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What is this Black dragon monitor Glades herp is selling for $10,000.00?

Hi,
Those black V. salvators you mean? They are melanistic water monitors - probably from N.E. Borneo somewhere - as J.Adragna @ www.cybersalvator.com has told me. They're 10K each now! Wow... that is crazy...but if the market supports that then thats what they are worth then...
mbayless

What is their local again?

hehe

>>Hi,
>>Those black V. salvators you mean?

Actually, they are new species. Its a big black animal thats very much not a water monitor and is being currently described. Haven't seen one in the flesh yet myself but apparently they are really spectacular.

Cheers
Bryan
-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

I was not aware that it was given full species status? The last I heard, Indraneil Das was working with this new variant/species. Do you happen to have the reference to the source describing it as a new species? I would love to read up on them, and their differences from V. salvator.

Externally, I think that they very closely resemble V. salvator, both in build, cranial morphology, size, etc. If this "black dragon" is given species status, I feel that it would only be fair to also differentiate many of the currently recognized subspecies of V. salvator, such as nuchalis, cummingi, togianus, and so on.

Anyways, I am very interested in reading up on these monitors, let us know if they have been officially described, and if so, which publication was the writeup published in?

Thanks for the heads up Brian, cheers

I have seen them and they look no different from v. salvator then a cumingi or togian does. They are even found within the same range as v. salvator very close to where Komaini comes from if I remember correctly.

I have been hearing for awhile now the story of them being described. When will they be fully described and it published as a new species then??

Not sure what the current status on describing it is but I'll see what I can find out. I was at first thinking it was going to be just like the Togian (which are wicked looking in their own right) but apparently there are some differences.

Here's a thought. Anyone on the forum live near Glades Herp? If so, pop down there with a camera and post some pictures!

Cheers
B
-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

I am not close enough to just pop in and out but if I go on the other coast I could take some.

I have seen them and see no reason to believe they are anything but salvators. Perhaps there is something under the skin though that makes them different. That I wouldnt know I have only seen the living thing along with pictures.

Do you have any links handy?

Thanks mate
B
-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

But you'll have to search the archives its been awhile since we talked about them.

In thialand v. komaini is called black jungle monitor. I believe this to be where they got the name black dragon from.
http://www.zoothailand.org/animals/reptiles_th.asp?id=36

Here are some more of v. komaini (melanistic form found in all populations and not any one specific locale). Compare them to the pictures of the black dragons. I couldn't find anything different about them.

If I find the pictures of the black dragons glades has for sale I will post them. If anyone else has them feel free to post them up.

These are pictures of the monitors being called black dragons.

I couldn't find the ones from glades herp. though perhaps someone else has them handy and can post.

This is what I first thought these new black dragon monitors might be.

V. Mabitang

Wonder if those were taken at the open marketplace? Looks like it.