The Argus Monitor is a species of Monitor lizard that is native to parts of Northern and Western Australia. They can also be found in New Guinea.
This lizard is also commonly known as the Yellow Spotted Monitor. These names are interchangeable and refer to the same species but can also be used to describe different sub-species.
Argus Monitor Taxonomy
The Argus Monitor belongs to the Varanidae family of lizards. This family contains only one genus of living lizards. There are two extinct genera associated with this family, Ovoo and Saniwa.
The remaining genus, and the genus that the Argus Monitor belongs to is called Varanus. This is essentially the genus of Monitor Lizards, which are native to Africa, Asia and Oceania.
There are many species in the Varanus genus including the Kimberley Rock Monitor, the Black Roughneck Monitor and the Timor Monitor.
The closest living relatives to the lizards in the Varanus genus are the species in the anguid and helodermatid genera.
The lizards in the anguid genus are native to the Northern Hemisphere and include the glass lizards and the alligator lizards.
There are only 5 species of lizards in the helodermatid genus and they are all venomous. This family includes the Gila Monster.
Monitors are a large genus of lizard that contains over 80 different species at the time of writing. However, many species and sub-species are constantly being disputed so the exact number will change from time to time.
The group of Monitor lizards include some of the largest species of lizards in the world such as the Komodo Dragon and Nile Monitor.
The genus name, Varanus is derived from the Arabic word ‘waral’ which simply translates into Monitor.
The scientific name for the Argus Monitor is Varanus panoptes. There are 3 recognised sub-species of this lizard.
The Argus Monitor, Varanus panoptes panoptes is the nominate species and it was first described in 1980. It can be found in Northern Australia.
The Yellow Spotted Monitor, Varanus panoptes rubidus is the holotype sub-species meaning it is the sub-species used during the initial description of the species in 1980. They can be found in Western Australia.
The Horn’s Monitor, Varanus panoptes horni wasn’t discovered until 1988 and can be found in parts of New Guinea.
As the nominate species is known as the Argus Monitor and the holotype is known as the Yellow Spotted Monitor, both of these names are often used interchangeably to describe the species itself.
Argus Monitor Description
The Argus Monitor is a large species of Monitor that grows to a maximum length of around 5 feet including their tail.
They are mainly dark brown in color with thin patterns of yellow or off-white all over their body.
The belly and neck of the lizard is typically yellow or off-white in color also. There are usually brown or black spots along their sides and down onto their bellies.
They have a typical Monitor appearance with their long necks and body, strong legs and sharp claws which help them dig and climb.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Argus Monitor is Native to much of Northern and Western Australia. One of the sub-species can also be found in the Southern parts of New Guinea.
In Australia, this lizard is mainly found relatively close to the coastline, although their range does extend further inland in parts of Western Australia.
They are not found in the middle of Australia, in the depths of the Outback in places such as Alice Springs as the conditions are too harsh for this species.
The different sub-species of Argus Monitor can be found in different regions and their territory is not expected to overlap.
The nominate sub-species, the Argus Monitor or Varanus panoptes panoptes can be found throughout much of Northern Australia.
Their range extends from the Northern parts of Western Australia in the Kimberley region right across to Queensland where they can be found along the coast right down to Brisbane.
The holotype sub-species, the Yellow Spotted Monitor or Varanus panoptes rubidus can be found in parts of Western Australia.
The most concentrated populations can be found in the Pilbara region but their range extends down into Gascoyne and the Mid-West territories. They aren’t found as far South as Perth.
Argus Monitor Diet
The Argus Monitor will feed on a wide variety of different prey items. These lizards have a huge feeding response and will hunt almost anything it can overpower and consume.
They are known to dig into rodent and small mammal burrows to catch prey and will also climb trees in search of birds.
In the water, they will hunt things like fish, frogs and crabs. They are even known to feed on other smaller monitors including the Kimberley Rock Monitor.
Behaviour
The Argus Monitor is a terrestrial species, meaning they spend most of their time on the ground. They are excellent diggers and will use their sharp claws and strong legs to excavate burrows.
However, they are also very capable climbers and will sometimes climb trees in search of food. They are also very good swimmers.
They have the ability to stand up vertically on their hind legs. When doing this, they use their tail for support. They do it to get a better vantage point so they can detect predators from a further distance.