[5] Peach-throated monitors are endemic to New Guinea and surrounding islands such as Biak, Salawati, Yapen, Normanby, and Waigeo.

[1] Peach-throated monitors grow up to 120 centimetres (3.9 ft) in total length (including tail).

The colour of the throat is white-yellow to red, to which one of its common names refers.

Peach-throated monitors primarily eat insects, and sometimes frogs,[5] but may also take freshwater fish and small mammals.

[4] The junior synonym, Varanus karlschmidti, was named in honour of American herpetologist Karl Patterson Schmidt.