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Varanid
The Varanidae are a family of lizards in the superfamily Varanoidea within the Anguimorpha group. The family, a group of carnivorous and frugivorous lizards, includes the living genus '' Varanus'' and a number of extinct genera more closely related to ''Varanus'' than to the earless monitor lizard (''Lanthanotus''). ''Varanus'' includes the Komodo dragon (the largest living lizard), crocodile monitor, savannah monitor, the goannas of Australia and Southeast Asia, and various other species with a similarly distinctive appearance. Their closest living relatives are the earless monitor lizard and chinese crocodile lizard. The oldest members of the family are known from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. Taxonomy The Varanidae were defined (using morphological characteristics) by Estes, de Queiroz and Gauthier (1988) as the clade containing the most recent common ancestor of ''Lanthanotus'' and ''Varanus'' and all of its descendants. A similar definition was formulated by Conrad ''et ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saniwa
''Saniwa'' is an extinct genus of Varanidae, varanid lizard that lived about 48 million years ago during the Eocene epoch. It is known from well-preserved fossils found in the Bridger Formation, Bridger and Green River Formations of Wyoming. The type species ''S. ensidens'' was described in 1870 as the first fossil lizard known from North America. Several other species have since been added, but their validity is uncertain. It is a close relative of ''Monitor lizard, Varanus'', the genus that includes monitor lizards. Description ''Saniwa'' measured . Like other varanid lizards, ''Saniwa'' had a long, pointed snout and nostrils placed farther back in the skull than most lizards and a tail that was almost twice as long as the body. Although similar in appearance to Neontology, extant monitor lizards, ''Saniwa'' had many primitive traits, including teeth on its palate, a jugal bone beneath the eye that extended farther forward, and a suture between the frontal bone, frontal and pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archaeovaranus
''Archaeovaranus'' (meaning "ancient '' Varanus''") is genus of varanid lizard from the early Eocene (Ypresian) Yuhuangding Formation of Hubei Province, China. The genus contains a single species, ''Archaeovaranus lii'', known from a nearly complete skeleton. The holotype, which includes an intact skull, is associated but disarticulated. ''Archaeovaranus'' fills a gap in the varanid fossil record, as it represents a stem-varanid from the early Eocene of East Asia, and is the closest known relative of '' Varanus''. Discovery and naming The holotype specimen of ''Archaeovaranus'', IVPP V 22770, was discovered at the Dajian locality of the Yuhuangding Formation near Danjiangkou, Hubei Province, China. The generic name, "''Archaeovaranus''," combines the Greek "archaīos," meaning "ancient," with a reference to the closely related ''Varanus''. "''Varanus''" is derived from the Arabic "waral," meaning "lizard beast." The specific name, "''lii''," honors the paleontologist Chuan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Komodo Dragon
The Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis''), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. It is the largest extant species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of , and weighing up to . As a result of their size, Komodo dragons are apex predators, and dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. It has been claimed that they have a venomous bite; there are two glands in the lower jaw that secrete several toxic proteins. The biological significance of these proteins is disputed, but the glands have been shown to secrete an anticoagulant. Komodo dragons' group behavior in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The diet of Komodo dragons mainly consists of Javan rusa (''Rusa timorensis''), though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons als ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varanoidea
Varanoidea is a superfamily of lizards, including the well-known family Varanidae (the monitors and goannas). Also included in the Varanoidea are the Lanthanotidae ( earless monitor lizards), and the extinct Palaeovaranidae. Throughout their long evolutionary history, varanoids have exhibited great diversity, both in habitat and form. This superfamily includes the largest-known terrestrial lizard, Megalania (5–6 meters), and the largest extant lizard, the Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis'', 3+ meters). Evolution Either synonymous with, or a subgroup of, the group Platynota, the varanoids first appear in the fossil record in the latter part of Early Cretaceous, but possible varanoid ancestors have been traced back as far as Early Jurassic times. Among the earliest known varanoids are the monitor-like necrosaurids '' Palaeosaniwa canadensis'' from the Campanian (roughly 71-82 mya) of North America and '' Estesia mongoliensis'' and '' Telmasaurus grangeri'', both from the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Telmasaurus
''Telmasaurus'' is an extinct genus of varanoid lizard from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. Fossils have been found from the Djadokha and Barun Goyot Formations that date between the early and middle Campanian stage from approximately 80 to 75 million years ago. The type species ''Telmasaurus grangeri'' was named in 1943. Description ''Telmasaurus grangeri'' was named in 1943 and is now known from several fossils. Only two skulls are known, and the snout region is missing from both. Based on the size of these skulls, ''Telmasaurus'' was larger than other Cretaceous varanoid lizards, approaching the size of modern monitor lizards. Its skull is flatter than most other varanoids. The fusion of two bones in the skull called frontals links ''Telmasaurus'' with other early varanids like '' Paravaranus''. The lacrimal bone of ''Telmasaurus'' has a single hole in it, as do those of other early varanoids. The vertebrae of ''Telmasaurus'' are also known, and the way they attach to e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aiolosaurus
''Aiolosaurus'' is an extinct genus of monitor lizard from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. The type species, type and only species, ''Aiolosaurus oriens'', was named in 2000 from Djadochta Formation, Ukhaa Tolgod, a rich fossil site in the Campanian-age Djadochta Formation. Description and history ''Aiolosaurus'' was named in 2000 on the basis of a single holotype specimen cataloged as Mongolian Academy of Sciences, IGM 3/171. This specimen includes a partial skull and parts of the postcranial skeleton. ''Aiolosaurus'' is named after Aeolus, the Greek mythology, Greek god of wind, while the specific name of ''A. oriens'' means "east." Diagnostic features of ''Aiolosaurus'' are found mainly in the skull. They include: *The division of the nasal bone, nasals into two bones (they form one bone in living monitors). *A small hole in the snout between the premaxilla and maxilla bones called the premaxillary fenestra. *The separation of the premaxilla and septomaxilla bones by a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lace Monitor
The lace monitor or tree goanna (''Varanus varius'') is a member of the monitor lizard family native to eastern Australia. A large lizard, it can reach in total length and in weight. The lace monitor is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Taxonomy John White, the surgeon-general of New South Wales, described this species as the variegated lizard (''Lacerta varia'') in 1790. George Shaw reported that several specimens were taken back to England. French naturalist François Marie Daudin gave it the name ''Tupinambis variegatus'' in 1802, and noted two forms. German naturalist Blasius Merrem established the genus '' Varanus'' in 1820, with ''V. varius'' as the first mentioned member set as its type species by John Edward Gray in 1827. French zoologists André Marie Constant Duméril and Gabriel Bibron described two specimens in 1836, one in their possession and one from the collection of English zoologist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crocodile Monitor
''Varanus salvadorii'', also known as the crocodile monitor, Papuan monitor and Salvadori's monitor, is a species of monitor lizard endemic to New Guinea. It is the largest monitor lizard known from New Guinea, and is one of the longest lizards in the world, verified at up to . The tail of the species is exceptionally long, so some specimens have been claimed to exceed the length of the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon; however, ''V. salvadorii'' is far less massive. ''Varanus salvadorii'' is an arboreal lizard with a dark green body marked with bands of yellowish spots. It has a characteristic blunt snout and a very long tail. It lives in mangrove swamps and coastal rainforests in the southeastern part of the island, feeding on birds, small mammals, eggs, and carrion. Its teeth are better adapted than those of most monitors for seizing fast-moving prey. Like all monitors, ''V. salvadorii'' has anatomical features that enable it to breathe more easily when running tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earless Monitor Lizard
The earless monitor lizard (''Lanthanotus borneensis'') is a semiaquatic, brown lizard native to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. It is the only living species in the family Lanthanotidae and it is related to the true monitor lizards. Taxonomy The earless monitor lizard was described in 1878 by Franz Steindachner. The genus name ''Lanthanotus'' means "hidden ear" and the species name ''borneensis'' refers to its home island of Borneo. The uniqueness of the species was recognized from the start and Steindachner placed it in its own family, Lanthanotidae. In 1899 George Albert Boulenger relegated it to the family Helodermatidae, together with the beaded lizards and gila monster. Further studies were conducted in the 1950s where it was found that although it is related to Helodermatidae, this relationship is relatively distant. The similarity is in part the result of convergent evolution and they should be recognized as separate families. Both are part of a broader Anguim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia although some lizards are more closely related to these two excluded groups than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon. Most lizards are quadrupedal, running with a strong side-to-side motion. Some lineages (known as " legless lizards"), have secondarily lost their legs, and have long snake-like bodies. Some such as the forest-dwelling '' Draco'' lizards are able to glide. They are often territorial, the males fighting off other males and signalling, often with bright colours, to attract mates and to intimidate rivals. Lizards are mainly carnivorous, often being sit-and-wait predators; many smaller species eat insects, while the Komodo eats mamma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earless Monitor Lizard
The earless monitor lizard (''Lanthanotus borneensis'') is a semiaquatic, brown lizard native to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. It is the only living species in the family Lanthanotidae and it is related to the true monitor lizards. Taxonomy The earless monitor lizard was described in 1878 by Franz Steindachner. The genus name ''Lanthanotus'' means "hidden ear" and the species name ''borneensis'' refers to its home island of Borneo. The uniqueness of the species was recognized from the start and Steindachner placed it in its own family, Lanthanotidae. In 1899 George Albert Boulenger relegated it to the family Helodermatidae, together with the beaded lizards and gila monster. Further studies were conducted in the 1950s where it was found that although it is related to Helodermatidae, this relationship is relatively distant. The similarity is in part the result of convergent evolution and they should be recognized as separate families. Both are part of a broader Anguim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ovoo Gurvel
''Ovoo gurvel'' is an extinct varanid lizard from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. It is one of the smallest and earliest monitor lizards. It was described in 2008. ''Ovoo'' possesses a pair of two small bones in its skull that are not seen in any other lizard. Description and history ''Ovoo'' is only known from a fossilized skull cataloged as IGM 3/767 and designated the holotype. The skull was discovered in 2001 near the rich Ukhaa Tolgod fossil site in a locality known as Little Ukhaa. The deposits at Little Uhhaa date back to the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous. The generic name is derived from the name of a type of cairn called ovoos that are found along roads near Little Ukhaa. The specific name, ''gurvel'', comes from the Mongolian word for lizard. ''Ovoo'' was very small compared to living monitor lizards, with the exception of the Short-tailed monitor. Nevertheless, the structures of its skull are very similar to those of living monitors. ''Ovoo'' shares many ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
