VARANIDX, the varanians or water lizard family of reptiles of the order Sauria, comprising the two genera, Varanus and Hydrosaurus, of which the following species are known to occur in the East Indies :— Varanus Humerilii (Monitor Humerilii, Brown, with obscure cross-bands, with a black spot on side of neck. Shields of the head and over the orbit nearly equal, moderate. Scales large, convex. A native of Borneo.
Varanus heraldicus (Monitor heraldicus, Gray). Black, with cross-rows of pale-eyed spots, pale beneath, black-banded. Shields over the orbits small, sub-equal. It is a native of India.
Varanus lunatus. Nostrils large, nearly central, shields over the orbit small, sub-equal. Da,rk brown, with Innate bands directed backward on the neck and forwards on the body, and with cross-bands on the tail ; belly and under side of tail whitish. Found in India.
Varanus nebulosus (Monitor nebulosus, Gray ; M. nebulatus, Schlegel), the coloured varan. Nostrils large, rather nearer the orbit than the end of the muzzle ; orbital shield with a large series ; back of neck with converging dark streaks.
A native of India, Bengal, and Siam.
Varanus ornatus, the Philippine varan. Nostrils large, central; shields over orbit small, sub-equal. Olive ; neck and front of the body with pale spotted, broad, black cross-bands ; the hinder part of the body and tail with pale spots. A native of the Philippine Islands.
Varanus rudicollis. Nostrils large, nearer the orbit than the end of the muzzle ; shields over the orbits nearly square, the binder central ones rather larger. Scales of the back triangular, keeled ; of the neck large, prominent ; muzzle elongated. Black, with white streaks on back of neck, and bands across the back. Found in the Philippine Islands.
Other Indian species are Varanus flaveseens, Merr., Ganges, Indus, Penang ; V. draccena, L., Bengal to Ceylon ; V. nebulesus, Bengal, Siam ; Hydrosaurus salvator, Lour., Ceylon, Siam, China. —Gunther, Reptiles. See Reptiles.