about two to feeds mainly on terrestrial vertebrates like birds three hours. During basking it did not get upset and their eggs, rats, frogs, fish and also feeds on even after repeated disturbance.
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