biology

Pilbara monitor

Pilbara monitor is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pilbara monitor rather than just read about it. In short: The Pilbara monitor (Varanus bushi), also known commonly as Bush's monitor, Bush's pygmy monitor, and the Pilbara mulga goanna, is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. It is endemic to the Pilbara of Western Australia.

Key takeaways

Pilbara monitor belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pilbara monitor to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pilbara monitor from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Pilbara monitor (Varanus bushi), also known commonly as Bush's monitor, Bush's pygmy monitor, and the Pilbara mulga goanna, is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. It is endemic to the Pilbara of Western Australia.

Etymology The specific name, bushi, is in honor of Australian naturalist and herpetologist Brian Gordon Bush (born 1947).

Description V. bushi is most similar to the stripe-tailed goanna (V. caudolineatus) and the pygmy mulga goanna (V. gilleni) of all monitor lizards. However, the Pilbara monitor can be distinguished from these other two species by some morphological and genetic differences. There is little information on the behaviour of V. bushi. However, it is known to be arboreal and to shelter in bark crevices, in hollow trees, and under fallen logs. It is an oviparous species.

Habitat and distribution It is found in the arid and semi-arid grassland and scrub of the Pilbara.

References

Further reading Aplin KP, Fitch AJ, King DJ (2006)."A new species of Varanus Merrem (Squamata: Varanidae) from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with observations on sexual dimorphism in closely related species". Zootaxa 1313: 1–38. (Varanus bushi, new species). Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. ISBN 978-0643100350. Eidenmüller B (2007). "Small monitors in the terrarium". Reptilia (GB) (50): 12–19. King, Ruth Allen; Pianka, Eric R.; King, Dennis (2004). Varanoid Lizards of the World. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 225–229. ISBN 0-253-34366-6. King, Dennis; Green, Brian (1999). Goannas: The Biology of Varanid Lizards. University of New South Wales Press. ISBN 0-86840-456-X. Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. ISBN 978-1921517280.

External links Photo at AROD.com.au (Retrieved 12 February 2010). Range map at Australianreptileguide.com (Retrieved 12 August 2010). "Varanus bushi ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile database.org. (Retrieved 13 February 2010).

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pilbara monitor

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pilbara monitor claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pilbara monitor before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pilbara monitor ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pilbara monitor

In research: Pilbara monitor appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pilbara monitor in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pilbara monitor is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Endemic fauna of Western Australia, IUCN Red List least concern species, Lizard stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pilbara monitor outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pilbara monitor in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pilbara monitor means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pilbara monitor out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pilbara monitor in simple terms?

Why does Pilbara monitor matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pilbara monitor?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pilbara monitor.