The species, which belongs to the subgenus Odatria, is endemic to Rote Island, Indonesia.

[3] The generic name Varanus is derived from the Arabic word waral ورل, (alternative spelling waran= "lizard").

[4] The occasional habit of varanids to stand on their two hind legs and to appear to "monitor" their surroundings may have led to this name, as it was Latinized into Varanus.

[3] It is similar to the Timor monitor (V. timorensis), with some differentiation in the underside coloring and patterns.

[6] In the wild, peacock monitors have been seen climbing the trunks of palms and then basking on the crowns of the trees.