Kingdom Animalia Subphylum Vertebrata Order Squamata Scientific name Varanus kingorum | Phylum Chordata Class Reptilia Suborder Lacertilia Rank Species | |
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Similar Stripe‑tailed goanna, Pygmy Mulga Monitor, Kimberley rock monitor, Storr's monitor, Black‑palmed rock monitor | ||
Kings' monitor or Kings' goanna (Varanus kingorum), is a species of small monitor lizards. It is also known as Kings' rock monitor; it is found in Australia. Specifically, it is endemic to the northwestern part of the Northern Territory, and the northeastern part of Western Australia. It belongs to the subgenus Odatria along with the peacock monitor and the Pilbara monitor. Comparatively little is known about this species.
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Etymology
The specific name, kingorum (genetive plural), is in honor of Canadian-born Australian ecologist Richard Dennis King (1942-2002) and Australian geneticist Max King (born 1946).
Habitat
Kings' goanna inhabits rocky outcrops of the Kimberley Region and adjacent areas. It is usually found in areas with rock exfoliations or slopes with open bushland and shrubs, where boulders and outcrops provide its required microhabitat. V. kingorum is also found in grasslands.
Description
Varanus kingorum is one of the smallest species of monitor lizards, reaching a total length of up to 40 cm. It is basically brown in colour with a black reticulum in the juvenile that breaks down with age to form dark flecks and spots.
Behaviour and diet
Kings' monitors retreat into holes, rock fissures, and small crevices when they are approached, being extremely shy.
They appear to feed exclusively on insects, including locusts, termites, and insect eggs.