6. Fam. VARANIDAE. 



Body strong, covered with roundish granular scales above, 

 which are in the middle of rings of small granules; below 

 with squarish scales arranged in transverse rows; often a strong 

 fold of the skin on each side of the neck and body. Head 

 covered with small polygonal scales. Tongue long and slender, 

 smooth, deeply bifid, retractile into a sheath at the base, like 

 that of snakes (fig. 1.4). Teeth large, dilated at the base, 

 which is fixed to the inner side of the jaw; no teeth on the 

 palate. Eye with round pupil and distinct eyelids; ear distinct; 

 neck long. Limbs very strong; tail long, cylindrical or com- 

 pressed. Praeanal pores sometimes present. 



Large lizards, carnivorous, terrestrial or aquatic. The eggs 

 are oval, with a soft shell. 



A single genus. 



Nom. in dig. Biawak, Minjawak (mal.); Buaja darat (Timor, 

 Flores); Soa Soa (Moluccas). 



i. Varanus Merrem. 



(MERREM, Tent. Syst. Amph. p. 58, 1820). 



For characters see those of the family. 

 Distribution. Africa; S. Asia; Australia. 



Key to the Indo-Australian species. 



A. Nostril an oblique slit; tail compressed. 

 I. Ventral scales keeled. 



a. Supraocular scales slightly enlarged transver- 

 sely; nostril much nearer the orbit than the 

 end of the snout. 



1. Dorsal scales very unequal I. V.heteropholis p. 142. 



2. Dorsal scales equal. 



f Snout moderate; dorsal scales large; 



nuchal scales not keeled 2. V. dumerili p. 143. 



tt Snout very long, pointed; dorsal scales 

 small; nuchal scales very large and 

 strongly keeled 3. V. rudicollis p. 144. 



b. Supraocular scales irregular ; nostril much nearer 



the end of the snout than the orbit. 1 .... 4. V- salvadorii p. 145. 



