THE REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA - MONITORS

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

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HOME REPTILES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY COLUBRID SNAKES - Colubridae Homalopsidae Mud Snakes of NT Northern Territory PYTHON SNAKES - Pythonidae NT ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes NT SEA SNAKES - Hydrophiinae Laticaudidae Sea Kraits NORTHERN TERRITORY FILE SNAKES - Acrochordidae BLIND SNAKES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY
Northern Territory TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines NORTHERN TERRITORY DRAGON LIZARDS Agamas Agamidae NORTHERN TERRITORY GECKO LIZARDS Gekkonidae NORTHERN TERRITORY - LEGLESS LIZARDS - SPECIES LISTING NORTHERN TERRITORY MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae SKINKS OF NORTHERN TERRITORY- SPECIES LIST LISTING OF NORTHERN TERRITORY CROCODILES REPTILES OF THE WORLD SPECIES LISTS

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

 Mertens' Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi) photographed at Australia Zoo

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COMMON NAME
(INTERNAL LINK)

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(EXTERNAL LINK)

DISTRIBUTION

Ridge-tailed Monitor

Varanus acanthurus

AUSTRALIA
(WA, NT, Qld )

*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

Island Ridge-Tailed Monitor

Varanus insulanicus (includes Monitors previously called Varanus acanthurus insulanicus and Varanus barijti

NT

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

Gulf Ridge-tailed Monitor

Varanus citrinus

NT - Found only in the basins of the McArthur River and Calvert Rivers (Gulf of Carpentaria)

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)

Black-spotted Ridge-tailed Monitor

Varanus insulanicus(includes Monitors previously called Varanus acanthurus insulanicus and Varanus baritji

NT (Top end)

Pygmy Rock Monitor
or Long-tailed Rock Monitor

Varanus kingorum

NT, WA

Mertens' Water Monitor

Varanus mertensi

NT, Qld, WA

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

Northern Yellow-Spotted Monitor or Floodplain Goanna

Varanus panoptes panoptes

NT, Qld, WA

Northern Blunt-Spined Monitor

Varanus primordius

NT

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 )

Spencer's Monitor

Varanus spenceri

NT, Qld

*Black-headed Monitor

Varanus tristis (was Varanus tristis tristis)

NSW, NT, Qld, WA, SA


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

CKI = Cocos (Keeling) Island

NSW = New South Wales

Qld = Queensland

Tas = Tasmania

Vic = Victoria

ACT = Australian Capital Territory
(Canberra region only - excludes Jervis Bay Territory)

LINKS OF INTEREST

Key to the Goannas of South Australia
South Australian Museum

 Australian Monitor Lizards
by John Fowler

RECOMMENDED AMAZON BOOKS
(Affiliate commission earned)

Varanoid Lizards of the World A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia 5th edition Edition

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases


OTHER LINKS OF INTEREST

Find a Random species of Australian Reptile

Visit the Australian Herpetology Website

Monitors of The World

Monitors of Australia

LIZARDS OF AUSTRALIA

 Lizards of the World

Monitors
of
The World

Monitors
of
Australia

Lizards
of
Australia

Lizards
of The World

AUSTRALIAN MONITOR SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Monitors of South Australia

MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae NSW

Queensland MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae

NORTHERN TERRITORY MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae

WESTERN AUSTRALIA MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae

Monitors of Victoria - Goannas Varanids Varanidae

ACT MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae

Monitors
of South
Australia

Monitors
of
NSW

Monitors
of
Qld

Monitors
of
NT

Monitors
of
WA

Monitors
of
Victoria

Monitors
of the
ACT


AUSTRALIAN REPTILE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Reptiles of South Australia
REPTILES OF VICTORIA
 REPTILES OF NSW REPTILES OF QUEENSLAND REPTILES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY REPTILES OF Western Australia Reptiles of the ACT(Canberra)

Reptiles of South Australia

Reptiles
of
Victoria

Reptiles
of
NSW

Reptiles
of
Qld

Reptiles
of
NT

Reptiles
of
WA

Reptiles
of the
ACT

Reptiles of Tasmania

MORE REPTILE SPECIES LISTS

Reptiles of Lord Howe Island

Reptiles of Christmas Island

Reptiles
of Cocos Keeling Islands

Reptiles of Norfolk Island

Reptiles of Australia

Selection of Australian Frogs

Reptiles of the World

Amphibians of the World

Reptiles
of
Australia

Frogs
of
Australia

Reptiles
of
The World

Amphibians of the
World





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Updated February 26, 2026


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