Perentie: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the perentie lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Varanus giganteus
Group	Lizards, geckos & tuatara
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	Oceania
Class	Reptile
Order	Squamata
Family	Varanidae

Where does the perentie live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the perentie in 1 country or territory across Oceania. Wikidata lists it as endemic to Australia.

Australia

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the perentie endangered?

The perentie’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the perentie?

The perentie (Varanus giganteus) is a reptile in the order Squamata and the family Varanidae, genus Varanus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the perentie

The perentie (Varanus giganteus) is a species of monitor lizard. It is one of the largest living lizards, after the Komodo dragon, Asian water monitor, and the crocodile monitor. Found west of the Great Dividing Range in the arid areas of Australia, it is rarely seen because of its shyness and the remoteness of much of its range from human habitation. The species is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Its status in many Aboriginal cultures is evident in the totemic relationships, and part of the Ngiṉṯaka dreaming, as well as bush tucker. It was a favoured food item among desert Aboriginal tribes, and the fat was used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Perentie (revision 1357188134), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q932293 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).