Varanus salvadorii is a monitor
lizard found in New Guinea. It is also known by the common names Salvadori's monitor, Crocodile monitor, Papuan monitor, and Artellia. The largest monitor lizard in New Guinea, it is believed to be one of the longest lizards in the world, reaching up to 244 cm (8.01 ft).
salvadorii is threatened by deforestation and poaching, and is protected by the CITES agreement. The lizard is hunted and skinned alive by tribesmen to make drums, who describe the monitor as an evil spirit that "climbs trees, walks upright, breathes fire, and kills men"; yet the tribesman maintain that the monitor gives warnings if there are crocodiles nearby.
V. salvadorii was first described as Monitor salvadorii by Wilhelm Peters and Giacomo Doria in 1878 from a female specimen with a snout-to-vent length of 48 cm (19 in) long and a tail measuring 114 cm (45 in) in length.
V. salvadorii is an arboreal lizard. As such, it can hang onto branches with its rear legs and occasionally use its tail as a prehensile grip. The primary use of the tail, however, is to counterbalance its weight when leaping from one branch to another. The tail may also be used for defense, as captive specimens have attempted to whip their keepers with their tails. This species is occasionally seen in the pet trade, but has earned a reputation of being aggressive and unpredictable. Although they are known to rest and bask in trees, they sleep on the ground or submerged in water.
Reproduction has only been observed in captivity, so nothing is known about its reproduction in the wild. The egg clutches, comprising four to twelve eggs, are deposited around October to January, with the eggs showing a remarkable difference in dimensions, a phenomenon for which no explanation is known. Dimensions may vary from 7.5x3.4 cm (3.0x1.3 in) to 10x4.5 cm (3.9x1.8 in), while weight may vary from 43.3 to 60.8 grams (1.53 to 2.14 oz). Most clutches laid in captivity have been infertile, and there have only been four successful breedings documented thus far. Hatchlings are about 18 inches (45 cm) long and weigh around 56 grams (2.0 oz). Like that of many other monitors, the hatchlings of V. salvadorii are more colorful than adults and feed primarily on insects and small
reptiles.