Orange back Jayapura Blue Tail Monitor (Varanus doreanus)

Common Name: Blue-tailed Monitor
Scientific Name: Varanus doreanus
Source: CBID
Adult Size: Up to 120–140cm total length
Native Range: Northern Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands including the Jayapura region of West Papua

Enclosure: A custom-built Viperia PVC vivarium sized to suit — use the Vivarium Calculator to spec the right dimensions. Adults require a very spacious setup — a footprint of at least 180×90cm is recommended as a working starting point. Provide deep, moisture-retaining substrate, robust hides at both warm and cool ends, sturdy climbing branches, and a large, heavy-duty basking platform positioned directly under the heat source.
Heating: Basking spot of 40-45°C with a cool end ambient of 26–28°C; a night-time drop to around 22–24°C is acceptable and beneficial
Humidity: 60–80%; achieved by misting the enclosure once or twice daily, using a moisture-retaining substrate such as a topsoil and sand mix, and including a humid hide or cork bark retreat
UVB: A 12% UVB tube run along most of the vivarium's width, positioned so the animal can bask 30–40cm beneath it — this species is highly diurnal (active during daylight hours) and benefits strongly from robust UV provision
Diet: Whole prey items form the backbone of the diet — offer appropriately sized mice, rats, chicks, whole fish, and invertebrates such as roaches and locusts. Juveniles can be fed every two to three days; adults every four to five days. Variety is key — avoid over-reliance on any single prey type, and use whole prey wherever possible to ensure complete nutrition.

ABOUT THIS SPECIES

The Blue-tailed Monitor is a striking and powerfully built species native to the humid lowland forests and riverine environments of New Guinea and northern Australia. The Jayapura locality, sourced from the West Papuan region, is particularly admired among enthusiasts for its vivid colouration — most notably the brilliant electric-blue tail that gives the species its common name. These are active, intelligent lizards that carry a real presence in any collection.

Blue-tailed Monitors are best suited to experienced keepers who can confidently manage a large, active monitor and provide the space, heating, and enrichment this species demands. With consistent, calm handling from a young age they can become reasonably handleable animals, though they tend to remain alert and inquisitive rather than fully docile — making them a rewarding but genuinely challenging species for the dedicated reptile keeper.