Black-headed Monitor
Varanus tristis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyVaranidae (Monitor Lizards)
- GenusVaranus (Monitor Lizards)
- SpeciesVaranus tristis (Black-headed Monitor)
Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park
Argus Monitor
Varanus panoptes
Mertens's Water Monitor
Varanus mertensi
Gould's Goanna
Varanus gouldii
Black-spotted Ridge-tailed Monitor
Varanus insulanicus
Glauert's Monitor
Varanus glauerti
Black-palmed Rock Monitor
Varanus glebopalma
Mitchell's Water Monitor
Varanus mitchelli
Northern Blunt-spined Monitor
Varanus primordius
Banded Tree Monitor
Varanus scalaris
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-headed Monitor in Kakadu National Park?
About 19% of visitor-days record a Black-headed Monitor sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 14 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see Black-headed Monitor in Kakadu National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Black-headed Monitor in Kakadu National Park in our monthly data.