Varanus Albigularis Ionidesi
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The black-throated monitor (''Varanus albigularis microstictus'') is a
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of
monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are recogn ...
in the family Varanidae. The subspecies is native to Tanzania.


Description

''Varanus albigularis microstictus'' is usually a dark gray-brown with yellowish or white markings, and can reach up to in total length (including tail) and weigh more than . It is the largest of the four
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of the
rock monitor The rock monitor (''Varanus albigularis'') is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Central, East, and southern Africa. It is the second-longest lizard found on the continent, and the heaviest-bodied; lo ...
, ''V. albigularis''.


Etymology

The generic name, ''Varanus'', is derived from the Arabic word ''waral'' ورل, which is translated to English as "warn" or "warning." The
specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''albigularis'', comes from a compound of two Latin words: ''albus'' meaning "white" and ''gula'' meaning "throat". The subspecific synonym, ''ionidesi'', is in honor of
Constantine John Philip Ionides Constantine John Philip Ionides (1901–1968), nicknamed "Bobby" and then "Iodine", was a British-born naturalist and herpetologist known as the Snake Man of British East Africa. His decades as game warden (conservation officer) led to him being des ...
(1901-1968), called the "Snake Man of British East Africa".Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Varanus albigularis ionidesi'', p. 130).


Diet

In
captivity Captivity, or being held captive, is a state wherein humans or other animals are confined to a particular space and prevented from leaving or moving freely. An example in humans is imprisonment. Prisoners of war are usually held in captivity by a ...
''V. a. microstictus'' feeds mainly on whole prey, such as mice, rats, snakes,
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 alt ...
s, freshwater mollusks, small birds, large roaches, crustaceans, fish, and eggs. It will commonly accept cat and dog food, which is not acceptable as a staple diet due to an improper nutrient profile and high caloric content. In the wild, it will eat anything it can catch.


See also

* List of largest extant lizards *
White-throated monitor The white-throated monitor (''Varanus albigularis albigularis'') is a lizard found in southern Africa. They are usually gray-brown with yellowish or white markings, and can reach up to in length. They are found in Southern Africa, northwards to ...
*
Rock monitor The rock monitor (''Varanus albigularis'') is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Central, East, and southern Africa. It is the second-longest lizard found on the continent, and the heaviest-bodied; lo ...


References


Further reading

* Boettger O (1893). ''Katalog der Reptilien-Sammlung im Museum der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Frankfurt am Main. I. Teil (Rhynchocephalen, Schildkröten, Krokodile, Eidechsen, Chamäleons''. Frankfurt am Main: Gebrüder Knauer. x + 140 pp. (''Varanus microstictus'', new species, p. 72). (in German). * Laurent RF (1964). "A New Subspecies of ''Varanus exanthematicus'' (Sauria, Varanidae)". ''Breviora'' (199): 1–5. (''Varanus exanthematicus ionidesi'', new subspecies). *Phillips, John ("Andy") (2004). "''Varanus albigularis'' ". pp. 91–94. ''In'': Pianka, Eric R.; King, Dennis R.; King, Ruth Allen (editors) (2004). ''Varanoid Lizards of the World''. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. xiii + 588 pp. . Varanus {{lizard-stub