|
Monitor lizard - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: Crt, Cassandra, Jeremiah, Polonius, Announcer, Audit, Auditor, Authority, Autodidact, Autopsy, Boatswain, Boss, Cameraman, Channel, Check |
|
|
|
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 Australia monitor lizards are known as goannas (See main article).
Origin of Name
It has been said that the name of monitor lizards is derived from a superstition that the creatures would give a warning about the presence of crocodiles. However, this explanation may be apocryphal. According to Wildwatch (http://www.wildwatch.com/resources/other/monitors.asp), the name actually resulted from a mishearing of the Arabic word oaran (lizard) as the German warnen (to warn), which was subsequently Latinized into monitor.
Classification
Genus Varanus
- Varanus acanthurus: Spiny-tailed goanna or Ridge-tailed monitor
- Varanus albigularis: White-throated monitor
- Varanus auffenbergi
- Varanus baritji
- Varanus beccarii
- Varanus bengalensis
- Varanus bogerti
- Varanus brevicauda Short-tailed monitor
- Varanus caerulivirens
- Varanus caudolineatus
- Varanus cerambonensis
- Varanus doreanus
- Varanus dumerilii
- Varanus eremius
- Varanus exanthematicus: Savannah monitor
- Varanus finschi
- Varanus flavescens: Yellow monitor
- Varanus giganteus: the Perentie
- Varanus gilleni Pygmy mulga goanna
- Varanus glauerti
- Varanus glebopalma
- Varanus gouldii Sand goanna (also Gould's goanna, or Ground goanna)
- Varanus griseus
- Varanus indicus
- Varanus jobiensis
- Varanus juxtindicus
- Varanus keithhornei
- Varanus kingorum
- Varanus komodoensis: Komodo Dragon
- Varanus mabitang
- Varanus macraei
- Varanus melinus
- Varanus mertensi: Mertens' water monitor
- Varanus mitchelli
- Varanus nebulosus
- Varanus niloticus: Nile monitor
- Varanus olivaceus
- Varanus ornatus
- Varanus panoptes
- Varanus pilbarensis
- Varanus prasinus: Emerald monitor
- Varanus primordius
- Varanus rosenbergi
- Varanus rudicollis: Roughneck monitor
- Varanus salvadorii: Crocodile monitor
- Varanus salvator: Water monitor
- Varanus scalaris
- Varanus semiremex Mangrove goanna
- Varanus spenceri
- Varanus spinulosus
- Varanus storri
- Varanus telenesetes
- Varanus timorensis: Timor tree monitor or Timor monitor
- Varanus tristis Mournful tree monitor
- Varanus varius: Lace monitor
- Varanus yemenensis
- Varanus yuwonoi
|
|
|
