FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking emergency action to protect the blue tree monitor from extinction. Following publication of the emergency rule in the Federal Register on Dec. 26, 2024, the lizard species will be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, providing immediate federal protections for 240 days. Concurrently, the Service is seeking public comment on a proposed rule to federally list the species as endangered beyond the 240 days.
The blue tree monitor is endemic to the small island of Batanta, within the Raja Ampat Islands of Papua, Indonesia. Overcollection for pet trade and habitat loss due to deforestation and illegal logging pose immediate threats to the lizard. In 2023, the United States imported 153 individual blue tree monitors, the largest annual importation to date and more than double the yearly importation average before 2023.
“Protecting the blue tree monitor under federal law is critical to preserving this endangered species by addressing wildlife trafficking and supporting conservation efforts,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services Assistant Director Jake Li. “This emergency listing reaffirms our commitment to protecting this magnificent species and ensures the United States does not contribute to its continued decline.”
Pet owners who acquired a blue tree monitor before this emergency listing may continue to possess their lizard legally, as long as the lizard will not subsequently be used as part of a commercial activity and continues to be held or used in compliance with ESA regulations. Commercial activity includes the actual or intended transfer of fish or wildlife for profit, including buying, selling or facilitating such transactions. The ESA excludes exhibitions by museums or similar cultural or historical organizations from this definition.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora also protects the blue tree monitor as an Appendix II species. Under Indonesian law, it is illegal to export wild-caught individuals of this species, but individuals bred in captivity may be exported from Indonesia with a CITES permit. Individual lizards that enter the pet trade from Indonesia are likely misrepresented as captive-bred, necessitating today’s unprecedented step of emergency listing a foreign species.
In August 2023, the Service published a 90-day finding in the Federal Register stating that listing the lizard species may be warranted and initiated a status review for the species. The proposal and emergency listing are the products of that status review. After the 240-day emergency period, the ESA protections for the species expire unless and until the Service finalizes its proposal to list the species. The ESA generally requires the Service to finalize a proposed listing within 12 months. CITES protections for the lizard will remain regardless of the ESA status of the species.
The Service seeks input from the public, domestic and international government agencies, the scientific community, industry and other interested parties on the proposed endangered listing rule to list the blue tree monitor under the normal rulemaking process. The proposed rule will publish in the Federal Register on Dec. 26, 2024, opening a 60-day comment period. The Service will accept comments received or postmarked before Feb. 24, 2025. The proposal and information on how to submit comments can be found on www.regulations.gov under docket number FWS–HQ–ES–2023–0033.
-FWS-
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov and connect with us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Flickr and YouTube.
