Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Emergency Listing of the Blue Tree Monitor as an Endangered Species

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), exercise our authority pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), to emergency list the blue tree monitor (Varanus macraei), a lizard species from Indonesia, as an endangered species. Due to overcollection for the international pet trade and deforestation, there is a significant risk to the well-being of the species. We find that the emergency listing is necessary in order to provide the protective measures afforded by the Act to the blue tree monitor. This emergency action (emergency rule) provides Federal protection pursuant to the Act for a period of 240 days. A proposed rule to list the blue tree monitor is published concurrently with this emergency rule in the Proposed Rules section of this issue of the Federal Register.