Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I've seen and handled some Yellow Headed monitors in a boid & monitor specialty shop in Tokyo and was struck by their beauty and temperament. I'm thinking of acquiring one, probably in a year or two as I want to get some experience with my savannah first, I got him just a little over two months ago. I've already begun my research, but I seem to find but little on this species. Any link/book recommendation would be welcome, I'd also love to hear from people who have owned them. Thanks.

Mark

Hello Mark,

Hi - there is not alot of information on this species readily available, as you probably know already. I did write an article in the June/July 1999 Vivarium magazine, pp38-40 that will help you - and there is alot of information there, especially between the lines...I have alot of additional information on this species, for instance, they are predominantly fish-feeders. What species of fish you ask? Im not sure, but I suspect fresh-water species from central Indonesia...a good university library or even a book borrowing service through your local public library can help you find the fishes if your interested (I've never looked at that, yet)?

Good Luck and Good Hunting!
mark bayless

Thanks Mark,

I'll look for your article and try to so some research on Central Indonesia fish species: that's what I like about researching about reptiles, you never know where it's going to take you...lol I'm not sure I can find a good book on this at the local library (I live in Japan, can read a little Japanese but that would be beyond my limits lol), but I'll at least try a search on Amazon later on today. If nothing comes up, then I will have the perfect excuse to pass my next vacation in Indonesia!

Please let me know if you come across anything.

Mark

Hi Mark,
I would try which is a book selling web page, and then try to find those titles at your nearest university - Japan has amazing aquaculture knowledge and I would be surprised if you cannot find something on Central Mollucas Isles... you might also try looking for "distribution and habitat" data for the Barbirusa pig, which shares its habitat with V. melinus, and look at Tim Flennery's books, "Mammals of New Guinea" and "Mammals of the Mollucas", both amazing books in themselves...if you can't find my article, let me know and I could mail you a xerox copy - it is amazing what one can end up searching for!!

Right now I am having some Latin translated as it is about a 13th century Byzantine Emperor who routinely ate 'Scincus beastios' = Varanus griseus for dinner on a regular basis! I know nothing about Byzantine Empire this week, but by next week I will have some knowledge of it, if not a few books on it as well! There is NO limit to where Varanus things can take one....
good hunting!
mark bayless

Thanks for writing back, Mark. I've just put Flannery's books in my Amazon shopping cart and will order them soon, I too just can't read enough. I'll try to find your Vivarium magazine article but this one could take quite some time. Have you got a scanner? If you do, it's be great if could e-mail it to me ( cuchulain@mrj.biglobe.ne.jp ). And do keep me posted on "Scincus beastios"...LOL I'll try my best to research those fish, the problem is not their lack of knowledge in aquaculture but rather my lack of linguistic access to that knowledge. It looks like you've put me on quite a hunting trail...I think I'll enjoy it.

Mark

Hi there,
I find the 'Hunt' as Sherlock Holmes would say as rewarding as the discovery there-of = both teach me alot about how to find information....at this time, I collect information on Varanus, their habitats and ALL things related to them, and it is a kick in the pants to find the data I do...I find surprises every week, and learn alot about how to find it, which is just as important as finding the data... I am convinced that there is so much more we can learn from the written sources of Varanus yet to be discovered, it is there. I have just finished a comprehensive 300 page Varanus bibliography, and hope to get it to publisher within 2 months time. I look forward to it every day.

I am currently doing a historical/antiquity paper on Varanus, including fossil forms and early mankind relations.Last week it was the Greek classics, and Apollonius of Tyana and his descriptions of Indian dragons, descriptions of color, ornamentations and diet! I have no idea where it is going, or where it will end? It is at 52 pages right now...

This week it is a beasty from PNG, and all I have is the Papuan name for the animal, nothing more or less?? Who knows what I will find about it?? But if you can find Arthur C. Clarke's "Mysterious World" series, Volume III, you might be surprised!! I am. One frind of mine said it was a V. jobiensis, but no jobiensis I know of is 15 feet long, or any other known living Varanus = but there are several reports of this same animal as recent as 1991 by tourist guidebook authors!

I do not have a scanner or even know how to use one if I did. I could post it to you...my email is .
Cheers,
mbayless

I have just sent you my mailing address. Many thanks.

Hi Mark,

I sent you an email, from the one you gave me in the post above, and to the best of my knowledge have not recieved a mailing address from you either?? Did you find the magazine issue?

cheers,
mbayless

Thanks Mark,

I'm afraid I haven't received your e-mail either. I sent my message to you by clicking your user's name, I have no idea where that went...(I'm PC illiterate) Here's my mailing address:
Mark Germain
Mihanayama 19-7, Tsuduki-ku
Yokohama, Japan 224-0066

I didn't really have the chance to look for your article yet, but I'm heading to some monitor specialty shops in Tokyo sometime next week, I might find it there. I'll get back to you on that then. Thanks for all the help.

BTW, have you come up with any good Varanus recipe yet?
LOL

Mark

Hello Mark,
I will post the article this weekend, when I have a bunch of other things to mail out too - all Varanus related.

I have several recipes for Varanus as food, but only one as sushi-type...Most of my recipes come from African/Colonial Territories there-of, mostly German ones, i.e. "Iguana smoked w/potatoes (of course!), and a few barbecued recipes, and one steamed one from Pacific Islands; In PNG they shove a stick up its cloaca and roast it over the open fire. I have lots and lots of recipes from Aboriginal tribes across Australia, and some of their recipes are fascinating - the women do that of collecting (only males) and cooking them and their eggs.

I doubt it would be a best seller as a whole book, but will definetely be a fascinating chapter within a Varanus book to be sure...

I would be most interested to learn of Japans aspects of Varano- husbandry and species available. Could you send me a brochure or magazine with Varanus in them?

I too am mostly computer illiterate and speak only one word in japanese (= yes)....in grade school we had to learn japanese, but I was too busy making explatives on their personages and impersonating Japanese Prisoner of War camp commanders i.e. Bridge over the River Kwai type when the teacher left the room - and got caught doing that by our japanese vice-principal = he punished me in typical japanese tradition = (Phwack!!!), and I deserved it. It did not hurt my feelings, just another part of my person and I am no lesser harmed by it then or now = boy how things have changed?

cheers Mark,
mbayless

Well Mark, I've got to say that being punished in the Japanese tradition would have been a welcome exotic change from being punished in the Catholic nun tradition...
LOL Do let me know when that next book of yours is published, I just can't wait to read it.

I have little at home on Varanus in Japan but I'll get all I can when I go to Tokyo next week. The owner of the monitor shop I go to has been in the Japanese varanus world for quite some time, he should be able to assist me in locating all the interesting material. I can get the articles I will find translated but this might take some time, so I'll post you pictures and whatever English material I find first, and then post you the translations as soon as I get them. I'll also post you whatever I can find here on Central Indonesia fish species.

I'm curious...what varanus species would you say is the most interesting?

Mark

Hi Mark,
Many Thanks for the japanese stuff, and your genrrtous efforts... I very much appreciate it. The japanese get some very exotic/rare animals, like V. giganteus which 1 japenese felow purchased in Australia (12 or was it 8 of them??) and they will fetch high $$$...

My favorites or most mysterious to me is V. griseus, V. salvadorii and V. mitchelli. V. griseus as it is a confluence of African/Asia types and a relict species; V. salvadorii because it is a raptor-like species, kills humans outright, and is totally unknown in wild; V. mitchelli is a V. griseus counterpart in Australia, and Im totally fascinated by these three species. My favorite is V. panoptes and V. albigularis...

Best Regards, Thanks again!
mark bayless

You're welcome, Mark, and my thanks to you!

The boid & monitor shop I go to in Tokyo has two 5 1/2 foot perenties, they are stunning animals. They fetch high $$$ indeed, they're selling for about US$35,000!!! Here's their website: http://www.dizzypoint.co.jp/showcase/?class_id=002 It's in Japanese only, but it should give you a quick idea of what they've got and how much they sell for (take two zeros off for an approximate in $s) The pics are thumbnails, click them for more pics.

I'll post you all I can get. My wife, who is Japanese, has agreed to assist me with the translation. I'll post those to you as soon as ready. Let me know if there's anything else you would like to have, I don't go there very often as it's a wee far.

Thanks again,

Mark Germain