Varanus samarensis

Samar water monitor  

DISTRIBUTIONPhilippines (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: V. samarensis is locally exploited for consumption, and involved in the international pet trade, local overexploitation is presumed.

RESEARCH NEEDS: Field studies to collect information on abundance and population trends within its overall range are required. Likewise, the impact of local use (and offtake for the international trade) on regional populations should be investigated, as well as other potential threats that could have a detrimental impact on the various populations.

CURRENT PROJECTS: Currently not known.

Juvenile Varanus samarensis, Samar Isl.; © Maren Gaulke