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Lanthanotus borneensis. Hatchling climbing out of an egg. Prague Zoo. 26.8.2018. Photo Petr Velenský
Source publication
Starting in 2014, members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) began to acquire earless monitor lizards. In this paper, the focus is on the ex situ population of Lanthanotus borneensis in EAZA, its origin, current status, role and perspectives.
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Zoos represent a social construct, whose form is influenced by societal development. During the 20th and at the beginning of the 21st century, they have been transformed from assembled collections to internationally managed insurance (ex situ) populations, and these transformations required some changes in taxa numbers and composition. Previous stu...
Citations
There is a lack of reproductive information regarding the endangered Bornean earless monitor (Lanthanotus borneensis), including on how to determine its sex. The objective of this study was to identify sex in a zoo population of 10 healthy Bornean earless monitors, as well as define the ultrasonographic appearance of sexually mature female ovaries. Morphometrics of this population, including snout-vent length (SVL), tail length (TL), head length (HL), head width (HW), head height (HH), length of the dentary (DL), dentary height (DH), and lower jaw width (LJW) were recorded. In addition, coelomic ultrasounds under manual restraint were performed. Total follicles per animal, 7.55 ± 2.06 (mean ± SD), follicular volume, 0.32 ± 0.20 (cm3) (mean ± SD), and type of follicles (hypoechoic, vitellogenic and laminar) were recorded for each female in the study population. While morphometrics were not useful in determining sex, ultrasound was a reliable, non-invasive method for this species. Additionally, baseline measurements regarding their ovarian morphology were determined, which may be useful for future breeding and health assessments for this endangered species.
“Life finds a way”: A reflection on the smuggling of a living fossil, the Borneo Earless Monitor, Lanthanotus borneensis (Squamata: Lanthanotidae), in Indonesia
The illegal wildlife trade has direct relevance for zoo management, animal acquisition and disposition and it has no place in modern zoo management. Zoos must not only act within the law of the country in which it is based, but they should also follow the rules and intentions of international trade regulations and, where relevant, domestic laws of the animal’s country of origin. After its rediscovery in 2012, zoos in Asia and Europe started displaying Bornean earless monitor lizards ( Lanthanotus borneensis ), the ‘Holy Grail of Herpetology’. Earless monitor lizards have been legally protected in each of its three range countries for over four decades and, over this period, no specimen has ever been legally exported. However, the illicit trade in the species is thriving and individuals become more affordable. Using publicly available data, I present a timeline of how and from where a total of 16 zoos acquired their earless monitor lizards, including from private individuals and non-accredited zoos. Apart from one zoo in Japan (since 2012) and one zoo in the USA (since 2021), all non-range country zoos that currently display the species are based in Europe. Their absence prior to 2021 in US zoos (despite an increasing illegal trade) could be explained as the acquisition of earless monitor lizards would have been in violation of the Lacey Act (1900) that requires buyers to ensure that imported or purchased wildlife has not been taken in violation of any foreign law. While there is no evidence that any of the zoos, their directors or their staff have broken any laws – no-one in the zoo community has been convicted for illegally trading earless monitor lizards – with more zoos speaking out against the illegal wildlife trade, it is imperative that zoos behave in an exemplary manner and set high standards. At present, some zoos do not meet this standard.
