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Varanus

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Description

Monitor lizards are large lizards in the genus Varanus. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, but are now found also in the Americas as an invasive species. There are about 80 recognized species.

From Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanus, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Source Data

Source	ID	Link
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ID (GBIF)	2470872	https://www.gbif.org/species/2470872
PaleoBioDB ID (PBDB)	38044	https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=38044

Rank

genus

Taxonomy (GBIF,PBDB)

Life : Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : Varanus

Taxonomic Status (GBIF)

accepted

Classification
(PBDB,GBIF)

Rank	Name	Author
-	Eukaryota
-	Opisthokonta	Cavalier-Smith 1987
kingdom	Animalia
-	Triploblastica	Lankester 1877
-	Nephrozoa	Jondelius et al. 2002
-	Deuterostomia	Grobben 1908
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1847
subphylum	Vertebrata	Lamarck 1801
superclass	Gnathostomata	Gegenbauer 1874
-	Osteichthyes
-	Sarcopterygii	Romer 1955
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha
-	Tetrapoda
-	Reptiliomorpha	Säve-Söderbergh 1934
-	Anthracosauria	Säve-Söderbergh 1934
-	Batrachosauria
-	Cotylosauria
-	Amniota	Haeckel 1866
-	Sauropsida	Huxley 1864
class	Reptilia	Laurenti 1768
subclass	Eureptilia
-	Romeriida	Gauthier et al. 1988
-	Diapsida
-	Eosuchia
-	Neodiapsida	Benton 1985
-	Sauria	Gauthier 1984
-	Lepidosauromorpha
superorder	Lepidosauria
order	Squamata	Oppel 1811
-	Episquamata	Pyron et al. 2013
-	Toxicofera	Vidal and Hedges 2005
suborder	Anguimorpha	Fürbringer 1900
-	Anguiformes	Conrad 2006
infraorder	Platynota	Baur 1890
superfamily	Varanoidea	Gray 1827
family	Varanidae	Hardwicke and Gray 1824
genus	Varanus	Merrem 1820

Scientific Name

Varanus Merrem, 1820

Name Published In

Merrem, Blasius. 1820. Versuch eines Systems der Amphibien. Krieger, Marburg.: vi + 191.

Opinions (PBDB)

Name	Rank	Opinion	Evidence	Author
Varanus	genus	belongs to Varaninae	stated with evidence	McDowell and Bogert, 1954
Varanus	genus	belongs to Varanidae	stated with evidence	Estes, 1983
Varanus	genus	belongs to Varanidae	implied	Carroll, 1988
Varanus	genus	belongs to Varanidae	stated without evidence	Estes et al., 1988
Varanus	genus	belongs to Varanidae	stated with evidence	Clos, 1995
Varanus	genus	belongs to Varanidae	stated without evidence	Frank and Ramus, 1996
Varanus	genus	belongs to Varanidae	stated with evidence	Lee and Caldwell, 2000
Varanus	genus	belongs to Varanidae	stated without evidence	Ivanov et al., 2018

Status (PBDB)

extant

Taxon Size (PBDB)

Extant Size (PBDB)

23 (79%)

First Recorded Appearance

23.0 - 16.0 Ma
Miocene

Environment

terrestrial (based on Varanidae)

Motility

actively mobile (based on Osteichthyes)

Diet

carnivore (based on Varanidae)

Reproduction

oviparous (based on Varanidae)

Taphonomy

phosphatic (based on Vertebrata)

Primary Reference (PBDB)

R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution

Common Name(s)

Monitor Lizards

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanus

External Images

Fossil Distribution

Subtaxa

Name	Status	Common Name(s)	Fossil Occurrences	Oldest	Youngest
Varanus (Varaneades) ✝ subgenus	listed (PBDB)
Megalania prisca species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus acanthurus species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Ridgetail Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus albigularis species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	White-throated Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus auffenbergi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus bangonorum species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus baritji species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Stone Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus beccarii species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Black Tree Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus bengalensis species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Bengal Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus bitatawa species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus boehmei species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus bogerti species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Bogert's Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus brevicauda species	listed (PBDB)	Short-tail Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus brevicaudus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus bushi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus caerulivirens species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus caudolineatus species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Stripetail Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus cerambonensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus cumingi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus dalubhasa species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus doreanus species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Bluetail Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus dumerili species	listed (PBDB)	Dumeril's Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus dumerilii species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus eremius species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Spinifex Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus exanthematicus species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Savannah Monitor	4	0.01 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Varanus finschi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus flavescens species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus giganteus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus gilleni species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Pigmy Mulga Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus glauerti species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus glebopalma species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus gouldii species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus griseus species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Desert Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus hamersleyensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus hoffmanni ✝ species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		3	16.9 Ma Miocene	8.70 Ma Miocene
Varanus indicus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus jobiensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus juxtindicus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus keithhornei species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus kingorum species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus komodoensis species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Komodo Dragon	1	2.59 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Varanus kordensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus lirungensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus mabitang species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus macraei species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus marathonensis ✝ species	listed (PBDB)		9	16.0 Ma Miocene	5.33 Ma Miocene
Varanus marmoratus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus melinus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus mertensi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus mitchelli species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus mokrensis ✝ species	doubtful (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		2	20.0 Ma Miocene	20.0 Ma Miocene
Varanus nebulosus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus nesterovi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus niloticus species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Nile Monitor	7	11.6 Ma Miocene	0 Ma Extant
Varanus nuchalis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus obor species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus olivaceus species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Gray's Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus ornatus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus palawanensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus panoptes species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus pilbarensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus prasinus species	listed (PBDB)	Emerald Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus primordius species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus prisca ✝ species	listed (PBDB)		3	2.59 Ma Pleistocene	0.13 Ma Pleistocene
Varanus rainerguentheri species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus rasmusseni species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus reisingeri species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus rosenbergi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus rudicollis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus rusingensis ✝ species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		1	20.4 Ma Miocene	20.4 Ma Miocene
Varanus salvadorii species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Crocodile Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus salvator species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Common Water Monitor	2	0.13 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Varanus samarensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus scalaris species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus semiremex species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus similis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus sparnus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus spenceri species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus spinulosus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus storri species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus telenesetes species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus timorensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus togianus species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus tristis species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Arid Monitor			0 Ma Extant
Varanus varius species	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Lace Monitor	4	2.59 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Varanus yemenensis species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus yuwonoi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Varanus zugorum species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB

Obsolete Names

Name	Source	Taxon Rank	Taxonomy
Iberovaranus Hoffstetter, 1969	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Iberovaranus*
Oxysaurus Hoser, 2013	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Oxysaurus*
Aquativaranus Hoser, 2013	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Aquativaranus*
Agalmatosaurus Fitzinger, 1843	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Agalmatosaurus*
Cylindrurus Fitzinger, 1843	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Cylindrurus*
Monitor beccarii Doria, 1874	GBIF	species	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : Varanus : *Monitor beccarii*
Aspetosaurus Wells & Wellington, 1985	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Aspetosaurus*
Arborhabitatiosaurus Hoser, 2013	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Arborhabitatiosaurus*
Varanus prasinus kordensis Mertens, 1942	GBIF	subspecies	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : Varanus : *Varanus prasinus kordensis*
Shireenhosersaurea Hoser, 2013	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Shireenhosersaurea*
Worrellisaurus Wells & Wellington, 1983	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Worrellisaurus*
Iberovaranus catalaunicus Hoffstetter, 1969	GBIF	species	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : Varanus : *Iberovaranus catalaunicus*
Pantherosaurus Fitzinger, 1843	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Pantherosaurus*
Euprepiosaurus Fitzinger, 1843	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Euprepiosaurus*
Titanzius Wells & Wellington, 1985	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Titanzius*
Parvavaranus Hoser, 2013	GBIF	genus	Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Varanidae : *Parvavaranus*

Synonymy List

Year	Name and Author
1820	Varanus Merrem
1859	Megalania Owen p. 48
1884	Notiosaurus Owen
1954	Varanus McDowell and Bogert p. 132
1966	Varanus Kuhn p. 57
1969	Iberovaranus Hoffstetter
1969	Iberovaranus catalaunicus Hoffstetter
1983	Iberovaranus Estes
1983	Megalania Estes
1983	Varanus Estes
1988	Iberovaranus Carroll

Year	Name and Author
1988	Megalania Carroll
1988	Varanus Carroll
1988	Varanus Estes et al.
1993	Varanus Alifanov p. 12
1995	Varanus Clos p. 254
1995	Iberovaranus Clos p. 263
1995	Megalania Clos p. 263
1996	Varanus Frank and Ramus
2000	Varanus Lee and Caldwell
2018	Varanus Ivanov et al.
2018	Varanus Villa et al.

References

Carroll R. L. (1988) , Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, 1-698

Owen R. Description of some Remains of a Gigantic Land-Lizard (Megalania prisca, OWEN) from A4ustral, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 149, 43-48

McDowell S. B., Bogert C. M. (1954) The systematic postition of Lanthanotus and the affinities of the anguinomorphan lizards, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 105 1, 1-142

Kuhn O. W. M. (1966) , Die Reptilien. System und Stammesgeschichte [The Reptiles. Systematics and Phylogeny.], 1-154

Hoffstetter R. (1969) Présence de Varanidae (Reptilia, Sauria) dans le Miocène de Catalogne. Considérations sur l’histoire de la famille, Bulletin du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle 40, 1051-1064

Estes R. (1983) Sauria terrestria, Amphisbaenia, Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie 10A, 1-249

Estes R., de Queiroz K., et al (1988) Phylogenetic relationships within Squamata, Phylogenetic relationships of the lizard families, 119-282

Alifanov V. (1993) Some peculiarities of the Cretaceous and Palaeogene lizard faunas of the Mongolian people's Republic, Darmstädter Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte 3, 9-13

Clos L. M. (1995) A new species of Varanus (Reptilia: Sauria) from the Miocene of Kenya, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 15 2, 254-267

Frank N., Ramus E. (1996) A Complete Guide to Scientific and Common Names of Reptiles and Amphibians of the World, 1-377

Lee M. S. Y., Caldwell M. W. (2000) Adriosaurus and the affinities of mosasaurs, dolichosaurs, and snakes, Journal of Paleontology 74 3, 915-937

Ivanov M., Ruta M., et al (2018) A new species of Varanus (Anguimorpha: Varanidae) from the early Miocene of the Czech Republic, and its relationships and palaeoecology, Journal of Systematic Paleontology 16 9, 767-797 doi:10.1080/14772019.2017.1355338

Villa A., Abella J., et al (2018) Revision of Varanus marathonensis (Squamata, Varanidae) based on historical and new material: morphology, systematics, and paleobiogeography of the European monitor lizards, PLoS ONE 13 12, 1-46 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0207719

CoL2006 - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

Nomenclator Zoologicus. A list of the names of genera and subgenera in zoology from the tenth edition of Linnaeus, 1758 to the end of 2004. Digitised by uBio from vols. 1-9 of Neave (ed.), 1939-1996 plus supplementary digital-only volume. http://ubio.org/NomenclatorZoologicus (as at 2006). - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

WoRMS (Mar 2013) - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

as per family - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

SN2000/Duellman, 1982, PaleoDB - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

Tent. Syst. Amph., 13 - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

SN2000/Duellman, 1982 - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). - via World Register of Marine Species

Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes, 2004: null. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada, draft (2004). - via Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, and A. L. Gardner, 1987: Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada. Resource Publication, no. 166. 79. - via Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Data courtesy of: PBDB: The Paleobiology Database, Creative Commons CC-BY licenced. , GBIF: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, various licences, iDigBio, various licences, and EOL: The Encyclopedia of Life (Open Data Public Domain). Because fossils are made of minerals too!

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