Odatria

Varanus pilbarensis STORR 1980
Pilbara Rock Monitor
 

pilbarensisVaranus pilbarensis is a small member of the rock monitors from the subgenera Odatria. The coloration on top is pale to dark reddish brown which forms occasionally irregular crossways ribbons on the nape of the neck in moderation are visibly reddish brown, on head and nape of the neck. The back is with deep brown spots covered which show a pale central spot respectively. You are ordered as crossways ribbons. The limbs are dotted on her top side. The tail is covered irregularly with narrow, dark reddish brown and pale ribbons. An indistinct dark temporal stripe is occasional visibly. The belly side is drawn whitishly with soft gray spots or irregular ribbons. The head scales are small and smooth. The nostril stands at the side and is directional up, it is positioned approximately in the middle between tip of the snout and eye. 110-135 scale rows are around midbody. The tail is more or less round in the cross-cut, a keel isn't visible on the top side. The length is about 1.7-2.1 times the SVL. The tail scales on the sides and the top side are easily keeled. The total length is up to 50 cm.
Distribution, habitat and behavior

pilbarensis

pilbarensisThe distribution of Varanus pilbarensis is restricted to the gorges and rock formations of the Pilbara in the northwest of Western Australia. Here it lives in the rugged areas of the Hamersley Range (STORR 1980, STORR et al. 1983b, WILSON & KNOWLES 1988, HOSER 1989, COGGER 1992, EHMANN 1992).
The food consists mainly of insects and spiders, which he overpowers in the crevices (JAMES et al. 1992).

 

 
Keeping and breeding
 pilbarensisCaptive husbandry of Varanus pilbarensis has been published now (EIDENMÜLLER & LANGNER 1998). Since it is a rock dweller, we offer the animals an enclosure with the back and the sides covered with artificial rocks. The lay-out can be done also with natural rock, but you have to take care that the rocks cannot collapse and hit the animals. However, you can build those artificial rock formations with styrofoam and epoxy resin, which dusted with sand under wet conditions (EIDENMÜLLER 1989, 1992, EIDENMÜLLER & WICKER 1991). Sand is used as ground cover. Some roots or branches and a drinking bowl complete the facilities.
pilbarensisA successful captive breeding has been described by EIDENMÜLLER & LANGNER (1998). JAMES et al. (1992) noticed in an examination that V. pilbarensis gonads of wild animals extended between July and December. The animals had an average SVL of 145 mm (males) and 120.5 mm (females) at this time. Up to three clutches could be laid during one breeding period. The clutch size is between 3 and 6 eggs and the time between the clutches is 50 days in the average. pilbarensisThe young animals hatch after 99 to 136 days and at the birth they had an average SVL of 54 mm, a total length of 140 mm, and an average mass of 2.6 g.
As food, at first we offer very small crickets and house cricket which always are powdered with a vitamin mineral mixture. Always leaving a greater crowd at food animals in the enclosure as advantage for the offspring, because they are very shy and take only unobservedly food. After some times we can offer the babies pieces of pinkies. They also like very much small pieces of lung, heart or liver from guinea pigs. The animals reach the sexual maturity after about three years .
   
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