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Biak Tree Monitor (Varanus kordensis) For Sale

$2,850.00

Varanus kordensis — the Biak tree monitor, a slender arboreal monitor from the Schouten Islands off northwest New Guinea. Babies. $2,850 each. This is not an emerald tree monitor (Varanus prasinus) and it is not a black tree monitor (Varanus beccarii).

CITES Appendix II, as with the rest of the genus Varanus other than the handful of Appendix I species. Appendix II governs international trade; documentation travels with the animal where it applies.

SKU: TS-LZ-009 Category:

Babies of the Biak tree monitor, Varanus kordensis, offered at $2,850 each. The price on this page is the price per animal.

The animal

Varanus kordensis is the tree monitor of Biak, Supiori and Numfor, the Schouten Islands off the northwest coast of New Guinea, in Papua, Indonesia. It sits in the Varanus prasinus group, the emerald tree monitors: a long-bodied, long-tailed, arboreal lizard with a prehensile tail, not a ground monitor that happens to climb.

People asking for a “green tree monitor” are usually asking for one of three animals. Varanus prasinus is the emerald tree monitor of the New Guinea mainland and nearby islands. Varanus beccarii is the black tree monitor of the Aru Islands. Varanus kordensis is the Biak animal. The ranges do not overlap, and a listing that swaps the names is a different species. Babies are smaller and often brighter than the adults they grow into; adults are green to turquoise with dark markings across the body.

This listing is babies, sold individually, at $2,850 each.

Care

  • Enclosure: tall, not long and low. Branches, cork tubes and a climbing surface the tail can grip. Tree monitors live off the floor.
  • Temperature: a basking spot around 90–95°F, ambient air in the low-to-mid 80s, and a night drop into the 70s. Do not cook the whole cage.
  • Humidity: high, roughly 70–90%, with enough airflow that the cage dries between mistings. Stagnant wet air is the usual husbandry failure, not a dry day.
  • Light: UVB is worth providing. A day length with a clear photoperiod, not a bright white cage at midnight.
  • Food: insects — roaches and crickets — as the staple. The prasinus group also takes the occasional egg and a little fruit. Dust and vary the insects.
  • Keeper: hands-off. These are fast, nervous display animals. A Biak is not a lizard you take out to handle.

Questions this listing answers

What is a Biak tree monitor?

Varanus kordensis is the tree monitor native to Biak, Supiori and Numfor, off northwest New Guinea. It is a member of the emerald tree monitor group and a different species from Varanus prasinus and from the black tree monitor, Varanus beccarii.

How much is a Biak tree monitor baby?

Babies on this listing are $2,850 each.

Is the Biak tree monitor the same as an emerald tree monitor?

No. Emerald tree monitor is the usual name for Varanus prasinus. Biak tree monitor is Varanus kordensis. They are close, and they are not the same animal.

Is Varanus kordensis on CITES?

Yes. Varanus kordensis is covered by the genus listing on CITES Appendix II. A few other monitor species are on Appendix I; this is not one of them.

What enclosure does a Biak tree monitor need?

A tall arboreal enclosure with branches and cork, a warm basking spot, high humidity that is allowed to dry back, and insect prey. It is a display animal, not a handling animal.

Ships within the United States, or local pickup in Arvada, Colorado.

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Care questions

What setup does a crocodile skink need?
A humid, heavily planted enclosure with deep leaf litter, plenty of cover and a shallow water area they can enter. They are semi-aquatic and secretive — visible hides and a moisture gradient matter more than floor space.
Are crocodile skinks handleable?
They are a display animal rather than a handling animal. Crocodile skinks are easily stressed, can vocalise when alarmed, and may drop their tail. They are best appreciated in a well-planted enclosure where they will behave naturally.
Why does my crocodile skink hide constantly?
That is normal behaviour, not a problem. In the wild they spend most of their time under leaf litter and near water. A skink with enough cover will emerge more often than one in a sparse enclosure, because it feels secure enough to.
What do lizards eat?
It depends entirely on the species — insectivores, omnivores and specialists all sit under the same word. This guide breaks the categories down. For the animals we sell, the species-specific requirement is stated in the listing.
Do crocodile skinks need high humidity?
Yes. Tribolonotus are forest-floor animals that need consistently damp substrate, a large water dish they can submerge in, and cover at ground level. Dry conditions cause shedding problems quickly.
Why does my lizard do push-ups?
It is territorial and social signalling rather than exercise or distress. The behaviour is explained here.
What should healthy lizard droppings look like?
A firm dark portion with a distinct white urate cap. Runny, discoloured or absent urates are worth investigating. There is a fuller reference here.

Further reading

Machine-readable data: Entity Map JSON llms.txt XML sitemap SpeciesVault registry
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