The Panay monitor (''Varanus mabitang'') is an endangered
monitor lizard native to
Panay Island
Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City ...
in the Philippines. Unlike most monitors, it is a specialized
frugivore.
[
]
Distribution and habitat
The Panay monitor occurs only on Panay, inhabiting remnant forests in the northwestern and western mountain ranges at altitudes of 200–1000 m. It is highly arboreal
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose nu ...
and dependent on primary forest ecosystems.[
]
Description
This is a large monitor lizard with a length of , a snout-vent length of and a mass of .
Conservation
The species is classified as Endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...
by the IUCN. It appears to be greatly impacted by habitat loss, and is also a favoured hunting target. The species appears to be rare; only twelve animals have been caught since 2002. There are ongoing conservation efforts being carried out on the island.[
]
References
External links
Giant Frugivorous Monitor Lizards in the Philippines
Fauna of Panay
Endemic fauna of the Philippines
Reptiles of the Philippines
Reptiles described in 2001
Varanus
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