The distribution of this monitor species extends to whole New Guinea. There it occurs sympatric with V. indicus in nearly the same habitats. Varanus jobiensis lives always close to a water habitats (SPRACKLAND 1995, 1997). With its laterally compressed tail this monitor can also swim through rivers and other waterways. However, he isn't bound to waters as strongly as the Mangrove Monitor. This species is very shy and the habitat is very hard to approach, hardly observations on wild loving animals are published. Only HORN (1977) admits some informations on the biology of wild living animals.

About the captive care of this monitor species HORN (1977) gives a very good summary. You offer the animals an enclosure including a moderate big water tank. In the beginning the animals are very shy. They will search for hide at any disturbances. So we will offer them some hollow tree-trunks and roots or pieces of cork barks for shelter. As substrate we can use both sand and wood chips.
We can offer insects (crickets, cockroaches, and grasshoppers) and mice as food. Sometimes also fish could be taken.
ENGELMANN & HORN (2003) reported the first captive husbandry at the Zoo in Leipzig, Germany. One single baby hatch after an incubation period of 258 days. The hatchling had a SVL of 112 mm and a total length of 272 mm. The body mass was 47 g.
Another successful breeding is described by STEFANI (2008). One female dropped 5 eggs, unfortunately 2 in the water. The remaining 3 eggs developed well and after 179 - 181 days the babies hatched. The mean SVL was 103 mm and the mean total length was 235 mm. Two days after hatching the offspring took small cockroaches and chopped pinkies as first diet.