Reptile & Amphibian Forums

does anyone have a pic or info on Halmahera bluetails?

thanks, Don

witch one? thers 2 from that local.

jobi, just the guy i was looking for. I took a pic but i just got her in and she was soaking and the pic is not good. I will get a better pic and let you look at it. It is a female and i believe it is at least 3 years old but she is very small. It looks a lot like an indicus but the tail has blue banding and the body has small blue speckles arranged in circular patterns. I had her out a bit today and she compresses laterally (while angling towards the percieved threat) more than any other monitor i have ever seen. I have had lots of doreanus but never one from halmahera and never one that looked anything like her. I know it is tough without a pic but any guesses prior to me getting some film of her?

Thanks, Don

Jobi, i took a look at the pic i snapped of her when she first came in and although it aint pretty, it is clear enough for you to see her and possibly id her for me. You can see she is thin in the hips and has some shed problems on her hind quarters.

thanks for your time, Don

Those have got to be the sweetest Asian monitors, small size nice colors and excellent temperament. I was stupid to sell mine and dearly regret doing so.

Hears a bit of history about them.
When Barker first reported seeing tri color monitors on halamahera, I immediately arranged for some to be trapped and shipped to me, the animals from the first shipment where crappie looking adults who obviously been snared before, as they showed scares in this regard, therefore I arranged for an other shipment but this time I asked for nicer and smaller specimens, they did get me smaller but of an other specie as I received these little cuties instead, at first I was pretty upset as this hole thing was costing me a lot of money, but once I worked with them and saw how friendly and extroverted they where, I fell for them real bad, I had only 8 so I ordered more, but this time I got more try colour monitors and none of these guys, this was unfortunate because iv already sold mine thinking I was getting more.

Now the reason you don’t see them and other monitors for that matter, I stop spending money on new species that eventually ended up on the pet trade, it was an add from an American dealer that did it for me, this guy was asking $7000us for a single tri color, this was more then the entire expedition. This and the fact that some Germans with a need for glory imported like 40 of one specie then officially named them after dealers who really didn’t have anything to do with the actual monitors, this clever conspiracy caused the ban of many species, well anyway they got me sick to my stomach and I completely stop spending my money on new monitors several years ago, as a result no more new monitors have reached the market.
Nowadays I am collecting rare tree dragons, and the funny thing is I keep importing new un-described species every second months. This time with a more reliable source that guaranties no leaks to guys like herpetofauna and such.

Your baby is one of 7 un-described specie, and if it was up to me she would remain nameless. At least untile others then Bonn’s click do the naming.

Jobi, thanks a bunch. Exactly what i was looking for. I figured if anyone new anything about them it would be you but i lost your email. I also got a nice adult sorong female in and i have people interested in both of them but i think i will keep the halmahera for myself. I will get some better pics after i get her acclimated and looking good. Thanks again for the info.

Don.

The monitor in this photo is Varanus caerulivirens. It is not doreanus. It is not all that new, having been described by Ziegler and Bohme in 1999.