A Preliminary Review of Monitor Lizards in Zoological Gardens

摘要

To gain an overview of monitor lizards held in zoos, including the species and numbersof individuals kept and the number of keeping institutions, we analyzed collection informationfrom the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) database. Our analysis performedin March 2016 revealed that there are 50 species of monitor lizard kept globally in 308 zoos, with39 of these species kept in a total of 131 European zoos. Eleven globally-kept species were lackingin European zoo holdings, and nine species were found exclusively in European zoos. Of the 79currently recognized species of monitor lizard, 30 (38 %) are not currently held in zoos. AlthoughZIMS data are certainly not complete, there is a discernible trend that only a few species are widelykept by the zoo community; whereas most species are poorly represented or not represented at all.As only 22 monitor lizard species are listed in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, there is notonly an obvious need for additional Red List assessments, but also a disconnect between the speciesmost frequently kept in zoos and their conservation status. As space and resources in zoos are limited,species selections should be well-planned. The current number of official zoo breeding programs formonitor lizards is comparatively low and there are further species, such as small island endemics, thatrequire support through assurance colonies sustained by ex situ conservation breeding programs. Werecommend considering a shift from commonly kept species towards species that are in greater needof support through zoo husbandry and breeding efforts. Improved networking between zoos andbetween zoos and authorities is another important prerequisite that can help zoos assemble breedinggroups and exchange species that so far are only rarely kept by the zoo community