Varanus marmoratus
Marbled water monitor
DISTRIBUTION: Philippines (for detailed distribution data, see Auliya & Koch 2020)
RED LIST STATUS: Least Concern (LC) in 2021
CITES: Appendix II
NATIONAL PROTECTION:Under the Republic Act No. 9147 of the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001
THREATS: The ban on the commercial use of skins of this species in the past has probably halted the decline of local populations. The extent to which the illegal trade (including the bushmeat and pet trade) pose a threat to local populations is unknown, as is the persecution of the species as a chicken predator. Overall, information on threats to the species throughout its range remains very vague.
RESEARCH NEEDS: Delineation of the geographical range of V. marmoratus versus V. dalubhasa remains an open question, and studies are needed to narrow down the ‘contact zone’ between these two genetic entities, to determine the extent of possible overlap between them, and to ascertain the extend of gene flow (if present) among them using modern genomic resources and associated methods for characterizing gene flow.
CURRENT PROJECTS: Currently not known.
Adult Varanus marmoratus, Luzon Island © Emerson Y. Sy
Adult Varanus marmoratus, Quezon Province, Luzon Isl. © Jason B. Fernandez & Rafe M. Brown