 The butaan was first described to science in 1845 from a juvenile specimen collected by Hugh Cuming. It was labelled only "Philippines". It was named Varanus grayi. No other specimens came to light for over 120 years.
In the 1970s Walter Auffenberg found another specimen with a location
in Luzon, established that its correct scientific name was Varanus
olivaceus, and undertook a 22 month study of the species based in
Bicol. His study revealed that butaan occupy a unique ecological niche
and have a lifestyle quite unlike any other monitor lizard. Auffenberg used local hunters with dogs to catch the animals. Of 126
butaan caught
during his study, 116 animals were killed.
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