Dumeril's monitor

Dumeril's monitor (Varanus dumerilii) is a species of lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

Etymology and naming
The specific name, dumerilii, is in honour of French zoologist André Marie Constant Duméril.

In Thailand, V. dumerilii is known by the common name, túdtū̀ (ตุ๊ดตู่), which is an animal that appeared in children's folk songs.

Geographic range
Dumeril's monitor is found in southern Burma and north of the Isthmus of Kra to Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand, as well as in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, throughout Borneo, Sumatra, Riau, Bangka–Belitung and other smaller islands of Indonesia.

Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of V. dumerilii is dense evergreen forests with high humidity and mangrove swamps, at altitudes from sea level to 900 m.

Diet
V. dumerilii is a crab specialist; however, it has been observed eating snails, other molluscs, insects, fish, frogs, turtle eggs, birds, and smaller rodents. Little is known overall about this species compared to other monitor lizards.

Description
Adult Dumeril's monitors are largely dark brown, with occasional brighter indistinct crossbars. "The major color is a dark varnish black which is interrupted by several yellow crossways bars on the back."

The head of juveniles is shiny orange-red or sometimes yellow. This juvenile coloration disappears after only 4–8 weeks.

Adult Dumeril's monitors can reach up to 4.5 ft in total length (including tail) although typical total length is 4 ft.

Behavior
V. dumerilii is arboreal and diurnal.

Reproduction
V. dumerilii is oviparous. Clutch size is 4–23 eggs. Hatchlings have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 8 cm, and a tail slightly longer than SVL.

Subspecies
There are two described subspecies:
 * Varanus dumerilii dumerilii (Schlegel, 1839)
 * Varanus dumerilii heteropholis Boulenger, 1892

Note: Sprackland made V. d. heteropholis a synonym of V. d. dumerilii.