ANIMAL: Peach-Throated Monitor Varanus jobiensis Type of Animal: Monitor Habitat: Rainforests from sea level to 2,953 ft, riverbanks Location(s): New Guinea & surrounding islands Appearance: Dark patternless head, large round eyes, dark upper part of head slightly lighter than dorsal area, throat white-yellow to red to salmon, young/juveniles more intensely colored w/ pinkish temporal/gular regions & light broad tail markings, adults dark brownish-olive w/ pale yellow spots, faded dark striping on body, distal 3rd of long tail has broad black bands & light coloration (ranging from white to pale yellow to gray to light blue to turquoise), slender snout, light sleek build Food/Diet: Insects, insect larvae, worms, frogs, eggs, spiders, crayfish, shrimp, fish, small mammals, lizards Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos, wildlife centers, & herpetoculture Lifestyle: Solitary Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Hatchling Group: Solitary Weight: Male: 4 lbs Female: 2 lbs Gestation: 6 months Life Span: 10-20 years Body Length: Male: 4 ft Female: 3 ft Young: 2 ft Tail Length: Male: 2.1-2.7 ft Female: 1.58-2.03 ft Young: 1.05-1.35 ft Main predators are Papuan/New Guinea Harpy Eagles, Crocodile Monitors, & crocodiles. Also known as Sepik Monitor. Sometimes hunted for meat in native range. Equally at home on land & in trees. These lizards very shy in wild. Coloration aids in camouflage. Females lay clutches of 2-12 eggs once or twice a year. Claws come in handy for digging/climbing. These are very active lizards. Fun Fact(s): Sometimes kept as pets. These lizards can be very nervous in the wild & even in captivity. Besides real eyes, they have so-called 3rd eye (parietal eye), most likely for orientation & differing light from dark. When threatened, they’ll expand/display peach throat. They can also tail whip, scratch, bite, & poop on threat. Specific name jobiensis, meaning “from Jobi” refers to type locality-Jobi (Yapen) island. There’s possibility this species may be complex of different species.
