Varanus (Euprepiosaurus)
{{Short description|Subgenus of monitor lizards}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| italic_title = taxon
| image = Bennett's long-tailed monitor (Varanus bennetti) cropped.jpg
| image_caption = Bennett's long-tailed monitor
(V. bennetti)
| taxon = Varanus (Euprepiosaurus)
| authority =
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 20., see text
}}
Euprepiosaurus is a subgenus of monitor lizards found in the Malay Archipelago and northern Australia, which includes small to medium sized species.
Classification
In 1988, the tree monitors that now form the subgenus Hapturosaurus were instead placed within Euprepriosaurus alongside the mangrove monitors.{{Cite journal |last=Böhme |first=Wolfgang |date=2003 |title=Checklist of the living lizards of the world (family Varanidae) |journal=Zoologische Verhandelingen |volume=341 |pages=4–43 |url=https://repository.naturalis.nl/pub/220215/ZV341_003-044.pdf }} Nevertheless, there was a distinction between mangrove and tree monitors that was clear even then, so Euprepriosaurus was commonly considered to consist of two species complexes, i.e., the V. indicus complex and the V. prasinus complex. In 2016, Yannick Bucklitsch, Wolfgang Böhme, and André Koch found the two species complexes sufficiently morphologically, ecologically, and biologically distinct, and so all species within the V. prasinus complex were moved under a newly erected subgenus, i.e., Hapturosaurus. Euprepriosaurus and Hapturosaurus diverged from each other during the late Miocene.{{Cite journal|last1=Bucklitsch|first1=Yannick|last2=Böhme|first2=Wolfgang|last3=Koch|first3=André|date=2016-08-17|title=Scale morphology and micro-structure of monitor lizards (Squamata: Varanidae: Varanus spp.) and their allies: implications for systematics, ecology, and conservation |url=http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4153.1.1|journal=Zootaxa|volume=4153|issue=1|pages=1–192|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4153.1.1|pmid=27615821 |url-access=subscription}}
= Species complexes =
Euprepiosaurus consists of three species complexes:
- V. indicus species complex (V. indicus, V. cerambonensis, V. caerulivirens, V. colei, V. obor, V. lirugensis, V. rainerguentheri, V. zugorum){{Cite web |date=1997-03-07 |title=Recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee |url=http://www.cites.org/eng/notif/1997/964.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518210428/http://www.cites.org/eng/notif/1997/964.shtml |archive-date=2008-05-18}}{{Cite journal |last=Böhme |first=Wolfgang |last2=Jacobs |first2=Hans J. |last3=Koppetsch |first3=Thore |last4=Schmitz |first4=Andreas |date=2019-09-05 |title=The Kei Islands Monitor Lizard (Squamata: Varanidae: Varanus: Euprepiosaurus) as a Distinct Morphological, Taxonomic, and Conservation Unit |url=http://rjh.folium.ru/index.php/rjh/article/view/1532 |journal=Russian Journal of Herpetology |volume=26 |issue=5 |pages=272 |doi=10.30906/1026-2296-2019-26-5-272-280 |issn=1026-2296|url-access=subscription }}
- V. doreanus species complex (V. doreanus, V. finschi, V. semotus, V. yuwonoi){{Cite journal |last=Weijola |first=Valter |last2=Vahtera |first2=Varpu |last3=Lindqvist |first3=Christer |last4=Kraus |first4=Fred |date=2019-07-23 |title=A molecular phylogeny for the Pacific monitor lizards (Varanus subgenus Euprepiosaurus) reveals a recent and rapid radiation with high levels of cryptic diversity |url=https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/186/4/1053/5380493 |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |language=en |volume=186 |issue=4 |pages=1053–1066 |doi=10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz002 |issn=0024-4082|url-access=subscription }}
- V. jobiensis species complex (V. jobiensis)
Species
- V. bennetti, Bennett's long-tailed monitor{{Cite journal |last1=Weijola |first1=Valter |last2=Vahtera |first2=Varpu |last3=Koch |first3=André |last4=Schmitz |first4=Andreas |last5=Kraus |first5=Fred |year=2020 |title=Taxonomy of Micronesian monitors (Reptilia: Squamata: Varanus): endemic status of new species argues for caution in pursuing eradication plans |journal=Royal Society Open Science |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=200092 |bibcode=2020RSOS....700092W |doi=10.1098/rsos.200092 |pmc=7277287 |pmid=32537217 |doi-access=free}}
- V. caerulivirens, turquoise monitor
- V. cerambonensis, Ceram monitor
- V. chlorostigma{{Cite journal |last=Weijola |first=Valter |last2=and Kraus |first2=Fred |date=2023-04-14 |title=Two new species of monitor lizards (Squamata: Varanus) endemic to the Louisiade and Tanimbar Archipelagos with a key to the subgenus Euprepiosaurus |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2023.2218574 |journal=Journal of Natural History |volume=57 |issue=13-16 |pages=947–975 |doi=10.1080/00222933.2023.2218574 |issn=0022-2933}}
- V. colei Kei Islands monitor{{Cite journal |last=Böhme |first=Wolfgang |date=2019-11-23 |title=The Kei Islands Monitor Lizard (Squamata: Varanidae: Varanus: Euprepiosaurus) as a Distinct Morphological, Taxonomic, and Conservation Unit |journal=Russian Journal of Herpetology |volume=26 |issue=5 |pages=272–280 |doi=10.30906/1026-2296-2019-26-5-272-280 |s2cid=213867767}}
- V. doreanus, blue-tailed monitor
- V. douarrha, New Ireland monitor
- V. finschi, Finsch's monitor
- V. indicus, mangrove monitor
- V. jobiensis, peach-throated monitor
- V. juxtindicus, Rennell Island monitor
- V. lirungensis, Talaud mangrove monitor
- V. louisiadensis, Louisiade monitor{{cite journal |last1=Weijola |first1=Valter |last2=Kraus |first2=Fred |year=2023 |title=Two new species of monitor lizards (Squamata: Varanus) endemic to the Louisiade and Tanimbar archipelagos |journal=Journal of Natural History |volume=57 |issue=13–16 |pages=947–975 |doi=10.1080/00222933.2023.2218574 |doi-access=free}}
- V. melinus, quince monitor{{cite journal |author1=Weijola, Valter |author2=Sweet, Samuel |year=2010 |title=A new melanistic species of monitor lizard (Reptilia: Squamata: Varanidae) from Sanana Island, Indonesia |url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/z02434p032f.pdf |journal=Zootaxa |volume=2434 |pages=17–32 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2434.1.2}}
- V. obor, sago monitor
- V. rainerguentheri Rainer Günther's monitor
- V. semotus, Mussau Island blue-tailed monitor{{cite journal |last1=Weijola |first1=Valter |last2=Donnellan |first2=Stephen |last3=Lindqvist |first3=Christer |year=2016 |title=A new blue-tailed Monitor lizard (Reptilia, Squamata, Varanus) of the Varanus indicus group from Mussau Island, Papua New Guinea |journal=ZooKeys |issue=568 |pages=129–54 |bibcode=2016ZooK..568..129W |doi=10.3897/zookeys.568.6872 |pmc=4829673 |pmid=27103877 |doi-access=free}}
- V. tanimbar, Tanimbar monitor
- V. tsukamotoi, Mariana monitor
- V. yuwonoi black-backed mangrove monitor, tricolor monitor
- V. zugorum, silver monitor, Zug's monitor