The quince monitor (''Varanus melinus'') 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 monitor lizards

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. It is very closely related to the mangrove monitor (''

Varanus indicus The mangrove monitor, mangrove goanna, or Western Pacific monitor lizard (''Varanus indicus'') is a member of the monitor lizard family with a large distribution from northern Australia and New Guinea to the Moluccas and Solomon Islands. It grows ...

''), with both belonging to the subgenus ''Euprepiosaurus''.Monitor-lizards.de

Description

The quince monitor has a bright yellow head, legs, back and tail. ''Varanus melinus'' has a black reticulation on the lower part of its neck. The tail has alternating bands of yellow and black which get pale toward the last third. Its tongue is light pink in color with little variation. The quince monitor's nostril is situated closer to the tip of its snout than to its eye. This species can reach in total length. This species is very similar in morphology to the Mangrove Monitor. Baby quince monitors will be darker in color and will gradually get brighter yellow with age.

Distribution

The quince monitor is likely endemic to the

Sula Islands The Sula Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula) is one of the regencies in North Maluku province of Indonesia. It covers a land area of 3,338.67 km2 and consists of two of the three large islands comprising the Sula Archipelago, together ...

in Indonesia, but it reportedly may occur in Banggai.CITES Proposal:
Transfer of Varanus melinus from Appendix II to Appendix I.
' Prop. 11.43. Initially it was reported to originate from the

Obi Islands The Obi Islands (also known as Ombirah, Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Obi'') are a group of 42 islands in the Indonesian province of North Maluku, north of Buru and Ceram, and south of Halmahera. With a total area of 3,048.08 km2, they had a pop ...

, but this was only an intermediate wildlife trade station. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and collection for the wildlife trade.

References

Reptiles of Indonesia Reptiles described in 1997 Varanus {{lizard-stub