First published in 1995 by Viper Press (the publishing arm of Mampam Conservation), Daniel Bennett's "Little Book of Monitor Lizards" survived subsequent editions in German and an edited English addition to appear online in 1999, once more under the complete control of the author. Still one of the most comprehensive and accurate guide to monitor lizards ever published, the "Little Book of Monitor Lizards" is now used as a source of funding for projects worldwide concerned with monitor lizard conservation, research and education. A pdf version of the original is available here .
First published in 1995 by Viper Press
(the publishing arm of Mampam Conservation), Daniel Bennett's "Little
Book of Monitor Lizards" survived subsequent editions in German and an
edited English addition to appear online in 1999, once more under the
complete control of the author. Still one of the most comprehensive and
accurate guide to monitor lizards ever published, the "Little Book of
Monitor Lizards" is now used as a source of funding for projects
worldwide concerned with monitor lizard conservation, research and
education.
As the monitors spread across the Earth experiencing different habitats and climates they diversified. Over many millions of years this process has resulted in the emergence of at least seventy or eighty (probably many thousands of) species. Some of them appeared to have died out quickly, whilst other, apparently ancient, species have survived until the present.
Our relationship with monitor lizards stretches back over 90,000,000 years. For almost all of this time they have been the predators and we the prey. The first documented cases of predation on monitor lizards by humans date back about 40,000 years (King 1962). Today mankind's relationship with the monitors is a complex one. They are undoubtedly the most important of the lizards to the human race.
The
International Varanid Interest Group is a volunteer-based organization
established to advance varanid research, conservation, and husbandry,
and to promote scientific literacy among varanid enthusiasts worldwide.
Membership to the IVIG is free, and open to anyone with an interest in
monitor lizards. Click Here
According to many authoritative atlases and maps, Bui National Park
is already underwater! But the hydro electric dam first planned in the 1920s was not started until August 24th 2007. Now work has begun on a controversial hydroelectric dam that
will destroy the riverine habitat of the park. Many millions of $$ were spent on the environmental impact assessment, but fortunately a team of poachers wildlife staff and students produced a much better guide to the Fishes of Bui National Park
The butaan was first described to science in 1845 from a juvenile specimen collected by Hugh Cuming. It was labelled only "Philippines". It was named Varanus grayi. No other specimens came to light for over 120 years.
This goanna was originally described as a subspecies of V.timorensis (i.e. V.timorensis scalaris). A year after Mertens recognised it as a separate species (1957a) he considered that the differences between similis and scalaris were too slight to warrant use of scalaris as a specific name (Mertens 1958).
Species List 
First published in 1995 by 
First published in 1995 by 
As the monitors spread across the Earth experiencing different habitats and climates they diversified. Over many millions of years this process has resulted in the emergence of at least seventy or eighty (probably many thousands of) species. Some of them appeared to have died out quickly, whilst other, apparently ancient, species have survived until the present. 
Our relationship with monitor lizards stretches back over 90,000,000 years. For almost all of this time they have been the predators and we the prey. The first documented cases of predation on monitor lizards by humans date back about 40,000 years (King 1962). Today mankind's relationship with the monitors is a complex one. They are undoubtedly the most important of the lizards to the human race. 
According to many authoritative atlases and maps, Bui National Park
is already underwater! But the hydro electric dam first planned in the 1920s was not started until August 24th 2007. Now work has begun on a controversial hydroelectric dam that
will destroy the riverine habitat of the park. Many millions of $$ were spent on the environmental impact assessment, but fortunately a team of poachers wildlife staff and students produced a much better 
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