VARANIDAE

Krysko, Kenneth L., Burgess, Joseph P., Rochford, Michael R., Gillette, Christopher R., Cueva, Daniel, Enge, Kevin M., Somma, Louis A., Stabile, Jennifer L., Smith, Dustin C., Wasilewski, Joseph A., Kieckhefer Iii, Guy N., Granatosky, Michael C. & Nielsen, Stuart V., 2011, 3028, Zootaxa 3028, pp. 1-64 : 45-46

VARANIDAE

The East African White-throated Monitor, Varanus albigularis microstictus Boettger 1893 , is indigenous to a broad region of eastern Africa ( Phillips 2004). On 30 November 2007, Guy Gilbert photographed a V. a. microstictus (photographic voucher UF 152520) at a nursery on SW 168 th Street, between State Road 997 and L-31 Canal, Miami, Miami-Dade County (25.60876 o N, - 80.495011 o W). On 11 July 2008, Reif Smith and Phillip Hughes found a V. a. microstictus resting on a wooden porch attached to an abandoned house on Ocean Drive, 0.45 km south of Overseas Hwy, Summerland Key, Monroe County (24.65709722 o N, - 81.43875277 o W). This adult (685 mm SVL) specimen was captured, euthanized, photographed (photographic voucher UF 153409; MorphoBank M88656 ; Fig. 65), and discarded. During dissection, this specimen was found to be gravid with at least 24 oviducal eggs. This species likely was released or had escaped (stage 2) from enclosures. These represent the first known vouchers for this species in Florida.

The Pacific Mangrove Monitor, Varanus indicus ( Daudin 1802c) , is indigenous to sections of northern Australia and New Guinea, and numerous surrounding Pacific islands from the Marshall Islands westward to the Moluccas and Timor, as far north as the Japanese Bonin Islands ( Dryden & Ziegler 2004). Kraus (2009) lists populations in the Marshall Islands, and portions of Micronesia and the Marianas as successful non-indigenous introductions. On 14 September 2010, Bruce Dangerfield collected an adult (107 cm TL) V. indicus (photographic voucher UF 160345; MorphoBank M88657 ; Fig. 66) in a tree at the Dogs For Life Dog Park, 1230 16 Avenue, Vero Beach, Indian River County (27.62445 o N, - 80.40104 o W). This species likely was released or had escaped (stage 2) from an enclosure. This is the first known voucher for this species in Florida.

The Peach-throated Monitor, Varanus jobiensis Ahl 1932 , is indigenous to New Guinea and its offshore islands ( Philipp et al. 2004). In October 2008, James Mendenhall collected a V. jobiensis (photographic voucher UF 154404; MorphoBank M88658 ; Fig. 67) in a tree at the Cypress Lakes Golf Course, Lakeland, Polk County (28.176 o N, - 82.0043 o W). This species likely was released or had escaped (stage 2) from an enclosure. This is the first known voucher for this species in Florida.

The Crocodile Monitor, Varanus salvadorii ( Peters & Doria 1878 in Peters et al. 1878), is indigenous to the island of New Guinea (Horn 2004). On 16 September 2009, an adult (2.43 kg, 565 mm SVL, 1760 mm TL) male V.salvadorii (photographic voucher UF 159511; MorphoBank M88659 ; Fig. 68) was collected at the American Airlines Cargo warehouse building 714, Miami International Airport, Miami, Miami-Dade County (25.79021 o N, - 80.29582 o W), and subsequently donated to Zoo Miami. This species likely had escaped (stage 2) from an enclosure. This is the first known voucher for this species in Florida.

The Water Monitor, Varanus salvator ( Laurenti 1768) , is indigenous throughout most of southeastern Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia and its surrounding islands, eastern India, Sri Lanka, the Nicobar Islands, the Philippines, and southernmost China, and it adapts well to urban and agricultural habitats ( Gaulke & Horn 2004; Horn & Gaulke 2004). It has been introduced to California, USA, and Taiwan ( Lemm 2006; Kraus 2009). Varanus salvator has been reported from Miami ( Beltz 1992) and the Homestead area, Miami-Dade County ( Belleville 1994; Frank & McCoy 1995), and DeLand, Volusia County ( Anonymous 1999), but no known voucher exists. On 14 June 1978, Roscoe Croley collected a DOR V. salvator (UF 65461; MorphoBank M88660 ; Fig. 69) at 7920 NW 71 st Street, Gainesville, Alachua County (29.72085 o N, - 82.41804 o W). On 29 May 2007, Anthony Flanagan photographed a V. salvator (photographic voucher UF 153959) along a canal at State Road 817 and Taft Street, Hollywood, Broward County (26.0236 o N, - 80.24869 o W). On 29 October 2009, Dennis Volin photographed a V. salvator (photographic voucher UF 156969) at a retention pond on the Florida Turnpike at the Lake Worth Service Plaza, Lake Worth, Palm Beach County (26.63689 o N, - 80.17516 o W). Additionally, a V. salvator was observed on Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County, up until 1998, but has since disappeared (Ron St. Pierre personal communication; Krysko et al. 2010a) and no voucher exists. This species likely was released or had escaped (stage 2) from enclosures. These represent the first known vouchers for this species in Florida.