Blue-spotted Tree Monitor
Varanus macraei
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyVaranidae (Monitor Lizards)
- GenusVaranus (Monitor Lizards)
- SpeciesVaranus macraei (Blue-spotted Tree Monitor)
About the Blue-spotted Tree Monitor
Varanus macraei, also known commonly as the blue-spotted tree monitor and the blue tree monitor, is a species of monitor lizard endemic to the island of Batanta in Indonesia. The species is named after herpetologist Duncan Malcolm MacRae.
The distribution of Varanus macraei is restricted to the island of Batanta, on the northwestern tip of the Vogelkop peninsula of Irian Jaya of Indonesia. Like the other members of the prasinus-group, it is a tree climber, with a prehensile tail. This may be the smallest distribution of any tree monitor, as this island has a size of only 450 km2, comparable with Lake Constance of Central Europe.
The blue-spotted tree monitor inhabits tropical forests that average 28–38 °C (83–100 °F). In the dry season the humidity is around 65%, but it spikes to 100% in the wet season. Reports of a large blue arboreal lizard on Batanta, an island off the northwestern tip of the Bird's Head Peninsula of West Papua, reached Duncan MacRae, founder of the reptile park "Rimba" on Bali, in 2000. MacRae travelled to Sorong and continued by boat to Batanta, where local residents confirmed their familiarity with the animal... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Mangrove Monitor
Varanus indicus
Peach-throated Monitor
Varanus jobiensis
Emerald Monitor
Varanus prasinus
Crocodile Monitor
Varanus salvadorii
Bluetail Monitor
Varanus doreanus
Golden-spotted Tree Monitor
Varanus boehmei
Reisinger's Tree Monitor
Varanus reisingeri
Rainer Günther’s Monitor
Varanus rainerguentheri
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blue-spotted Tree Monitor in Raja Ampat?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-spotted Tree Monitor sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blue-spotted Tree Monitor in Raja Ampat?
November has the highest sighting rate for Blue-spotted Tree Monitor in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.