Keywords :
Jesse Goodyear,
George A. Gale,
Surachit Waengsothorn,
Colin T. Strine
บทคัดย่อ :
The clouded monitor lizard (Varanus nebulosus), is a semi arboreal lizard widely distributed throughout much of
South and Southeast Asia. Despite its wide distribution there is almost nothing known about the ecology of this species. During
the course of an 11-month radio telemetry study, in a reserve with a tropical savannah climate (Koppen Aw), we made the first
records of brumation in this monitor lizard. This contrasts with earlier reports of the same species in a tropical monsoon climate
(Koppen Am) where no brumation was recorded. We successfully tracked 10 individuals throughout their inactive period and
found that seven of the monitors selected tree hollows within the endangered Shorea henryana tree. All tree hollows selected
faced between the east and south cardinal points (90 -180 ). The average brumation period was 100 days (range 86-113 days,
standard deviation - 10.7), beginning in November at a time of falling temperatures and humidities and ending in early March
when these variables had been restored. Eight of the 10 monitors basked partially or completely out of their shelters on multiple
occasions. Of those eight monitors, two individuals moved between shelters during brumation after an extended period in
one location. Our observations provide insight into the relationship between V. nebulosus and the tree S.henryana, in the dry
evergreen forests of north-eastern Thailand. Future research should investigate how this tree will be affected by climate change
in the coming decades and what that could mean for the future persistence of the clouded monitors that appear to rely on it.
เอกสารอ้างอิง :
Goodyear, J., Gale, G. A., Waengsothorn, S., & Strine, C. T. (2022). Brumation of the clouded monitor lizard Varanus nebulosus in north-eastern Thailand. Herpetological Bulletin, (159).
