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Blue-tailed monitor
Varanus doreanus
The blue-tailed monitor is a large, highly intelligent tropical lizard native to New Guinea. Extremely active and flighty, it demands massive enclosures.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Varanidae
Genus:Varanus
Species:Varanus doreanus
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 90 %
Day temperature
28 - 30 °C
Ambient temperature
28 °C
Night temperature
22 - 24 °C
Basking spot
40 - 42 °C
Adult size
46 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 3,000 L
UVB
High
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and surrounding Indonesian islands. Inhabits primary and secondary tropical rainforests, often near rivers or warm humid marshlands.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the family Varanidae, genus Varanus, subgenus Euprepiosaurus (the Indo-Pacific monitor or mangrove monitor group). Genetically allied to Varanus indicus but exhibits distinct morphometric and genetic differences.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal, arboreal, and semi-aquatic monitor. It is an extremely alert, agile, fast, and often nervous animal in captivity. Enjoys climbing stout branches, is an excellent swimmer, and has a strong instinct to burrow.
Morphology: Can reach a total length of 120-150 cm (4-5 feet). Features an elongated head with large eyes and golden-rimmed pupils. Body is grayish-black with yellow ocelli, and the tail displays a spectacular blue hue in its distal half.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a massive custom enclosure (minimum 250x150x200 cm for an adult). Substrate should be at least 30-40 cm deep to allow burrowing, composed of organic soil and mulch. Include thick branches for climbing and a heated water tub.
Lighting and Heating: Demands high-output UVB lighting and powerful spot lamps to create a basking spot of 45-50°C. Daytime ambient temperatures should range between 28°C and 32°C, with a nighttime drop to 22-24°C. 12-hour photoperiod.
Humidity and Hydration: High humidity, consistently between 70% and 90%. Achieved through automatic misting or rain systems and keeping the deep substrate damp. The large water basin must be kept clean to allow complete body immersion.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly carnivorous and highly varied diet: large insects (cockroaches, locusts), whole fish, shrimp, eggs, chicks, and occasionally appropriately sized rodents. Supplement with calcium and multivitamins twice weekly.
Compatibility: Strictly solitary animal. Males are highly territorial and will fight aggressively. Co-housing males and females is risky and should only be attempted by experienced keepers during the breeding window.
Health and Common Diseases: Prone to respiratory infections if temperatures drop too low or ventilation is poor. Other risks include impaction if substrate is accidentally ingested without proper hydration and regular soaking.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Native to New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and surrounding Indonesian islands. Inhabits primary and secondary tropical rainforests, often near rivers or warm humid marshlands.
Origin
Africa and MadagascarSouth and Southeast AsiaAustralia, New Guinea, and Oceania
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 46 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 46 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 46 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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