Abstract:

Desert Monitor, Varanus griseus (Daudin, 1803), has limited distribution in Turkey and is poorly studied. In this study, the current status of the species and potential threats were documented and required conservation measures were defined. In this project, 24 days of field study was conducted in 2019 (between May and July) to collect information about the distribution, habitat preference, behavior, life cycle, and population status of the species. In addition, potential threats to the species were investigated by interviewing the local people. As a result of the field studies and the current literature data, the species was found in 16 new localities among 348–888 altitudes in Turkey. As a result of studies conducted to date and of our findings, it has been determined that the main threats to the species are habitat loss, habitat degradation and fragmentation, death by road accidents, and other human activities.

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