longqi
Very Well-Known Member
Chondro localities
It seems a lot of people think Chondros come from Papua New Guinea
Possibly a lot do
But certainly most of the recognized types are from Irian Jaya or Papua as it is known now
Island Types First
Biaks are the Dragon Heads with bigger heads with a longer nose and raised nasal scales; their tails are usually longer and come to a pointed end. Usually light green with patches of yellow extending onto the head. Big strong animals that often have delayed colour changes
Yapens are similar but some also have white spots
Kofiaus and Misools are what the Yellow or Canary Chondros are. They often keep the yellow right through to adult. Usually smaller and very easy to handle compared with ones like Biaks
Arus are Emerald green with white spots and often lots of blue extending from belly to sides and up to spine on some. Smaller head than Biaks etc and without the long nose. Tails are much shorter and blunter that Biaks
Mainland Types
Sorongs don’t actually come from Sorong. That is just the name of the city a lot of chondros were first exported from. Similar heads to Arus with tails somewhere inbetween; ie neither sharp nor blunt. Tail is often black. Famous for having lots of blue even while young. This may be as a blue dorsal or even bars down the sides in triangular shapes. Most adult female blues are called Sorongs
Manokwaris fit into the same category I think
Jayapuras also often fit the same description as do several other lower highland varieties
Merauke is a town on a pretty barren flat area with no jungle; so these chondros actually come from further inland but are decidedly different to most Highland types. Lime green with white spinal spots and sometimes blue tinged bellies. Meraukes Arus and Cape Yorks appear to be very similar in many ways
Wamenas are similar to most Sorong type but usually have blue outlines on the spine with yellow or white spots inside the blue and their tails are usually not darkly pigmented. Karubagas and Bokondinis are both very similar to Wamenas and probably not deserving of a separate name
Lerehs are once again similar but different enough to earn a mention. Biggest difference is in the spinal markings which are usually tear drop shaped
Cyclops are from up in North East Papua near the PNG border very close to Jayapura but are recognizably different to others with stronger blue spine and clean green sides and no white
Mite Phase are mostly from Upper Highland types and from higher elevations than usual
PNG
Lake Kabutus may be very different but not too much known about them yet. Very dark green with dark brown to black spine extending full length of body and possibly growing to well over 2metres. Some reports put them at over 3metres but they are just reports at this time
Central and Uppper Highlands ones seem very similar to Indonesian Highland types like Wamenas but seldom show much blue
Milne Bay has chondros in the mountains behind the town but I know nothing much about them even though they were the first real chondros I ever saw
If anyone wants to fill in the rest of the known PNG types it would be great
I left out the Cape York Iron Mountain type as most people on here know it already but it is very similar to both Aru and Merauke
Also feel free to add or alter anything you like as these are just personal observations
I tried to make a map but anything past word and I’m stuffed so you’ll just have to google one
It seems a lot of people think Chondros come from Papua New Guinea
Possibly a lot do
But certainly most of the recognized types are from Irian Jaya or Papua as it is known now
Island Types First
Biaks are the Dragon Heads with bigger heads with a longer nose and raised nasal scales; their tails are usually longer and come to a pointed end. Usually light green with patches of yellow extending onto the head. Big strong animals that often have delayed colour changes
Yapens are similar but some also have white spots
Kofiaus and Misools are what the Yellow or Canary Chondros are. They often keep the yellow right through to adult. Usually smaller and very easy to handle compared with ones like Biaks
Arus are Emerald green with white spots and often lots of blue extending from belly to sides and up to spine on some. Smaller head than Biaks etc and without the long nose. Tails are much shorter and blunter that Biaks
Mainland Types
Sorongs don’t actually come from Sorong. That is just the name of the city a lot of chondros were first exported from. Similar heads to Arus with tails somewhere inbetween; ie neither sharp nor blunt. Tail is often black. Famous for having lots of blue even while young. This may be as a blue dorsal or even bars down the sides in triangular shapes. Most adult female blues are called Sorongs
Manokwaris fit into the same category I think
Jayapuras also often fit the same description as do several other lower highland varieties
Merauke is a town on a pretty barren flat area with no jungle; so these chondros actually come from further inland but are decidedly different to most Highland types. Lime green with white spinal spots and sometimes blue tinged bellies. Meraukes Arus and Cape Yorks appear to be very similar in many ways
Wamenas are similar to most Sorong type but usually have blue outlines on the spine with yellow or white spots inside the blue and their tails are usually not darkly pigmented. Karubagas and Bokondinis are both very similar to Wamenas and probably not deserving of a separate name
Lerehs are once again similar but different enough to earn a mention. Biggest difference is in the spinal markings which are usually tear drop shaped
Cyclops are from up in North East Papua near the PNG border very close to Jayapura but are recognizably different to others with stronger blue spine and clean green sides and no white
Mite Phase are mostly from Upper Highland types and from higher elevations than usual
PNG
Lake Kabutus may be very different but not too much known about them yet. Very dark green with dark brown to black spine extending full length of body and possibly growing to well over 2metres. Some reports put them at over 3metres but they are just reports at this time
Central and Uppper Highlands ones seem very similar to Indonesian Highland types like Wamenas but seldom show much blue
Milne Bay has chondros in the mountains behind the town but I know nothing much about them even though they were the first real chondros I ever saw
If anyone wants to fill in the rest of the known PNG types it would be great
I left out the Cape York Iron Mountain type as most people on here know it already but it is very similar to both Aru and Merauke
Also feel free to add or alter anything you like as these are just personal observations
I tried to make a map but anything past word and I’m stuffed so you’ll just have to google one
