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Abstract. Reptiles are one of the most heavily harvested terrestrial faunas in the world, with varanoid
lizards (Varanus and Lanthanotus) as some of the most sought-after reptiles. Where previous studies
have looked solely at official import and export records, such records provide little information on
illegal trade in varanoid lizards. In the present study, covert surveys were used to detect varanoid
lizards with a likely illegal origin and compare the species observed with legal import records. Data
on the availability of live Varanus and Lanthanotus in Japanese reptile shops were gathered during
surveys of 16 reptile shops in the districts of Tokyo, Kanagawa and Osaka and at the winter edition of
Reptile Fever, a reptile fair in Osaka. A total of 221 live varanoid lizards, of 40 taxa, which included
four subspecies, were documented. Prices were obtained for 26 taxa and ranged from $149 USD for V.
gilleni to $53,100 USD for V. giganteus. For five of the observed taxa (V. giganteus, V. marmoratus, V.
nuchalis, V. obor and V. semiremex) no legal import records could be found, suggesting these specimens
entered Japan illegally. Trade in violation of national or international legislation is often carried
out covertly without trade records, and creates a challenge for monitoring species’ conservation
status. The lack of trade records may allow overexploitation of species to go unnoticed, resulting in
underestimations of threats.
Reptile Trade
