THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Reptilia    Squamata (part-other lizards)    Varanidae  

Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus Linnaeus, 1766
VAH-rah-nus — nih-LOH-tih-kus

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 Native to sub-Saharan Africa. It was introduced in Arizona (Goodykoontz, 2024, Arizona Republic. 11 July), Georgia (Brennan et al., 2022, Herpetological Review 53: 272–273) and is established in Florida (Dalrymple, 1994, Non-indigenous amphibians and reptiles. Pages 67–78, An assessment of invasive non-indigenous species in Florida's public land. Technical Report No. TSs-94–100. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, Florida. 78pp.; Enge et al., 2004, Southeastern Naturalist 3: 571–582; Campbell, 2005, Eradication of introduced carnivorous lizards from the Cape Coral area. Final Report to the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Fort Myers, Florida; Wood et al., 2016, Journal of Heredity 107: 349–362; Enge and Krysko, 2019, Varanus niloticus. Pages 438–440 in Krysko et al. (Editors) Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida). (Krysko, Kenneth and Travis W. Taggart. 2025. Established Exotic Species. Pages 64-87 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2025.01.31.13.46.36)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 1.27 MB

Province/State Distribution:
United States: Florida

Taxonomic Etymology:
A large African monitor lizard associated with the Nile River.
Varanus — From Arabic waral (ورل), meaning “monitor lizard.” Latinized by early naturalists to Varanus, which became the standard genus name.
niloticus — From Latin Niloticus, “of the Nile.” Refers to the species’ presence along the Nile River and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

First instance(s) of published English names:
No historic English names have been assigned to this taxon yet.

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1766 Linné, Carl von (=Linneaus). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species with characters, differences, synonyms, places. Volume I.] Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, Holmiae, Editio duodecima, reformata (12th Edition). 1-532pp.
1994 Dalrymple, George H. Non-indigenous amphibians and reptiles. Pages 67–78 in An assessment of invasive non-indigenous species in Florida's public land. Technical Report No. TSS-94-100. 78 pp. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, Florida. pp.
2004 Enge, Kevin M., Kenneth L. Krysko, Kraig R. Hankins, Todd S. Campbell, and F. Wayne King. Status of the Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus) in southwestern Florida. Southeastern Naturalist 3(4):571-582
2016 Wood, Jared P., Stephanie A. Dowell, Todd S. Campbell, and Robert B. Page. Insights into the introduction history and population genetic dynamics of the Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus) in Florida. Journal of Heredity 107(4):349–362
2022 Brennan, Michael, Lance McBrayer, John Carroll, Kenneth L. Krysko, and Amy A. Yackel Adams. New state and county records of introduced amphibians and reptiles of Georgia, USA. Herpetological Review 53(2):272–273.

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Friday 05 December 2025 16:55 CT