THE REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA - MONITORS

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

PLEASE SHARE THIS PAGE

 

HOME

REPTILES OF QUEENSLAND

COLUBRID SNAKES - Colubridae Homalopsidae Mud Snakes

QUEENSLAND PYTHON SNAKES - Pythonidae

Qld ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

QLD SEA SNAKES - Hydrophiinae Laticaudidae Sea Kraits

FILE SNAKES - Acrochordidae

Qld BLIND SNAKES - Worm Snakes - Typhlopidae Ramphotyphlops

TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines

QUEENSLAND DRAGON LIZARDS Agamas Agamidae

GECKO LIZARDS Gekkonidae

Queensland LEGLESS LIZARDS Pygopodidae Pygopods

Queensland MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae

Skinks of Queensland

Qld CROCODILES Crocodylia Crocodilia Saltwater freshwater estuarine

REPTILES OF THE WORLD SPECIES LISTS


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

 Spotted Tree Monitor

* Indicates a new or recently updated page.

COMMON NAME
(INTERNAL LINK)

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(EXTERNAL LINK)

DISTRIBUTION

Ridge-tailed Monitor

Varanus acanthurus

AUSTRALIA
(WA, NT, Qld )

Short-Tailed Pygmy Monitor

Varanus brevicauda

NT, Qld, SA, 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

*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

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)

*Rainbow Rock Monitor
(Described 2026)

Varanus iridus (Described 2026)

Qld

*Spotted Rainforest Goanna / Monitor

Varanus kurunda

Qld

Canopy Goanna

Varanus keithhornei

Qld

Mertens' Water Monitor

Varanus mertensi

NT, Qld, 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

Green Tree Monitor, Emerald monitor or Wyniss

Varanus prasinus

Torres Strait Islands Qld. Australia (Also found in New Guinea)

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

Spencer's Monitor

Varanus spenceri

NT, Qld

Eastern Storr's Monitor

Varanus storri
(was Varanus storri storri)

NT, Qld

*Black-headed Monitor

Varanus tristis (was Varanus tristis tristis)

NSW, NT, Qld, WA, SA

Freckled Monitor

Varanus orientalis

NSW, NT, Qld, WA

*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

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





About John Fowler | John Hollister (deceased 2023) | Report Faulty Link | Report an Error

Contact John Fowler Author of the Australian Herpetology Website

©2026 John Fowler, Rachel Barnes and the late John Hollister. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or re-use of information or materials from this web site is strictly prohibited and against international law.
(NOTE:- No permission is needed to link to this web page)

Note Content (includes photos) by other contributors (See credits) cannot be used without their permission

Updated February 26, 2026


This site is supported by Temu, Depositphotos, Pi, CryptoTab Browser, and Coinbase

ANY CONTRIBUTION APPRECIATED

*
#
&
@