Bogert's monitor (''Varanus bogerti)'' is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of tree-dwelling
lizard in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Varanidae
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 rel ...
. The species is native to
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
.
Etymology
Both the
specific name, ''bogerti'', and the common name, Bogert's monitor, are in honor of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
herpetologist
Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians ( gymnophiona)) and rep ...
Charles Mitchill Bogert
Charles Mitchill Bogert (June 4, 1908 – April 10, 1992) was an American herpetologist, and curator of herpetology and researcher for the American Museum of Natural History.
Early life and education
Born in Mesa, Colorado, Bogert was a technici ...
.
[ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Varanus bogerti'', p. 30).]
Geographic range
''V. bogerti'' is found on the
D'Entrecasteaux Islands and the
Trobriand Islands
The Trobriand Islands are a archipelago of coral atolls off the east coast of New Guinea. They are part of the nation of Papua New Guinea and are in Milne Bay Province. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main isla ...
of Papua New Guinea.
[
]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
of ''V. bogerti'' is forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
at altitudes from sea level to .
Reproduction
''V. bogerti'' is an oviparous species.[
]
References
Further reading
* Koch A, Ernst N, Eidenmüller B, Kraus F (2014). "New data on the rare ''Varanus bogerti'' Mertens, 1950 and ''V. telenesetes'' Sprackland, 1991 (Squamata: Varanidae), two endemic monitor lizard taxa from island groups off southeastern New Guinea". ''Herpetological Journal'' 24 (2): 111–122.
* Mertens R (1950). "Notes on some Indo-Australian monitors (Sauria, Varanidae)". ''American Museum Novitates'' (1456): 1–7. (''Varanus prasinus bogerti'', new subspecies, pp. 3–6, Figure 1),
* Ziegler T, Schmitz A, Koch A, Böhme W (2007). "A review of the subgenus ''Euprepiosaurus'' of ''Varanus'' (Squamata: Varanidae): morphological and molecular phylogeny, distribution and zoogeography, with an identification key for the members of the ''V. indicus'' and the ''V. prasinus'' species groups". ''Zootaxa'' 1472: 1-28.
Varanus
Reptiles described in 1950
Monitor lizards of New Guinea
Taxa named by Robert Mertens
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