THE REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA - MONITORS

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION
Covering Australian Snakes, Lizards, Crocodiles, Turtles, and Amphibians

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A LISTING OF AUSTRALIAN MONITOR LIZARDS
Distribution Key
ORDER: SQUAMATA (LIZARDS AND SNAKES)
SUBORDER: SAURIA (LIZARDS)
Family: Varanidae (Monitors)

John Fowler & Rachel Barnes

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Pygmy Rock Monitor or Long-tailed Rock Monitor Varanus kingorum NT, WA <tr>

COMMON NAME (INTERNAL LINK)	SCIENTIFIC NAME (EXTERNAL LINK)	DISTRIBUTION
Ridge-tailed Monitor	*Varanus acanthurus*	AUSTRALIA (WA, NT, Qld )
Black Spotted Ridge-tailed Monitor or Lemon-throated Monitor	(Varanus insulanicus) was Varanus baritji	NT
Short-Tailed Pygmy Monitor	Varanus brevicauda	NT, Qld, SA, WA
Pilbara Pygmy Monitor	Varanus bushi	WA
Line-Tailed Pygmy Monitor	Varanus caudolineatus	WA
Australasian Mangrove Monitor	Varanus chlorostigma (previously called Varanus indicus)	Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland) Indonesia (Irian Jaya, Wardo, Srui, Waigeo), Papua New Guinea, New Britain, D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago
Gulf Ridge-tailed Monitor	Varanus citrinus	NT - Found only in the basins of the McArthur River and Calvert Rivers (Gulf of Carpentaria)
Blue Tailed Monitor	Varanus doreanus	Qld (North-western Cape York), New Guinea, and the Aru, Biak, Salawati, Waigeo and Karkar Islands.
Rusty Desert Monitor	Varanus eremius	NT, Qld, SA, WA
Perentie	Varanus giganteus	NT, Qld, SA, WA
Pygmy Mulga Monitor	Varanus gilleni	NT, Qld, SA, WA
Kimberley Rock Monitor or Glauert's Monitor	Varanus glauerti	NT, WA
Black-palmed (or Long-Tailed) Rock Monitor	Varanus glebopalma	NT, Qld, WA
Sand Monitor	Varanus gouldii gouldii	WA, SA, NT, Qld, NSW, Vic
Centralian Sand Monitor	Varanus gouldii flavirufus	WA. SA, NT,Qld (arid interior)
Southern Pilbara Rock Monitor	Varanus hamersleyensis (was Varanus pilbarensis)	WA (Hamersley Range)
Black-spotted Ridge-tailed Monitor	Varanus insulanicus (includes Monitors previously called Varanus acanthurus insulanicus and Varanus baritji	NT (Top end)
*Rainbow Rock Monitor (Described 2026)	Varanus iridus (Described 2026)	Qld
Canopy Goanna	Varanus keithhornei	Qld
Pygmy Rock Monitor or Long-tailed Rock Monitor	Varanus kingorum	NT, WA
Mertens' Water Monitor	Varanus mertensi	NT, Qld, WA
*Spotted Rainforest Goanna / Monitor	Varanus kurunda	Qld
Mitchell's Water Monitor	Varanus mitchelli	NT, WA
Western Storr's Monitor	Varanus ocreatus (previously known as Varanus storri ocreatus)	NT, Qld, WA
*Freckled Monitor	Varanus orientalis (was Varanus tristis orientalis)	NSW, NT, Qld, WA
Desert Spotted Monitor	Varanus panoptes rubidus	WA
Northern Yellow-Spotted Monitor or Floodplain Goanna	Varanus panoptes panoptes	NT, Qld, WA
*Yellow Headed Rock Monitor (Described 2026)	Varanus phosphorus (Described 2026)	Qld
Northern Pilbara Rock Monitor	Varanus pilbarensis	WA (Northern Pilbara)
Green Tree Monitor, Emerald monitor or Wyniss	Varanus prasinus	Torres Strait Islands Qld. Australia (Also found in New Guinea)
Northern Blunt-Spined Monitor	Varanus primordius	NT
Rosenberg's Heath Monitor	Varanus rosenbergi	NSW, ACT, SA, Vic, WA
Spotted Tree Monitor	Varanus scalaris	NT, Qld, WA
Ocellated Rainforest Monitor	*Varanus similis? ("V. kuranda")* ? (was Varanus scalaris similis) (status uncertain)	New Guinea, AUSTRALIA ( NT, Qld )
Red Blotched Monitor	Varanus scalaris (V. pellewensis) (invalid subspecies)	Qld
Rusty Monitor	Varanus semiremex	Qld
Dampier Peninsula Goanna	*Varanus sparnus*	AUSTRALIA WA (Kimberley area)
Spencer's Monitor	Varanus spenceri	NT, Qld
Eastern Storr's Monitor	Varanus storri (was Varanus storri storri)	Qld
*Black-headed Monitor	Varanus tristis *(was Varanus tristis tristis)*	NSW, NT, Qld, WA, SA
*Orange-headed Rock Monitor (Described 2026)	Varanus umbra (Described 2026)	Qld
Lace Monitor & Bell's Monitor	Varanus varius	NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, Vic

DISTRIBUTION KEY
Click on the abbreviation below to see a map of the area

CI = Christmas Island	CKI = Cocos (Keeling) Island	NSW = New South Wales
NT = Northern Territory	Qld = Queensland	SA = South Australia
Tas = Tasmania	Vic = Victoria	WA = Western Australia
NI = Norfolk Island	LHI = Lord Howe Island	ACT = Australian Capital Territory (Canberra region only - excludes Jervis Bay Territory)