Varanus nebulosus (Gray, 1831)

Cook-Price, Dawn R., Makchai, Sunchai, Naithani, Archana, Pawangkhanant, Parinya & Suwanwaree, Pongthep, 2025, Lizard survey of Ko Pha-gnan in the Surat Thani Province, Thailand, Biodiversity Data Journal 13, pp. e 154712-e 154712 : e154712-

Varanus nebulosus (Gray, 1831)

Clouded monitor lizard

Distribution

Seven individuals were detected in one of the eleven different National Park forest transects and five in four of the thirteen different human disturbed forest transects contiguous to National Park forest areas. On one occasion, V. nebulosus was opportunistically observed in a human settlement area at the edge of a montane National Park area (not a transect). This opportunistic observation was witnessed as dogs were chasing the lizard and it took refuge in a tree.

Notes

This diurnal, semi-arboreal, carnivorous species (Fig. 6 B) actively forages and often digs for insects and other invertebrates, small mammals, eggs and carrion on occasion. Differentiating characteristics include its grey or brown colouration with markings resembling clouds. This species is shy and elusive, often sheltering in trees at night or when it feels threatened by a potential predator ( Koch et al. 2013, Auliya and Koch 2020, Goodyear et al. 2022).

Figures

Figure 6. Varanidae lizards. A Varanus salvator; B Varanus nebulosus.