The Panay monitor (''Varanus mabitang'') is an endangered

monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and West African Nile monitor, one species is also found in south America as an invasive species. A ...

native to

Panay Island Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and a total population of 4,542,926, as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City of I ...

in the Philippines. Unlike most monitors, it is a specialized

frugivore A frugivore ( ) is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts and seeds. Approximately 20% of mammalian herbivores eat fruit. Frugivores are highly dependent on the abundance ...

Distribution and habitat

The Panay monitor occurs only on Panay, inhabiting remnant forests in the northwestern and western mountain ranges at altitudes of 200–1000 m. It is highly

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

and dependent on primary forest ecosystems.

Description

This is a large

with a length of , a snout-vent length of and a mass of .

Conservation

The species is classified as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

. It appears to be greatly impacted by habitat loss, and is also a favoured hunting target. The species appears to be rare; only twelve animals have been caught since 2002. There are ongoing conservation efforts being carried out on the island. The species classification as

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

is attributed to its habitat's extent of occurrence falling below 1,000 km^2 and an estimated occupancy area under 200 km^2, alongside a severely fragmented population. A notable decline is observed, primarily due to the ongoing clearance and degradation of lowland forests. Urgent conservation measures are imperative to avert further depletion and potential extinction of this species.

Threats

The Panay monitor is critically threatened by habitat loss and degradation. Agricultural land conversion and

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase, or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a p ...

on Panay Island, particularly in its endangered lowland forest, pose imminent risks to the species. The species faces a severe threat from rapid agricultural land conversion, primarily through

slash-and-burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a Field (agriculture), field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody p ...

practices. Urgent action is needed to halt these activities and preserve the lizard's essential lowland forest habitat. Illegal logging compounds the threat to the Panay monitor by diminishing its forest habitat and disrupting the ecological balance. The survival of the species is intricately linked to the preservation of the evergreen lowland forest, making illegal logging a significant concern. The Panay monitor faces the risk of overhunting, despite being rarely consumed due to its scarcity. The species' low population density makes it vulnerable to exploitation, compounding the challenges in conservation. The combined threats of habitat loss and potential overexploitation underscore the complexity of ensuring the survival of the Panay monitor.

References

External links

Giant Frugivorous Monitor Lizards in the Philippines
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1336394 Fauna of Panay Endemic fauna of the Philippines Reptiles of the Philippines Reptiles described in 2001 Varanus