* 'Spectacular' komodo cousin is big as a man and has two penises, biologists sa

[Kano]

'Spectacular' komodo cousin is big as a man and has two penises, biologists say


The Australian, 7 April 2010


BIOLOGISTS have reported the discovery of a spectacular species of giant lizard, a reptile as long as a full-grown man is tall, and said it is endowed with a double penis.

The secretive but brightly-coloured beast, a monitor lizard, is a close cousin of the komodo dragon of Indonesia.

But unlike the fearsome dragon, it is not a carnivore, nor does it feast on rotting meat.

Instead, it is entirely peaceable and tucks into fruit.

Dubbed Varanus bitatawa, the lizard measures two metres in length, according to the account, published by Britain's Royal Society.

It was found in a river valley on northern Luzon Island in the Philippines, surviving loss of habitat and hunting by local people who use it for food.

How many of the lizards have survived is unclear.

The species is almost certainly critically endangered, and might well have disappeared entirely without ever being catalogued had a large male specimen not been rescued alive from a hunter last June.

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Finding such a distinctive species in a heavily populated, highly deforested location "comes as an unprecedented surprise", note the authors, writing in the journal Biology Letters.

The only finds of comparable importance in recent decades are the Kipunji monkey, which inhabits a tiny range of forest in Tanzania, and the Saola, a forest-dwelling bovine found only in Vietnam and Laos.

V. bitatawa has unique markings and an unusual sexual anatomy, according to the study.

Its scaly body and legs are a blue-black mottled with pale yellow-green dots, while its tail is marked in alternating segments of black and green.

Males have a double penis, called hemipenes, also found in some snakes and other lizards.

The two penises are often used in alternation, and sometimes contain spines or hooks that serve to anchor the male within the female during intercourse.

V. bitatawa has a relative in southern Luzon, V. olivaceus, but the species are separated by three river valleys and a gap of 150km and may never have met up.

One reason that the new lizard has gone undetected, the researchers speculate, is that it never leaves the forests of its native Sierra Madre mountains to traverse open spaces.

The discovery "adds to the recognition of the Philippines as a global conservation hotspot and a regional superpower of biodiversity", the authors conclude.

The giant lizard should become a "flagship species" for conservation efforts aimed at preserving the remaining forests of northern Luzon, which are rapidly disappearing under the pressure of expanding human population and deforestation.

Bron: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/spectacular-komodo-cousin-is-big-as-a-man-and-has-two-penises-biologists-say/story-fn3dxity-1225850704092

[Kano]

Fruit-eating lizard found in Sierra Madre


Philippine Daily Inquirer  04/07/2010



MANILA, Philippines–A fruit-eating monitor lizard in the Sierra Madre mountain range in Luzon has led a team of Filipino and foreign scientists to call it a "spectacular find" and a potent symbol of the need to protect the country's dwindling forests.

Scientists from the National Museum of the Philippines, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the University of Kansas conducted over the last few years expeditions to study the reptile.

Last year, the scientists managed to collect a specimen and DNA for analysis. Recently, they confirmed that it was a new species.

Spectacular find

Dr. Arvin Diesmos, curator of herpetology at the Zoology Division of the National Museum, called the discovery of the Northern Sierra Madre Monitor Lizard a "spectacular find."

"Discoveries of large animals are rare in the world since it has been known that all large animals have been discovered and inventoried," said Diesmos, who took part in the expeditions that studied the reptile and first saw it in 2006.

He added that monitor lizards around the world were usually flesh-eaters. "It's a significant find because it's a unique animal. It only feeds on fruit and sometimes snails while most monitor lizards in the country and in the world are meat-eaters and scavengers."

Adapted to climbing

Since it feeds on fruits, it is well-adapted to climbing trees with its sharp and curved talons.

"It is able to grow as large as it is because of a steady diet of fruits which are readily available," Diesmos said. "Meat-eating monitor lizards are usually hunters. They have to be agile, fast and smaller. The new species doesn't have to move much."

Up to two meters

Northern Sierra Madre forest monitor lizards grow up to two meters long.

Through the analysis of its physical features and DNA, scientists have determined that the species is distinct but closely related to two other fruit-eating monitor lizards in the Philippines.

It is also different from the more common meat-eating water monitor lizard, locally known as "bayawak."

"The new species is more secretive and spends most of its time up on trees in the forests of the Northern Sierra Madre mountain range of Luzon," a description of the reptile said.

Brightly colored

Another unique characteristic of the new species is its bright yellow and black stripes and spots across its back.

"It's one of the most brightly colored monitors. It has specks of bright yellow and ivory white. It's not like the other monitors which are blackish and grey."

Diesmos said that bright colors might make the monitor easy to spot by larger predators. "We think that since it's always up in trees, its safe from predators."

The new species is bigger than the two other fruit-eating lizards found in the country, he said.

Part of diet

The curator of herpetology said the new species was first spotted by scientists on field work in 2004 and 2005 as it was part of the diet of indigenous groups in the region.

"Nobody knew it was an undiscovered and uncatalogued species then," Diesmos said.

In June 2009, scientists were able to obtain a specimen for DNA analysis in the United States. In December, they confirmed that it was a distinct species.

Diesmos said the scientists submitted last December a report and paper on the new species to Biology Letters, an international journal published by the Royal Society of London.

The paper has since gone through verification before it was confirmed recently that it was indeed a new species.

Preserve habitat

Diesmos said his group had yet to determine whether the species was in danger of extinction. "We are concerned about the fact that it is found in low-level forest areas that are prone to encroachment by humans."

"It is an important species for the Philippines, especially since it is a forest species. It highlights the need for us to preserve its habitat. Otherwise, we might lose it as well as the other species. It highlights the fact that the Philippines has a very unique and very complex biodiversity," he said.

The scientific description of the reptile and its scientific name will be published this week in Biology Letters.

Local names

Giant fruit-eating monitor lizards are believed to be found only in the Philippines. The Northern Sierra Madre Monitor Lizard is known among residents of Aurora Province as "Butikaw." In Isabela province, members of the Agta group refer to it as "Bitatawa."

Another fruit-eating species, the Gray's monitor lizard, is known as the "Butaan" by people in southern Luzon, Bicol, Catanduañes, and the Polillo island group. The other fruit eating monitor lizard, found on Panay island, is locally known as "Mabitang."

[Kano]

Nu denken jullie natuurlijk, waarom heeft hij twee penissen. Wel de twee penissen worden vaak gebruikt in afwisseling, en bevatten soms stekels of haken die dienen om de man te verankeren binnen het vrouwtje tijdens de geslachtsgemeenschap.

[JFK]

Nu denken jullie natuurlijk, waarom heeft hij twee penissen. .....................

Nee, dat dacht ik helemaal niet Kano.
Ik dacht eigenlijk "Nou dan heeft dat dier beter geboerd dan wij mannen'.
Och, bij nader inzien toch maar niet. Want stel je je nu eens voor dat wij dat hadden 
Wat zouden we DAN voor 'fantastische' porno krijgen voorgeschoteld? 

[Rich]

Tja, en dan zouden we misschien allemaal twee filipinas willen trouwen, dus nog is een keertje dubbel papierwerk erbij ook nog 

[ganda]

In het dagblad " Het Laatste Nieuws" hebben ze de varaan ook ontdekt.

Enorme hagedis van twee meter ontdekt op Filipijnen

In het noorden van de Filipijnen is een nieuwe hagedissoort ontdekt. Het gaat om een varaan die tot twee meter groot kan worden. Het dier eet voornamelijk fruit.


Biologen hadden al een tijdje gehoord over een hagedis die in de bossen zou voorkomen en populair was omdat zijn vlees "lekkerder" zou zijn dan dat van dieren die op de grond leven 
De nieuwe soort is voor wetenschappers om verschillende redenen verrassend. Het lijkt immers vreemd dat een varaan die even groot is als een mens nu pas ontdekt wordt. Bovendien leeft het dier in een dicht bevolkt gebied waar grote delen van het bos gekapt werden. Nochtans kenden de stammen uit de omgeving de varaan wel, maar wetenschappers wisten niet van zijn bestaan af.

22 kilo
In de bossen is de reusachtige varaan zelfs populair bij jagers. Het dier leeft echt in het centrum en noorden van de Sierra Madre, waar wetenschappers nog niet veel onderzoek deden naar reptielen en amfibieën. De varaan komt ook zelden uit de bossen tevoorschijn. Opmerkelijk is dat het dier ondanks zijn grootte toch 22 kilo weegt.

Lekkerder
De varaan leeft in bomen en is daardoor niet zo groot als de al bekende komodovaraan. Er zijn maar drie hagedissoorten bekend die fruit eten. Biologen hadden al een tijdje gehoord over een hagedis die in de bossen zou voorkomen en populair was omdat zijn vlees "lekkerder" zou zijn dan dat van dieren die op de grond leven.

Vorig jaar vond een groepje studenten sporen die erop konden wijzen dat de varaan echt bestaat. Aangezien de mens het belangrijkste 'roofdier' van de varaan is, heeft het dier de neiging zich te verstoppen. (gb)


HLN 7 april 2010