Varanus glebopalma Wyndham, WA

Varanus glebopalma is a member of the subgenera Odatria. The coloration on the back shows a black ground color with some leight brown scales, which form a reticulated pattern at the sides or small ocelli with a black central spot on top. The top sides of the head and the limbs are black with little cream-colored or leight brown spots which flow together. They form larger spots on the limbs. The front half of the tail is mostly black on the upper side, the second half is creamy yellow. The throat is white with a bright pink leight brown reticualtion, except for the sides. This reticulation changes into dark stripes on the lips of the lower jaw. Chest and belly are white with indistinct dark horizontal stripes. The lower sides of the tail and the limbs are creamy yellow. Round shiny deep brown scales are situated on the soles of the feet. These cushions help the monitors during the brief surveys through the rocks presumably by the fact that they increase the liability. However similar scales but not as distinctive, are present at the members of the prasinus group. These sclaes help the animals a better liability moving on branches. The head scales are small, irregular and smooth. The nostril is situated at the side of the head and is much closer to the tip of the snout than to the eye. 130-170 scale rows are around midbody. The tail is more or less round in the diameter without a keel on top. At the last end it is pressed together slightly. It is more than double as long as SVL. The tail scales are smooth or carry small keels. The total length is up to 100 cm.

Varanus glebopalma Adelaide River, NT	Varanus glebopalma Katherine Gorge, NT

The distribution of this monitor species extends to the north of Australia from the Kimberleys in the west to Mt. Isa in the east. The animals are bound to the existence of rocks. By the unusual feature of its soles of the foot they can excellently move between the boulders. They are also able to climb vertical rock faces (MERTENS 1958, KEAST 1959, WORRELL 1966, BUSTARD 1968, SWANSON 1976, STORR 1980, STORR et al. 1983b, WILSON & KNOWLES 1988, HOSER 1989, COGGER 1992, EHMANN 1992).
In the wild V. glebopalma prefers insects, lizards and other small vertebrates as food (LOSOS & GREENE 1988). VALENTIC (1994) observed medium-sized V. glebopalma during the twilight, which hunted, caught and then swallowed a dragon lizard (Lophognatus gilberti).
They frequently go unlike other monitors during the dusk on search for food. However, although the animals are very shy, one can observe them also occasionally during the day. HUSBAND (pers. comm.) observed one animal at Ubirri Rock in the Kakadu National Park, which still was on search of food after sunset.