Varanus bengalensis bengalensis (Daudin, 1802:67)

Wagner, Philipp, Bauer, Aaron M., Leviton, Alan E., Wilms, Thomas M. & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2016, A Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Afghanistan *, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (13), pp. 457-565 : 503

Varanus bengalensis bengalensis (Daudin, 1802:67)

An X (1802) Tupinambis bengalensis Daudin, Histoire Naturelle, Génerale et Particulière des Reptiles; Ouvrage faisant suite aux Oeuvres de Leclerc de Buffon, et Partie du Cours Complet d’Histoire Naturelle Rédigé par C.S. Sonnini, membre de plusieurs sociétés savantes. Tome troisième. F. Dufart, Paris, France. 452 pp., pls. XXIX–XLV.

LECTOTYPE.— MNHN 2179 , from ”Bengale” designated by Guibé (1954).

SYNONYMS.— Varanus punctatus Merrem, 1820 from “Bengal”. Monitor gemmatus Guérin- Méneville, 1829 from “Indes Orientalis”. Monitor heraldicus Gray in Griffith, 1831 from “Bengal.” Varanus lunatus Gray, 1845 from “ India ”.

LOCALITIES.— Darunta, at the banks of Kabul River, 20 km WNW Jalalabad ( MMB 28487 ) ; Jalalabad [Nangahar Prov., 650 m] ( ZFMK 8653 ) ; 18 km W (by Kabul Rd.) of Jalalabad (2020 ft.) ( MVZ 237483 ) ; 19.2 km N Jalalabad ( FMNH 161208 ) ; 20 km ESE Jalalabad ( MMB 28485– 86 ) ; 80 km E Jalalabad ( MMB 28488 ) ; 30 mi E of Kabul, btwn Kabul and Sarobi [34°33′N, 69°35′E] ( CAS 104378 ) ; 5–10 mi ENE of Nimla , on old Kabul-Jalalabad rd, and about 10 mi SW of Balabagh [34°19′–21′N, 70°10′–15′E] ( CAS 96199 ) [see pl. 10, fig. 7 for distribution].

REMARKS.— Clark (1990) mentioned that the species was always found near water but also ranged into drier terrain not far from rivers or streams and up to 2600 m a.s.l.