National Park
BC
Fig 4.7 The measurement of Varanus salvator tail lenght (cm) in Alas Purwo (AP), Baluran (BAL), and Meru Betiri (MB) national park
Fig 4.8 The measurement of Varanus salvator whole body length measurement (cm) in Alas Purwo (AP), Baluran (BAL), and Meru Betiri (MB) national park
Fig 4.9 The measurement of Varanus salvator body circumferences (cm) in Alas Purwo (AP), Baluran (BAL), and Meru Betiri (MB) national park
animal with aportunic properties that often occupy a variety of natural habitats such as primary forests and mangrove swamp forest. Most subspecies on the island of Java, Bali, Lombok, Flores, Alor, Wetar, and the seashore islet is Varanus salvator bivittatus (Bohme, 2003).
Varanus salvator who gets caught up in the National Park Alas purwo were 8 animals;
Baluran National Park amounted to 6 animals; and in Meru National Park Betiri amounted to 5 animals. Morphometric data of each individual were tested using multivariate Anova test to see differences among three national parks. Based on the character length of the head length (HL); body length (BL); head and body length (HBL); distance between eyes (DE); distance between internarial range to eyes range (DIE) ; distance between snout to internarial (DSI);
tail length (TL); whole body length measurement (WBL); and body circumference (BC) of Varanus salvator population at Meru National Park Betiri have the greatest value compared to the two other national parks. Based on tail length character, Varanus salvator population in Meru Betiri National Park has the greatest value, followed Alas Purwo, and the smallest size is in Baluran National Park. Based on the character of body length, the distance between the internarial range to eyes range and distance between snout to internarial no difference at all three national parks.
The big difference in the size of the body can be caused by various factors, start from habitat, ecological conditions that support, adequate amount of prey, and the lack of competition between species and populations, so that there is a difference between the value morphometry population. According to the comparison of the three locations of the National Park that is used as a place of this research in terms of affordability locations, Meru Betiri National Park is the furthest-reaching areas from residential areas, so the disruption to the ecosystem is very small compared to the Alas Purwo National Park and Baluran National Park. The research location Alas Purwo National Park and Baluran National Park can be said to have fewer distractions, because of the terrain and better transportation lines, so that the environmental conditions are more contaminated with other activities, such as tourist visits and other research activities.
The sample measurement locations at Alas Purwo National, precisely at Park Resort Pancur is an area that includes the area of coastal forest ecosystems and bamboo forests. In this national park there is a canteen that adjacent to the Varanus salvator habitat. The cafeteria also produces some trash such as meat, fish, etc. This condition is expected to be a factor of Varanus morphology formation which has a heavy weight. The location is also considered as a not-so-dense location. At this location other wildlife are not found much, so
competing in obtaining food is not tough. This condition also affects the morphology of Varanus salvator in Alas Purwo National Park, so the sample population in Alas Purwo National Park area can be said that it may have obtaining food much but have less activities.
On the South Side of resort Pancur there’s bamboo forest that rarely touched by humans. In this area we found a lower size morphometry body sample but has a livelier activity. This is due to lack of prey species, so the competition between Varanus is higher at this location and it triggers higher activeness.
The research location in Baluran National Park was carried out in Bama Coast region.
This location is a mangrove swamp forest area. At these locations were found Varanus salvator which has a thinner size and lighter body weight. This morphology formation conditions are caused by this area doesn’t provide many food sources for Varanus but the environmental conditions are suitable for the habitat of Varanus. Hasriani (2004) observe that lizards utilize the seashore to catch fish as food. In the region, was also not found a lot of wildlife, so the condition is regarded as carrying Varanus population survival to breed.
Varanus research in Meru Betiri National Park area is carried out in the coastal forest, mangrove swamp forest, and bamboo forest in Sukamade coastal area. Varanus salvator that found in this area has average body weight and its body size is the longest among Varanus that were found in Alas Purwo and Baluran National Park. This is because the national park area has quite difficult terrain to pass through. Almost the entire region is in the national park has a very dense forest location and very rare to find research activity or other human activities. This condition is very supportive for the sustainability of wildlife in that area to reproduce well. The food supply and activities of the wildlife is not disturbed. There are thought that one of Varanus food supply is the turtle’s egg. This is match to Meru Betiri National Park that the coastal area is often to be the turtle nesting sites.
Human activity is sure take effect to Varanus salvator breeding and ecological activity.
Varanus is more likely to choose a location that is not widely available for human activity, its related with Varanus condition that it’s a reptile which is active during the day. So if the number of human activities is increase, then the probability for Varanus population to survive will decrease.
Conclusion
Based on head length, head and body length, distance between the eyes, whole body length measurement, and body circumference, Varanus salvator population in Meru Betiri National Park had largest morphometric value than the other national park. Based on tail
length Varanus salvator population in Meru Betiri national park had the largest morphometric value, the second was Alas purwo, and last was Baluran. Based on body length, distance between internarial range to eyes range, distance between snout to internarial there were no significant difference found in all of national park. Differences in morphometric size possibly due to various factors, including fitting ecological condition, suitable prey presence and quantity, and also lack of interspecies competition.
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