Varanus salvator (Laurenti, 1768)

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 129-131

Varanus salvator (Laurenti, 1768) — Native.

Stellio salvator Laurenti, 1768: 56 . Neotype: ZFMK 22092 , designated by Koch et al. (2007: 130). Type locality: “[h]abitat in America”; later designated as “Ceylon” (= Sri Lanka) by Mertens (1959: 234) later restricted to “Ceylon” (= Sri Lanka) via neotype designation .

Water Monitor

( Figure 15F )

Singapore records.

Varanus salvator — Flower, 1896: 873 (Blakan Mati [= Sentosa).— Hanitsch, 1898: 19.— Flower, 1899: 643.—Ridley, 1899: 206.— Hanitsch, 1910a: 5 (“Selitar” [= Seletar]).— Hanitsch, 1912b: 15.— Sworder, 1924a: 16, 20 (Pulau Ayer Merbau; Pulau Senang; Pulau Sudong).—Sworder, 1925a: 66.—D.S. Johnson, 1964: 26.— Chuang, 1973: 4.—Sharma, 1973: 233.—L.M. Chou et al., 1980: 71.— Gremli, 1988: 62.—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988c: 75 (Lim Chu Kang Road).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1989: 3 (Woodlands Town Garden).—Hall, 1989d: 33 (Pasir Panjang Hill).—K. Lim, 1989e: 39 (Sentosa).—K. Lim, 1989h: 64 (Pulau Hantu).—K. Lim, 1990a: 9 (Coralarium [Sentosa]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.— Anonymous, 1991b: 13.—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 36.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 8 (Pulau Ubin; Sentosa; Sungei Kadut; Sungei Simpang Mangroves).—P.K.L. Ng, 1992a: 141.—P.K.L. Ng, 1992b: 141.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 98, 149.—W.K. Tan, 1992: 3.—Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 106.—J.K.Y. Low et al., 1994: 158.—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 4 (Changi Jetty; Seletar North Peninsula [USNF]).—K. Lim, 1995: 17 (Sungei Buloh Nature Park [= SBWR]).—R. Subaraj, 1995: 35.— Metcalfe, 1996: 107 (refers to V. nebulosus ).— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 292.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 29.— P.K.L. Ng & Sivasothi, 1999: 147.—E.K. Chua, 2000: 107.—E.K. Chua, 2002: 107.—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 146.— Karns et al., 2002: 488 (Pasir Ris Park Mangroves).—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 149.— Anonymous, 2003: 32, 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Anonymous, 2007: 54 (Punggol Park).—E.K. Chua, 2007a: 35 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2007: 81.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 89, 160.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2008: 169.— Anonymous, 2009: 76 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—M.F.C. Ng, 2009: 59, 109 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—P.K.A. Ng, 2009: 61.—E.K. Chua, 2010: 21, 66, 154.— Das, 2010: 256.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2010: 111.—D.C.J. Yeo et al., 2010: 195.— Anonymous, 2011a: 31 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—L.M. Chou, 2011: 75.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 281 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).— Corlett, 2011a: 47.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 157.—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 697, 698.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 382.—D.L. Yong, 2011: 103 (Bukit Gombak).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 89, 160.— Davison et al., 2012: 108.—M.F.C. Ng, 2012: 69, 146 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—Ananthanarayanan & I.S. Law, 2014: 291, 292 (Chinese Gardens; Swan Lake [SBG]).—K.K.P. Lim, 2014d: 225, 226 (Swan Lake [SBG]).—D.L. Yong et al., 2014: 202, 203.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 142.—M.A.H. Chua, 2015a: 17 (Pulau Tekong).—R. Subaraj, 2015: 9, 25, 31, 38, 43, 46, 47, 55 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Singapore Zoo; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—E.K. Chua et al., 2016: 90.—R. He, 2016 (Sungei Buloh [= SBWR]).—B.C. Ng & K.K.P. Lim, 2015: 51 (Orchidville Plant Nursery).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 179 (Pulau Tekong).—H.H. Tan, 2016a: 122 (Kent Ridge Park).—Thomas et al., 2016: 8 (Pulau Ubin).—W. Wong, 2017: 81.— Chiok, 2019: 40 (Pulau Ubin).—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 124, 125 (Alexandra Woodlands; Clementi Forest).— H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 129, 130, 133 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 160, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—W. Cheong, 2020: 104 (River Safari).— Leo et al., 2020: 258.—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 2.—C.J. Tan, 2020: 58 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve [Migratory Bird Trail]).—B.C. Ng, 2021: 134 (Pang Sua Woodland).—Riyanto & Rahmadi, 2021: 2936.—Sankar et al., 2021: 1 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Bungum & Johns, 2022; 1–55.—E.K. Chua, 2022: 57, 166 (Pasir Ris Park; Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve; Tampines River).— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 172.— Kurniawan et al., 2022: 111.—M.L. Kwak & A. Ng, 2022: 929.—Trivalairat & Srikosamatara, 2022: 13.—K.H. Koh, 2023: 1 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).

Hydrosaurus salvator —Saville-Kent, 1897: 96.— Anonymous, 2011b: 50.

“Monitor lizard”—Anonymous, 1947: 5 (Claymore Road).—Kow, 2021 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens).— Lay, 2021c (Ulu Pandan canal).—G.Z. Tan, 2021 (Ulu Pandan Park Connector).—Kow, 2022 (Pasir Ris Park).—Z.S. Kow, 2022 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).

“Monitor lizards”— Harrison & Tham, 1973: 253.

Varunas [sic] salvator —F.L.K. Lim, 1984: 18.

Varanus (subgen. nov.) salvator salvator — Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 319.

Varanus salvator salvator —R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 386.— Bayless, 2004: 52.— Gaulke & Horn, 2004: 246.

Varanus salvator macromaculatus — Anonymous, 2008: 103 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Cota et al., 2009: 135, 138.— Anonymous, 2012: 7 (Chinese Gardens).—M. Ng & Mendyk, 2012: 34– 37 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Cota & Sommerlad, 2013: 64.— Anonymous, 2013: 49 (Japanese Gardens).

“Water Monitor Lizard”— Anonymous, 2014: 89 ( Singapore Polytechnic).—K.M. Ngo et al., 2022: 6.

Soterosaurus salvator —Pettit et al., 2021: 114.

Remarks. Flower (1896) was the first to record V. salvator from Singapore from an individual he collected at “Blakan Mati” (now Sentosa) in January 1896. He mentioned that Blanford (1881) reported it previously from Singapore, but Blanford did not state Singapore as a locality in his paper. As with other species, V. salvator went unreported for 39 years ( Table 2 ) between Sworder (1925a) and Johnson (1964). Following Johnson (1964), V. salvator has been reported numerous times from all throughout Singapore and its islands, except for PT where it is decidedly uncommon ( Lim et al. 2016). Records of V. salvator on PT are only from individuals captured on camera traps ( Lim et al. 2016). Varanus salvator is part of a species complex that spans from Sri Lanka east through SE Asia to the Moluccas and northern Philippines ( Koch et al. 2007). Recent and ongoing work has progressively been uncovering hidden species diversity, but the Singapore populations are still considered V. salvator ( Koch et al. 2007; Koch et al. 2010; Welton et al. 2014).

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.6334– ZRC. 2.6335 (no date); Bukit Timah Campus [ NUS] : ZRC.2.6732 (04-Aug-2008); Changi : ZRC.2.1897 (Sep-1927); Loyang : ZRC.2.2260(01-Nov-1979); Pasir Panjang NParks Nursery : ZRC.2.6168(13-Oct-2005); Pasir Ris Park : ZRC.2.6563 (18-Jul-2007); Pulau Ayer Merbau : ZRC.2.1895– ZRC.2.1896 (12-May-1921); Pulau Ubin : ZRC.2.1894 (23-Feb-1921); RAF Seletar [= Seletar Air Base] : BMNH 1983.955 (no date) ; Singapore Island Country Club Road : ZRC.2.6057 (15-Sep-2003) ; ZRC.2.6132 (22-Jan-2005) , ZRC. 2.6136 (13- Jun-2005); Sungei Buloh Nature Park [= SBWR] : ZRC.2.4760 (Nov-1999); Tyersall Road : ZRC.2.7125 (Dec-2015); Upper Seletar Reservoir Road : ZRC.2.6822 (26-May-2009) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): NMI, NMW, RMNH, SAMA, WAM, ZMH.

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Gombak—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi—Changi Jetty—Chinese Gardens—Claymore Road—Clementi Forest—Japanese Gardens—Kent Ridge Park—Lim Chu Kang Road—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—Loyang—Mandai Range Forest—National University of Singapore Bukit Timah Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Night Safari— Orchidville Plant Nursery—Pang Sua Woodland—Pasir Panjang Hill—Pasir Panjang NParks Nursery— Pasir Ris Park—Pasir Ris Park Mangroves—Pulau Ayer Merbau—Pulau Hantu—Pulau Semakau—Pulau Senang—Pulau Sudong—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Punggol Park—River Safari—Seletar—Seletar Air Base—Seletar North Forest—Sentosa—Singapore Botanic Gardens—Singapore Island Country Club—Singapore Polytechnic—Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Sungei Kadut—Sungei Simpang Mangroves—Tampines River—Tyersall Road—Ulu Pandan—Upper Seletar North Forest— Upper Seletar Reservoir Road—Woodlands Town Garden.

Figures

FIGURE 15. A) Lipinia vittigera, B) Subdoluseps bowringii, C) Tytthoscincus temasekensis, D) Varanus dumerilii, E) Varanus nebulosus, F) Varanus salvator, G) Acrochordus granulatus, and H) Ahaetulla fasciolata. Photographs by:Alex Figueroa [A–B, F], Shivaram Rasu [C], Law Ing Sind [D, G], Thio Hui Bing [E], and Lena S.Y. Chow [H].