Mertens's Water Monitor
Varanus mertensi
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyVaranidae (Monitor Lizards)
- GenusVaranus (Monitor Lizards)
- SpeciesVaranus mertensi (Mertens's Water Monitor)
Mertens' water monitor (Varanus mertensi) is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is native to northern Australia, and is a wide-ranging, actively foraging, opportunistic predator of aquatic and riparian habitats. It is named after German herpetologist Robert Mertens. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Mertens's Water Monitor sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 27 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park
Argus Monitor
Varanus panoptes
Black-headed Monitor
Varanus tristis
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 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mertens's Water Monitor in Kakadu National Park?
About 25% of wildlife watchers report a Mertens's Water Monitor sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 27 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mertens's Water Monitor in Kakadu National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Mertens's Water Monitor in Kakadu National Park in our monthly data.