Taxonomy
First described by François Marie Daudin in 1802, these lizards were previously classified as a subspecies of Varanus exanthematicus, but have since been declared a distinct species based upon differences in hemipenal morphology. The generic name Varanus is derived from the Arabic word waral ورل, which is translated to English as "monitor". Their specific name comes from a compound of two Latin words: albus meaning "white" and gula meaning "throat".
There are three subspecies.
- White-throated monitor, Varanus albigularis albigularis
- Angola monitor, Varanus albigularis angolensis
- Eastern white-throated monitor, Varanus albigularis microstictus
The black-throated monitor, Varanus albigularis ionidesi, is no longer recognized as a valid taxon and is synonymous with V. a. microstictus.
Read more about this topic: Varanus Albigularis