Varanidae
Black-headed Monitor
Varanus tristis Schlegel, 1839
Varanus tristis is an Australian arboreal monitor lizard with two distinct subspecies differing in size and color.
Togian Water Monitor
Varanus togianus (Peters, 1872)
Varanus togianus, the Togian water monitor, is a monitor lizard endemic to Sulawesi's Togian Islands, living in forests and mangroves.
Desert Monitor
Varanus griseus (Daudin, 1803)
Varanus griseus, the desert monitor, is a large desert-dwelling lizard with a wide distribution across North Africa, West Asia and Central Asia.
Yellow-spotted Monitor
Varanus panoptes Storr, 1980
Varanus panoptes (the Argus monitor) is Australia's third largest lizard, with distinct traits and key ecological roles.
Sand Monitor
Varanus gouldii (Gray, 1838)
Varanus gouldii is a species of monitor goanna lizard that previously included taxa later classified as separate species due to 20th-century taxonomic uncertainty.
Bengal Monitor
Varanus bengalensis (Daudin, 1802)
This is a detailed species description of the Bengal monitor lizard covering physical traits, habitat, behavior, reproduction, and venom.
Rock Monitor
Varanus albigularis Daudin, 1802
Varanus albigularis is a large African lizard found across much of the continent in arid habitats.
Ridge-tailed Monitor
Varanus acanthurus Boulenger, 1885
The spiny-tailed monitor is a small arid-adapted monitor lizard native to rocky habitats across northern and central Australia.
Mangrove Monitor
Varanus indicus (Daudin, 1802)
Varanus indicus, the mangrove monitor, is a small aquatic monitor lizard native to the Western Pacific that has salt-excreting nasal glands.
Roughneck Monitor
Varanus rudicollis (Gray, 1845)
Varanus rudicollis, the black roughneck monitor, is a calm, medium-large monitor lizard identifiable by large pointed neck scales.
Heath Monitor
Varanus rosenbergi Mertens, 1957
Varanus rosenbergi is a large Australian monitor lizard found across southern parts of the continent.
Mertens' Water Monitor
Varanus mertensi Glauert, 1951
Mertens' water monitor is an aquatic Australian monitor lizard with unique underwater foraging and feeding adaptations.
Komodo Dragon
Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912
This text covers the physical traits, behavior, ecology, and reproduction of the Komodo dragon, Varanus komodoensis.
Perentie
Varanus giganteus (Gray, 1845)
Varanus giganteus, the perentie, is Australia's largest living lizard, found across arid inland Australian desert habitats.
Savannah Monitor
Varanus exanthematicus (Bosc, 1792)
Varanus exanthematicus, the savannah monitor, is a small African monitor lizard that inhabits sub-Saharan savannas.
Lace Monitor
Varanus varius (Shaw, 1790)
Varanus varius, the lace monitor, is a large Australian monitor lizard currently ranked as least concern by IUCN.
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Varanus niloticus, the Nile monitor, is Africa's longest lizard native to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile, adapted to aquatic life.
Palawan Monitor
Varanus palawanensis Koch, Gaulke & Böhme, 2010
Varanus palawanensis, the Palawan water monitor, is a large lizard endemic to the Greater Palawan region of the Philippines.
Emerald Tree Monitor
Varanus prasinus (Schlegel, 1839)
Varanus prasinus, the emerald tree monitor, is a social arboreal lizard found in New Guinea and nearby islands that lays eggs in termite nests.
Common Water Monitor
Varanus salvator (Laurenti, 1768)
Varanus salvator, the Asian water monitor, is a large semiaquatic lizard native to South and Southeast Asia.
Mariana Monitor
Varanus tsukamotoi (Kishida, 1929)
Varanus tsukamotoi, the Mariana monitor, is a varanid lizard endemic to Micronesian islands with an introduced population in Japan.
Banded Tree Monitor
Varanus scalaris Mertens, 1941
Varanus scalaris is a small Australian and New Guinean monitor lizard that lives in savanna woodland trees and eats insects and small vertebrates.
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