The Blue Spotted Tree Monitor, Varanus macraei, is a 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...

 found on the island of Batanta

Batanta

Batanta is one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat Islands in Papua province, Indonesia. Its area is 453 km² and its highest point is 1184 m.- Fauna :The following mammals are found on the island:...

 in Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

. It is named after Duncan MacRae, founder of the reptile park “Rimba” on Bali

Bali

Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

.

Description

Varanus macraei is black with scattered blue scales, forming spots that may in turn form bands across the back. The tip of the snout is light blue and the lower jaw, white. The underside of the legs is uniformly pale turquoise.

The tail is prehensile and about twice the snout-to-vent length (SVL).

V. macraei can grow to an SVL of 35 centimetre and total length of 100 centimetre.

Distribution

Distribution of V. macraei is limited to the island of Batanta

Batanta

Batanta is one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat Islands in Papua province, Indonesia. Its area is 453 km² and its highest point is 1184 m.- Fauna :The following mammals are found on the island:...

, off the northwest coast of Irian Jaya.