BIAWAK Quarterly Journal of Varanid Biology and Husbandry Volume 3 Number 4 December 2009 ISSN: 1936-296X On the Cover: Varanus cerambonensis The Varanus cerambonensis depicted on the cover and inset of this issue were photographed on Buru Island, Maluku province, Indonesia by Valter Weijola on 19 and 23 March 2009. Both specimens were encountered in mangroves on the eastern part of the island at 1250 and 1330 h, and measured approximately 100 cm (specimen pictured on cover) and 70 cm (specimen pictured below) in total length.. Belonging to the V. indicus species group, V. cerambonensis was described in 1999 (Philipp, K.M., W. Böhme and T. Ziegler. 1999. The identity of Varanus indicus: redefinition and description of a sibling species coexisting at the type locality [Sauria: Varanidae: Varanus indicus group]. Spixiana 22[3]: 273-287.), and is reported to occur on several neighboring islands within the central Moluccas, including Ambon, Banda, Buru, Obi, and Seram. Field observations of V. cerambonensis have been scarce, and little has been published on its natural history and occurrence. 94 BIAWAK Quarterly Journal of Varanid Biology and Husbandry Editor Editorial Review ROBERT W. MENDYK MICHAEL J. BALSAI Center for Science Teaching and Learning Department of Biology, Temple University 1 Tanglewood Road Philadelphia, PA 19122, US Rockville Centre, NY 11570, US [email protected] [email protected] BERND EIDENMÜLLER Griesheimer Ufer 53 Associate Editors 65933 Frankfurt, DE [email protected] DANIEL BENNETT School of Biology, Leeds University MICHAEL FOST Leeds LS2 9JT, UK Department of Math and Statistics [email protected] Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 30303, US MICHAEL Cota [email protected] Thailand Natural History Museum, National Science Museum, RUston W. HartdeGEN Technopolis, Khlong 5, Khlong Luang, Department of Herpetology, Dallas Zoo Pathum Thani 12120, TH 650 South R.L. Thornton Freeway [email protected] Dallas, Texas 75203, US [email protected] ANDRÉ KOCH Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig HANS-GEORG HORN Section of Herpetology Monitor Lizards Research Station Adenauerallee 160 Hasslinghauser Str. 51 D-53113 Bonn, DE D-45549 Sprockhövel, DE [email protected] [email protected] TIM JESSOP Zoo Liaisons Department of Zoology University of Melbourne GEORGE SUNTER Parkville, Victoria 3010, AU Herpetology Department, London Zoo [email protected] Zoological Society of London, UK [email protected] JEFFREY M. LEMM Applied Animal Ecology Division BRANDON GREAVES Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES) Department of Herpetology Zoological Society of San Diego Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, US 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd [email protected] Escondido, CA 92027, US [email protected] MARKUS JUSCHKA Aquazoo Dusseldorf, DE ROBERT G. SPRACKLAND [email protected] Virtual Museum of Natural History Unit #4 2635 Prosch Ave W Seattle, WA 98119, US Editorial Liaisons [email protected] JOHN ADRAGNA Cybersalvator.com [email protected] Software and Technical Support ARNAUD COLIN Groupement d’Etude des Varanidés CENTER FOR SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING [email protected] 1 Tanglewood Road Rockville Centre, NY 11570, US MATTHEW SOMMA http://www.cstl.org [email protected] INTERNATIONAL VARANID INTEREST GROUP www.varanidae.org The International Varanid Interest Group is a volunteer-based organization established to advance varanid research, conservation, and hus- bandry, and to promote scientific literacy among varanid enthusiasts. Membership to the IVIG is free, and open to anyone with an interest in monitor lizards and the advancement of varanid research. Membership includes subscription to Biawak, a quarterly journal of varanid biology and husbandry, and is available online through the IVIG website. Biawak ISSN 1936-296X Quarterly Journal of Varanid Biology and Husbandry Volume 3 Number 4 December 2009 Organizational News............................................................................................................... 97 News Notes............................................................................................................................. 98 Conservation Status of Varanus flavescens in Chitwan, Nepal ................................................JANAK RAJ KATIWADA and BIPIN CHANDRA GHIMIRE 100 Successful Husbandry and First Breeding of Varanus juxtindicus Böhme et al., 2002, with Remarks on the Development of Juveniles of this “Rarely-Kept” Endemic Solomon Monitor Species ....................................................................................KLAUS WESIAK and ANDRÉ KOCH 106 First Captive Breeding of the Blue Tree Monitor Varanus macraei Böhme and Jacobs, 2001 at the Plzen and Cologne Zoos .........................................................................THOMAS ZIEGLER, MELANIE STRAUCH, TOMAS PES, JAN KONAS, TOMAS JIRASEK, NORBERT RÜTZ, JOHANNES OBERREUTER and SIMONE HOLST 122 Geographical Distribution and Regional Variation of Varanus salvator macromaculatus in Thailand .................................MICHAEL COTA, TANYA CHAN-ARD and SUNCHAI MAKCHAI 134 Mending a Ruptured Varanus acanthurus brachyurus egg ...........................................................................JOHN ADRAGNA JR and GREGG M. MADDEN 144 Errata........................................................................................................................................ 146 Recent Publications.................................................................................................................. 147 © 2009 International Varanid Interest Group Varanus bengalensis bengalensis. Captive. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park. Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, India. Photograph by Siddy Lam [email protected] ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS Australian Zoo Liaison Needed Layout Editor Needed The IVIG currently seeks a member of the Australian The IVIG currently seeks a motivated individual to zoo and aquarium field to serve as a regional zoo liaison join the editorial board of Biawak as layout editor. A for Biawak, Primary duties and responsibilities will proficiency and ability to work with Adobe InDesign include networking with zoological institutions in your (must furnish your own copy) is required, as well as respective region to report quarterly announcements of the ability to work under deadlines. The layout editor recent captive breedings, as well as promote Biawak will be responsible for working with the senior and among related institutions. This is a volunteer position. associate editors on the publication’s layout as well For additional details, please contact the IVIG at info@ as assembling each quarterly issue of Biawak. This is varanidae.org. a volunteer position. Interested parties, please contact [email protected] for more details. IVIG Logo Submissions A total of nine insignia designs were submitted to the IVIG for consideration. The winning design will be announced in the organizational news section of the next issue of Biawak. The IVIG would like to thank all who participated and submitted their designs. Varanus nuchalis. Boracay Island, Philippines. Photograph by Gilbert De Vera http://www.flickr.com/photos/39933896@N02/ 97 NEWS NOTES Man Arrested for Selling populations recently discovered in the Northern Sierra Madre Range is needed. The IUCN also listed two Monitor Skin Products Philippine members of the V. salvator species-complex (V. marmoratus and V. cumingi) as ‘least concern’ and the A local vendor at Matheran, a tourist spot in the Indian third (V. nuchalis) as ‘near-threatened’ and declining. state of Maharashtra, was arrested and charged with illegally selling reptile skin products. Among the items Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 3 confiscated were 72 monitor lizard (Varanus sp.) skins. November 2009, 4 November 2009 The skins are believed to have been collected from somewhere in the Western Ghats. Source: Press Trust of India 12 October 2009 Komodo Dragons Displayed at Phoenix Zoo IUCN Reviews Status of The Phoenix Zoo opened a new exhibit featuring a pair of Komodo dragons. The two siblings, named Ivan and Philippine Varanids Gaia, were hatched at the Cincinnati Zoo fifteen years earlier and originally sent off to separate facilities The Panay monitor (Varanus mabitang) has been before being brought back together in Phoenix. Gaia listed as ‘endangered’ in the latest assessment by the made headlines at the Sedgwick County Zoo, Kansas in International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 2008 when she became the first North American dragon The IUCN cited a limited natural range of around 400 to produce young via parthenogenesis. The cost of the square km which is becoming increasingly fragmented new $1 million exhibit was paid for through private for agricultural uses, as well as the continued hunting donations. of this species, as causes of its decline. The related Gray’s monitor (V. olivaceus) continues to be listed Source: Zoo and Aquarium Visitor News 11 November as ‘vulnerable’, though a review of the taxonomy of 2009 Varanus gouldii. Queensland. Photograph by Andrzej Krzyzanowski [email protected] 98 BIAWAK VOL. 3 NO. 4 99 Announcement of the Second Klaus Wesiak (Frankfurt) and André Koch (Bonn): “Successful husbandry and first nreeding of Varanus Annual Meeting of the juxtindicus Böhme et al., 2002, with remarks on the development of juveniles of this rarely-kept endemic “AG Warane“ of the DGHT Solomon monitor species” (in German). See report in this issue