Systematics and distribution of the true monitors Varanus Merrem, 1820 (Sauria, Varanidae) on the Iranian Plateau

Document Type : Review Articles

Authors

Narges Ghanbarinia ¹

Rasoul Karamiani ²

Ahmad Gharzi ¹

Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani ¹

¹ Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, 6714967346 Kermanshah, Iran

² Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

10.22067/ijab.2025.92359.1094

Abstract

Varanoidea is an ancient group of anguimorph lizards, the anguimorph genus Varanus includes today’s monitor lizards, a clade of mid-sized to large, squamates widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. biogeographic analysis suggests an origin of varaniform lizards in East Asia. According to most studies, monitors grouped in three clades concordant with their geographic distribution: African, Indo-Asian, and Indo-Australian. There are currently 88 valid species assigned to Varanus that divided into 11 subgenera. In the Iranian Plateau, there are four species of monitors from two subgenera Psammosaurus including Varanus griseus, Varanus caspius, Varanus nesterovi and Empagusia include the species Varanus bengalensis. V. caspius is mostly present in the central parts of Iran, two species V. griseus and V. nesterovi being distributed from Kermanshah province to Shiraz and also in Iraq. The end of distribution of the species V. bengalensis is in the southeast of Iran including Sistan-Baluchestan and Hormozgan Provinces.

Keywords

Varanus

monitor

Varanidae

Distribution

Iranian Plateau

Asia

Subjects

• Phylogenetics
• Taxonomy
• Zoogeography

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