Emerald Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus)

[-Peter]

V. prasinus were placed on the NSW then NPWS reptile list as a result of animals claimed to be kept at the time of the initial amnesty in the 1990s. As this was not checked up many things were claimed to be held. There were also a large number of exotics also. None of the animals on the lists were ever gazzetted by the Federal Government and therefore remained illegal exotics under Federal law. In deal brokered by the then head of licensing animals held at the time of the amnesty were allowed to be kept until they died but were not to be traded, bred or given away.
Prasinus may be accepted in NSW on paper but that does not mean that the Federal government do or that any other state does. In QLD GTPs and eclectus parrots are classed as pandemic species, not native. V. prasinus if it were proven to be found naturally in Qld would need to join those two species. I do not believe that they currently do. I would suggest that the EPA in Qld and Primary Industries in Canberra would not look upon the species as native.

 

[eipper]

Besides Ecies and greens there are quite a number of species that are found both in and out of Australia, the fact that these species live elsewhere other than Australia does not make them any less native.

Our lives are more or less driven by both geographical and political influences, at least in part...so why should this not be different in this case.

The reality is that animals found in Australian Political territories are native by definition to Australia, regardless of their proximity to other nations. Lord Howe Island, Christmas, the Cocos /Keeling group Boigu/Saibai, Norfolk etc all have species that if they were not Australian territories would not regarded as Australian.

As for V prasinus on Mainland Australia....I am yet to know of a specimen deposited into a Museum, however they are certainly present on Moa Island in the Torres Strait.

Depending on which reference you look at depends on whether an number species of varanid are present of Cape York including V doreanus, V Prasinus and V finischi....it is a notoriously hard place to access and survey as a whole, I would not be surprized if a number of other Southern PNG/Irian Jayan endemics turn up.

Cheers,
Scott

 

[-Peter]

So your saying that if anyone legally keeping has any reptiles endemic to these locals in these territories we, as Australians, can purchase them and have AAE fly them to us?

The reality is that animals found in Australian Political territories are native by definition to Australia, regardless of their proximity to other nations. Lord Howe Island, Christmas, the Cocos /Keeling group Boigu/Saibai, Norfolk etc all have species that if they were not Australian territories would not regarded as Australian.

Cheers,
Scott

 

[eipper]

Yes peter....as they are in Australia, you should be able to trade freely, it is a constitutional right to be able to freely trade between states and territories.....this law also makes it illegal to charge to send a product/livestock across a state border, which for herpos means that the charge to send reptiles out of NSW or WA is therefore unconstiutional and should be abolished......however I don't see it changing any time soon.

Cheers,
Scott

 

[Pythoninfinite]

In theory, if you can legally obtain a reptile in Australia (except for those specifically prohibited - crocs, sea turtles and sea snakes), you can import it into NSW. DECCW may try to stop you if it's not on the list, but in law they can't. Few people are game to give it a go.

Jamie.

 

[souldoubt]

I am giving up. What has NZ to do with Australia? I thought NZ is a different country whichever way you look at it.
So would you exclude Hinchinbrook Is., Withsunday islands, all the Bass Straight islands, etc., etc.? They all contain exotic fauna? Why 2000km away, why not 2km away?

I think what he means to say is that the emerald tree monitor, at the present moment, is not confirmed to occur on the mainland. So they still pose a threats such as carrying new diseases on to the mainland or escaping from captivity (or some idiot deciding to let there animals go). Quarantining *should* overcome the disease issue and if they do happen to establish a population in the wild on the mainland we have to assume that they will cause problems for frogs (which are already declining at an extremely fast rate) and smaller lizards, it could even potentially cause problems for some plant species as it is omnivorous. Until it is confirmed to be living on the mainland, we have to say that it isn't a component of any mainland australia states ecosystem because it's not. However it isn't an overly large monitor so theoretically it will be somewhat susceptible to similar predators as our medium sized monitors.

If we're getting technical an animal found on tasmania but not on the mainland is not part of any mainland australian ecosystem, just like no mainland australian animal that doesn't reside in tasmania is part of the tasmanian ecosystem. Of course that doesn't mean we aren't allowed to keep them on the mainland - but whether or not we should be able to is debatable

This monitor is such a beautiful lizard though!

 

[-Peter]

There are numerous mainland reptiles not allowed to be imported into Tasmania and even Western Australia.

 

[Sofoula88]

I am like totally in love with this creature..I think there
stunning and suprisingly seem fairly docile and well natured with humans from the vids I've seen..it's such a shame we can't get them here in aus..guess I'll have to move to America and get one,one day

 

[Jonno from ERD]

Ben, it may seem that way but for instance, the wildlife department (federal) has the authority to issue permits to collect on those islands and they often do (for scientific purposes). So, although those places are not mainland Australia, they are still Australia, where the Australian Fauna Act applies.
I know for a fact that White-lipped pythons were collected on permit and subsequently kept in Australia.

G'day Michael,

I realise it is a bit late, but Queensland EPA have issued permits to collect species from the islands between PNG and Australia.

 

[souldoubt]

There are numerous mainland reptiles not allowed to be imported into Tasmania and even Western Australia.

I would say that's probably because they are seen as a threat to that particular ecosystem. mainland australia is not made up of one ecosystem, thats why some species are only found in some states. The government doesn't always get these things right in my opinion, but sometimes they're spot on - some people are too irresponsible to take the chance in allowing them into the state legally. The red eared slider is a perfect example of irresponsible pet ownership

 

[mannsy18]

oh my godd, this moniter is awesome where can i get one and how much? i live in W.A

 

[pythons73]

They are a amazing Monitor,ive seen these in the flesh,and they truely are mind blowing,the bright vivid colours are stunning...

 

[TWENTY B]

They are a amazing Monitor,ive seen these in the flesh,and they truely are mind blowing,the bright vivid colours are stunning...

simple answer... you can't.

 

[ezekiel86]

very cool...amazing looking

 

[Dannyboi]

Shame its not the same laws as SA you can apply to collect protected species from the wild to create a captive bred colony Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Fauna Permits

 

[pythons73]

simple answer... you can't.

You cant WHAT...I said that ive seen these monitors before and they are a amazing monitor...So whats the simple answer....