The Pilbara Monitor also known as Bush's Monitor, is a newly discovered species of monitor lizard

Monitor lizard

Monitor lizards are usually large reptiles, although some can be as small as in length. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. Most species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semiaquatic monitors are also known...

. The species is named after naturalist

Naturalist

Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...

 and herpetologist, Brian Bush. This species belongs to the subgenus

Subgenus

In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...

, Odatria. Pilbara monitors live in the Pilbara region of Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

.
The Pilbara Monitor is most similar to the Stripe-tailed Goanna

Stripe-tailed Goanna

The Stripe-tailed Goanna is a species of Monitor Lizard native to the forests of Western Australian. They grow to around 91 mm in snout to vent length....

 and the Pygmy Mulga Goanna

Pygmy Mulga Goanna

The Stripe-tailed Goanna is a species of Monitor Lizard native to Northwestern and Central Australia. They eat insects, lizards, small mammals and eggs.-Description:...

 of all monitor lizards. However, the Pilbara monitor can be distinguished from these other two species as it has some morphological

Morphology (biology)

In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....

 and genetic

Genetics

Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....

differences.
Details about the behavior of this monitor are relatively unknown.

Further reading

• Photo at Reptilesdownunder.com (Viewed 15 February 2010).
• Range map at Australianreptileguide.com (Viewed 12 August 2010).
• JCVI.org (Viewed 13 February 2010).
• Aplin, K.P.; Fitch, A.J. & King, D.J. 2006. A new species of Varanus Merrem (Squamata: Varanidae) from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with observations on sexual dimorphism in closely related species. Zootaxa 1313: 1–38.
• Eidenmüller, B. 2007. Small monitors in the terrarium. Reptilia (GB) (50): 12-19.
• King, Ruth Allen; Pianka, Eric R.; King, Dennis (2004). Varanoid Lizards of the World. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 225–229. ISBN 0-253-34366-6.
• King, Dennis & Green, Brian. (1999). Goannas: The Biology of Varanid Lizards. University of New South Wales Press. ISBN 0-86840-456-X.