Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Lobón-Rovira, Javier, Lobón-Rovira, Baptista, Ninda L, Clark, Tyron, Verburgt, Luke, Jongsma, Gregory Fm, Conradie, Werner, and, Luis Veríssimo, Vaz, Pedro & Pinto, 2025, Filling the gaps: herpetological checklist of Mayombe National Park and Cabinda Province (Angola) shed light on one of the most unexplored corners of tropical Central Africa, African Journal of Herpetology 74 (1), pp. 1-59 : 1-59

Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Material examined. ANGOLA – Cabinda Province • Susso ; –5.3273, 12.2371; 134 m a.s.l.; roadkill .

Identification. This is the largest species of monitor lizard in Africa (SVL = 600–800 mm) ( Wilms et al., 2021). It has a stout body with powerful limbs, strong claws and an elongated snout. The tongue is dark, almost black. Tail long, laterally compressed, with a low dorsal crest. Limbs spotted, belly and throat paler than dorsum with black bars. Juvenile colouration is black and bright yellow.

Biology and distribution. This species is well adapted to living in deep river valleys in all sub-Saharan countries from the Nile River in Egypt throughout the network of rivers across most of Africa, reaching southwest to Angola and Namibia ( Wilms et al. 2021).