London, April 8 (Inditop.com) A giant species of fruit eating monitor lizard that lives in trees has been discovered in the forests of the Northern Philippines, scientists have said.

“The lizard, a new species of the genus Varanus, is skittish and able to hide from humans, its primary predators, which could explain why it has gone undetected by scientists for so long”, Rafe Brown of the University of Kansas, whose team confirmed the find told dailymail.co.uk

The scientists said the lizards, almost 6 feet 6 inches in length, whiwh is highlighted the ‘unexplored nature of the Philippines’, could become a flagship species for conservation efforts to preserve the remaining forests of the region.