Monitor lizards
An Australian lace monitor (Varanus varius) on a tree.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Squamata Suborder: Sauria Family: Varanidae Genus: Varanus Merrem, 1820
Species
Many, see text. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (960x1280, 411 KB) Beschreibung: Varanus varius in Central Queensland Fotograf: ZayZayEM first upload in en wikipedia on 02:32, 31 Oct 2004 Lizenz: File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are... Binomial name Varanus varius (Shaw, 1790) The Lace Monitor, or Lace Goanna, Varanus varius, is a member of the monitor lizard family, Australian members of which are commonly known as goannas. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Digimon, the only known animals. ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... Suborders Lacertilia- Lizards Serpentes - Snakes Amphisbaenia - Worm lizards This article is about the Squamata order of reptiles. ... For other uses, see Lizard (disambiguation). ... Blasius Merrem (February 4, 1761 _ February 23, 1824) was a German naturalist. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ...

Monitor lizards are the family Varanidae, a group of lizards which includes the largest living lizard, the Komodo Dragon. Varanidae contains only a single genus: Varanus. In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is 1) a rank or 2) a taxon in that rank. ... Binomial name Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912 Komodo dragon distribution The Komodo Dragon, also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo (Varanus komodoensis), is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 meters (approximately... For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ...

In Australia monitor lizards are known as goannas (See main article). Species See text. ...

Evolutionary overview

Monitor lizards are considered to be the most derived lizards, possessing a relatively high metabolic rate for reptiles and several sensory adaptations that benefit the hunting of live prey. Recent work indicates that the Varanid lizards, including the Komodo dragon, do indeed have venom.^[1] The bleeding, swelling, and infection from varanid bites are therefore not solely due to strains of bacteria in their mouths, as previously believed. Some monitor lizards are apparently capable of parthenogenesis.^[2] For other uses, see Lizard (disambiguation). ... A few of the metabolic pathways in a cell. ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... Binomial name Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912 Komodo dragon distribution The Komodo Dragon, also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo (Varanus komodoensis), is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 meters (approximately... Wasp stinger, with droplet of venom Venom or zootoxin (literally, animal poison) is any of a variety of poisons used by several groups of animal species, for the purpose of defense and hunting prey. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Asexual reproduction. ...

Origin of the name

The genus name, "Varanus" is derived from the Arabic word waral ورل, which is translated to English as "monitor". It has been suggested that the occasional habit of varanids to stand on their two hind legs and to appear to "monitor" their surroundings led to the original Arabic name.^[3] According to legend, these lizards were supposed to warn people that crocodiles were nearby.^[4] Arabic is a Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ...

Apparent intelligence

Varanid lizards appear to be more intelligent than other lizards. The most surprising finding comes from research done on captive V. albigularis by John Phillips at the San Diego Zoo. It appears that some species can count. Careful studies feeding V. albigularis specimens with varying numbers of snails show that they can distinguish numbers up to six.^[5][4][6] This research supports informal observations of a wild but wounded Lace monitor V. varius which was unable to hunt, who for months would come to a home near Cooktown, Australia, to be fed chicken eggs and tap one, two or three times on the edge of the veranda with its chin, depending how many eggs it wanted. If it tapped three times and was given one egg, it would eat that one and then tap twice more, and so on. When it had been given the number of eggs it had tapped for it would just drag itself off into the bush after eating, apparently fully satisfied. When it had had three eggs one day, it would usually only tap once or twice the next day.^{[citation needed]} Binomial name Varanus varius (Shaw, 1790) The Lace Monitor, or Lace Goanna, Varanus varius, is a member of the monitor lizard family, Australian members of which are commonly known as goannas. ... Cooktown is the northernmost town on the East coast of Australia, located at 15°28′ S 145°17′ E on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia. ...

At the National Zoo, Washington, D.C., Komodo dragons, V. komodoensis, apparently have different "personalities" and can recognize each of their keepers.^[4] Binomial name Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912 Komodo dragon distribution The Komodo Dragon, also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo (Varanus komodoensis), is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 meters (approximately...

V. niloticus has been observed to cooperate when foraging. One appears to act as a decoy to lure the female crocodile away from her nest while the other one opens the nest to feed on the eggs. The decoy then returns to also feed on the eggs.^[7][4]

Classification

A Nile monitor

Genus Varanus Download high resolution version (2007x1258, 222 KB)A Nile Monitor at London Zoo. ... Download high resolution version (2007x1258, 222 KB)A Nile Monitor at London Zoo. ... Binomial name Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766) Nile Monitor Range The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a large member of the monitor lizard family (Varanidae). ...

• Varanus acanthurus: Spiny-tailed goanna, Northwestern Ridge-tailed monitor, or "ackie"
  • Varanus acanthurus brachyurus, Common Ridge-tailed Monitor, or Yellow Ackie
  • Varanus acanthurus insulanicus or Island Ridge-tailed Monitor
• Varanus albigularis White-throated monitor or Albig
  • Varanus albigularis albigularis
  • Varanus albigularis angolensis
  • Varanus albigularis ionidesi Black-throated Monitor or Ionide
• Varanus auffenbergi Peacock monitor
• Varanus baritji Northern ridge-tailed goanna
• Varanus beccarii Black tree monitor
• Varanus bengalensis Bengal monitor or the Common Indian Monitor
• Varanus bogerti Louisiade tree monitor
• Varanus brevicauda Short-tailed monitor
• Varanus bushi
• Varanus caerulivirens Blue pin-spot monitor
• Varanus caudolineatus Stripe-tailed goanna
• Varanus cerambonensis Ceram mangrove monitor
• Varanus doreanus Blue-tailed monitor
• Varanus dumerilii Dumeril monitor aka Brown Rough Neck Monitor
• Varanus eremius Desert pygmy monitor
• Varanus exanthematicus: Savannah monitor
• Varanus finschi Finsch's monitor
• Varanus flavescens: Yellow mangrove monitor
• Varanus giganteus: the Perentie
• Varanus gilleni Pygmy mulga goanna
• Varanus glauerti Kimberley rock monitor
• Varanus glebopalma Black-palmed rock monitor
• Varanus gouldii Sand goanna (also Gould's goanna, or Ground goanna)
• Varanus griseus Desert monitor
• Varanus indicus Mangrove monitor
• Varanus jobiensis Peach-throat monitor
• Varanus juxtindicus Hakoi
• Varanus keithhornei Canopy goanna
• Varanus kingorum King's goanna
• Varanus komodoensis: Komodo dragon
• Varanus mabitang Panay monitor
• Varanus macraei Blue tree monitor
• Varanus melinus Quince monitor
• Varanus mertensi: Mertens' water monitor
• Varanus mitchelli Mitchell's water monitor
• Varanus nebulosus Clouded monitor
• Varanus niloticus: Nile monitor
• Varanus olivaceus Gray's monitor, Butaan
• Varanus ornatus Ornate monitor
• Varanus panoptes Argus monitor, Yellow-spotted goanna, Floodplain goanna
• Varanus pilbarensis Pilbara rock monitor
• Varanus prasinus: Emerald tree monitor
  

  

  Emerald tree monitor (also called Green tree monitor) lizard Varanus prasinus
• Varanus primordius Blunt-spined goanna
• Varanus prisca: Megalania (extinct)
• Varanus rosenbergi Rosenberg's goanna
• Varanus rudicollis: Black Roughneck monitor
• Varanus salvadorii: Crocodile monitor, Artrelia
• Varanus salvator: Water monitor
• Varanus scalaris Spotted tree goanna
• Varanus semiremex Mangrove pygmy goanna
• Varanus spenceri Spencer's goanna
• Varanus spinulosus St. Isabel mangrove monitor
• Varanus storri Storr's goanna
• Varanus telenesetes Lia (Biri), Rossel Island tree monitor
• Varanus timorensis: Timor tree monitor or Timor monitor
• Varanus tristis Black-headed tree goanna
• Varanus varius: Lace monitor
• Varanus yemenensis Yemen monitor
• Varanus yuwonoi Tricolor monitor

Binomial name Varanus acanthurus The Spiny-tailed Monitor or Ridge-tailed Monitor (varanus acanthurus) is a small species of monitor lizard. ... Binomial name Varanus beccari (Doria, 1874) Varanus beccari is a monitor lizard commonly known as the Black Tree Monitor Lizard. ... Binomial name Varanus bengalensis (Daudin, 1802) Bengal monitor (Varanus bengalensis), also known as the Common Indian Monitor, is a monitor lizard found throughout India. ... // Introduction The short tailed moniter, or as it is also known, the pigmy goanna, is originally from South-East Asia but have migrated in recent years to the northern parts of Australia as well as Indonesia. ... Binomial name Varanus exanthematicus (Bosc, 1792) The Savannah Monitor (varanus exanthematicus) gets its Latin name from the unkeeled scales on the back of the neck which could be said to erupt, and its common name from the impression that it lives on the African savannah in the wild. ... Binomial name Varanus flavescens (Hardwicke & Gray, 1827) Yellow Monitor Varanus flavescens is a species of Monitor lizard. ... Binomial name Varanus giganteus (Gray, 1845) The Perentie is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia. ... Binomial name Varanus gouldii (Gray, 1838) The Sand goanna is an Australian lizard, also is also known as a sand monitor. ... Binomial name Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912 Komodo dragon distribution The Komodo Dragon, also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo (Varanus komodoensis), is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 meters (approximately... Binomial name Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766) Nile Monitor Range The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a large member of the monitor lizard family (Varanidae). ... Varanus olivaceus is a large (ca. ... Argus monitors (Varanus panoptes) are monitor lizards found in northern regions of Australia and southern New Guinea. ... Binomial name Varanus prasinus The emerald tree monitor (Varanus prasinus) is a small-to-medium-sized arboreal monitor lizard. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1679x1149, 636 KB) Green tree monitor lizard Varanus prasinus at Bristol Zoo, Bristol, England. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1679x1149, 636 KB) Green tree monitor lizard Varanus prasinus at Bristol Zoo, Bristol, England. ... Binomial name Varanus prasinus The emerald tree monitor (Varanus prasinus) is a small-to-medium-sized arboreal monitor lizard. ... Binomial name Megalania prisca (Richard Owen, 1859) Megalania is an extinct giant monitor lizard. ... Binomial name Varanus salvadorii Peters and Doria, 1878 The Papua monitor, Varanus salvadorii (also known as Salvadoris monitor, Crocodile monitor, or Artelia) is a little studied monitor lizard that lives on the island of New Guinea. ... Binomial name Varanus salvadorii Peters and Doria, 1878 The Papua monitor, Varanus salvadorii (also known as Salvadoris monitor, Crocodile monitor, or Artelia) is a little studied monitor lizard that lives on the island of New Guinea. ... Binomial name Varanus salvator (Laurenti, 1768) The Water monitor Varanus salvator is a member of the monitor lizard family. ... Binomial name Varanus indicus Mangrove Monitor which also goes by the trade name of Mangrove Goanna, Varanus indicus, are a member of the monitor lizard family. ... Binomial name Varanus timorensis Gary, 1831 Synonyms Monitor timorensis The Timor Monitor or Spotted Tree Monitor (Varanus timorensis) is a species of small monitor lizard native to Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. ... Binomial name Varanus varius (Shaw, 1790) The Lace Monitor, or Lace Goanna, Varanus varius, is a member of the monitor lizard family, Australian members of which are commonly known as goannas. ...

Trivia

• The movie monster Varan takes its name from this genus.
• In a season 4 episode of Hey Arnold, the character Helga owned a monitor lizard.
• In My Gym Partner's a Monkey, one of the hall monitors is a monitor lizard.
• The Freshman starring Matthew Broderick, is based on the delivery of and cooking of a komodo dragon
• The American Kaiju King Komodo was modeled after any one of the larger monitors, especially the Komodo Dragon or Megalania. The mutant varanid was created by the very talented Todd Tennant for a comic book. See his work at www. Americankaiju.Kaijuphile.com.

Varan (バラン, Baran?) is a kaiju that first appeared in Varan the Unbelievable (1958). ... Hey Arnold! is a Nickelodeon cartoon first aired in autumn 1996. ... My Gym Partners a Monkey is an American animated television series created by Timothy and Julie McNally Cahill and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. ... Binomial name Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912 Komodo dragon distribution The Komodo Dragon, also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo (Varanus komodoensis), is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 meters (approximately... Binomial name Megalania prisca (Richard Owen, 1859) Megalania is an extinct giant monitor lizard. ...

References

Wikispecies has information related to:

Varanidae

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Varanidae