Mertens' water monitor
| Mertens' water monitor | |
|---|---|
| Smithsonian National Zoological Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Varanidae |
| Genus: | Varanus |
| Subgenus: | Varanus |
| Species: | V. mertensi |
| Binomial name | |
| Varanus mertensi Glauert, 1951 | |
Mertens' water monitor (Varanus mertensi), often misspelled Mertin's water monitor, is a species of monitor lizard. The species is endemic 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.