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White-Throated Monitor

Varanus albigularis

A large, fast African monitor lizard with a pale throat and a forked tongue like a snake's.

🦎 Lizards
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About the White-Throated Monitor

White-throated monitors live in dry parts of Africa, from South Africa north to Ethiopia, especially steppes and deserts around rocky outcrops. They grow 5 to 6.5 feet long, sometimes up to 9 feet, and weigh up to 25 pounds. They are dark brown with a white throat and light belly, with strong, sharp claws. They eat carrion, small reptiles and mammals, bird eggs and insects.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Varanus albigularis[1]
Size
5 to 6.5 feet long; up to 9 feet.[1]
Weight
Up to 25 pounds.[1]
Lifespan
12 to 20 years.[1]
Diet
Carrion, small reptiles and mammals, bird eggs and insects.[1]
Habitat
Dry steppes and deserts around rock outcrops.[1]
Where it lives
South Africa north to Ethiopia.[1]
Babies
20 to 50 eggs.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2019).[2]

Fun facts

  • Monitors are the only reptiles besides snakes with forked tongues.[1]
  • A monitor's tail can be twice as long as its body.[1]
  • Monitors sometimes lay their eggs in termite mounds.[1]

Vocabulary

monitor lizard
A large, long-necked lizard with a forked tongue.
forked tongue
A tongue split into two tips at the end.
carrion
The meat of an animal that is already dead.
steppe
A large, dry, treeless grassland.
least concern
A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “White-Throated Monitor.” https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/reptiles/white-throated-monitor/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Varanus albigularis (White-throated Monitor).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22473612/22473630 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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