[3] The short-tailed pygmy monitor burrows in compacted, sandy loam and gravel, in areas dominated by spinifex (Triodia spp.).

This terrestrial species is secretive[4] and rarely seen active above ground; it is mainly encountered by digging up its burrow.

[3] The short-tailed monitor is the smallest of the Varanid lizards, attaining a maximum adult length of only 8 inches.

The short-tailed monitor has a very keen sense of sight and hearing but attains the bulk of its sensory information through chemical signals picked up by the Jacobson's organ.

Mating occurs for this monitor lizard in September and October after hibernation, and by February, the eggs hatch.

[citation needed] As the species’ numbers are currently listed as ‘least concern’ by the IUCN, the main threat to short-tailed pygmy monitors is predation by larger animals; predators include (but are not limited to) birds of prey, dingoes, feral cats and dogs, owls, certain snakes and introduced red foxes.