Varanus caudolineatus is a member of the subgenera Odatria. The coloration of the upper side is grayish brown with numerous irregularly distributed deep brown spots on head and body. The markings of the tail is gray with deep brown markings at the base which pass over into deep brown lengthways stripes on the end of the tail. A deep brown temporal stripe is visible. The lower side is cream white with occasional deep brown spots. The head scales are small and smooth. 80-110 scale rows are around midbody. The nostril is at the side, it is situated approximately in the middle between the tip of the snout and the eye. The tail is more or less round in the diameter without a keel on the top side. The length is approximately 1.5 times the SVL. The tail scales are strongly keeled and lightly thorny. The total length is about 30 cm.

The distribution of this monitor species is restricted to Western Australia. where it lives under the bark of Casuarina (desert oaks) and little bushes (MERTENS 1942d, 1958, KEAST 1959, WORRELL 1966, BUSTARD 1968, SWANSON 1976, STORR 1980, STORR et al. 1983b, WILSON & KNOWLES 1988, HOSER 1989, COGGER 1992, EHMANN 1992).
Sometimes fence-posts of farmland, which consist of Casuarina, are also occupied by these animals. Some monitors were already protracted to Esperance on the southern coast of the Great Australian Bight (BUSH 1987), which actually is not part of the traditional distribution area. Under the bark of these bushes and trees they feed on insects, spiders and "regrowing foodsource" mainly in the form of gecko tails (STEIN pers. comm.).

We will offer these animals an enclosure, which is constructed for tree climbers. That means, that the size should be about 40 x 30 cm and the height at least 50 cm. This enclosure is big enough to keep one pair. Hiding places on and in the branches or under loose bark are recommended. The furnishing of the back- and side-walls with cork bark will increase the action areas. You only must take care to attach these decorations so that the animals cannot find any possibility to hide behind, since otherwise the control of the monitors will be nearly impossible.
Till now, nothing is still known on the captive husbandry of this small lizar species. SMITH (1988) reports of a pregnant female, which was caught in October 1986 and laid four eggs on November 20th, unfortunately however the eggs did not develop.
Own experience in captive husbandry are not published yet. 1 male and 2 females were housed together in an enclosure, measuring 50 x 50 x 65 cm. Sand was used as ground cover. Several branches, a cork tube, and a wood stacker were used as furnishing. Also an egg-laying box, measuring 25 x 15 x 10 cm was part of the enclosure.
Till now 27 clutched were produced. Clutch size was between 2 and 6 eggs. All eggs were incubated in damp vermiculite at temperature between 27.5 and 29.5°C. Till now 55 offspring could be hatched. The incubation time was between 71 and 121 days. The SVL of the hatchlings was between 46 and 56 mm, the tail length was between 48 and 67 mm, and the body mass was between 1.4 and 2.6 g. The raising of the babies was without any problem.