Sierra Madre Mountain monitor lizard - Varanus bitatawa

[Ceratodromeus]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Lacertilia
Family: Varanidae
Genus: Varanus
Subgenus: Philipinosaurus
Species: V.bitatawa


Description
This is a species discovered from the analysis of preserved specimens of Phillipine and United States collections; the holotype is an adult male (catalogue number PNM 1719) measuring 76.6cm(28.9in)in snout-vent length, with a tail measuring 103.6cm(40.7in). This enigmatic species shares a similar number of midbody, ventral, and dorsal scales to it's close relative V.olivaecus, but is distinguished via allopatry(geographic barriers such as rivers) and Mitochondrial DNA divergence, as well as hemipenal morphology^{1}. In life the species is brilliantly colored, with a black dorsal coloration highlighted by gold banding. Like V.olivaecus, V.bitatawa is a large species that displays frugivorous feeding habits.


Dorsal views of bodies, lateral views of heads and close-ups of hemipenes of (a) V. bitatawa (PNM 9719) and (b) V. olivaceus (KU 322187). Letters indicate: A, primary apical hemibaculum horn; B, secondary apical hemibaculum horn; and C, presence or absence of an evagination at the base of the primary hemibaculum.

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^{1}A spectacular new Philippine monitor lizard reveals a hidden biogeographic boundary and a novel flagship species for conservation

Abstract
As humans continue to explore the last uncharted regions of the planet, discoveries of previously unknown species of large vertebrates have become infrequent. Here, we report on the discovery of a spectacular new species of giant, secretive, frugivorous, forest monitor lizard (Genus: Varanus) from the forests of the northern Philippines. Using data from morphology and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, we demonstrate the taxonomic distinctiveness of this new 2 m long species and provide insight into its historical biogeography and systematic affinities. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that the new species is closely related to Varanus olivaceus (from southern Luzon and nearby islands), but it differs from this and other varanids with respect to characteristics of scalation, colour pattern, body size, anatomy of the reproductive organs and genetic divergence. The new species appears to be restricted to forests of the central and northern Sierra Madre mountain range; it is separated from the range of V. olivaceus by a more than 150 km stretch that includes at least three low-elevation river valley barriers to dispersal. This discovery identifies a seldom-perceived biogeographic boundary and emphasizes the need for continued biodiversity research in the megadiverse conservation hotspot of the Philippines. It is anticipated that the new species will serve as an important flagship species for conservation efforts aimed at preserving the remaining forests of northern Luzon.
rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/6/5/654.short

[Ceratodromeus]

It was bound to happen eventually;
First Record of Varanus bitatawa in the Philippine Pet Trade
Abstract - Described in 2010, Varanus bitatawa is recorded for the first time in the Philippine pet
trade. An asking price of ₱ 100,000 PHP ($2,380 USD) suggests that the seller was aware of its highlycoveted
status in the pet trade.

www.varanidae.org/6_2_Sy.pdf

[Ceratodromeus]

One of the first studies on movement patterns for the species since its description in 2010:

Morphology, Activity Area, and Movement Patterns of the Frugivorous Monitor Lizard Varanus bitatawa
Abstract
The newly described Varanus bitatawa is a large, frugivorous, monitor lizard endemic to the northern
Sierra Madre mountain range in Luzon, Philippines. This study presents the first description of its ecology from
tracking and camera trapping. We captured five adult lizards weighing 1.0–5.1 kg with snout-vent lengths (SVL)
from 40–66 cm and total lengths from 100–164 cm. Activity areas were non-overlapping with a mean of 12,400 m²;
males (23,300 m²) had larger activity areas than females (5,200 m²). Capture and camera trap records indicate that
lizards move most frequently between 1000 and 1500. Movements were characterized by straight line distances
between trees with a mean distance travelled between trees of 79 m. Mean daily distance covered was 176 m with
larger distances covered by males (228 m vs 142 m for females)


Figure 1. Photographs showing (A) cocoon bobbins of polyester thread tied together, (B) the attachment of the spools
to the tail of a Varanus bitatawa and (C) Varanus bitatawa at release with a blue tracking line attached to a stem. (Photographed
by Stephanie Law).

Morphometrics
We were able to evert reproductive
organs from all individuals we caught and we assigned
sex, although we recognize some individuals
may have been assigned incorrectly. All animals were
in good physical condition with no visible ectoparasites.
Auffenberg (1988) suggested that mature V. olivaceus
would have a SVL > 40 cm, thus data for one smaller
male V. bitatawa was removed from this study to compare
morphometrics of mature individuals. Mean TL
was 132 ± SE 11.7 cm (range 99.5–164 cm) and mean
mass was 3.12 ± 0.81 kg (range 1.0–5.1 kg). Comparisons
of measurements between the three frugivorous
monitor lizards endemic to the Philippines show considerable
similarity (Table 2). Due to the uncertainty
of sex assignment in the field and the lack of reported
sex-specific measurements for V. mabitang, we did not
make comparisons based on sex."

www.herpconbio.org/Volume_11/Issue_3/Law_etal_2016.pdf