Varanus obor is the only melanistic member of the Pacific monitor (V. indicus) group, and the only species belonging to the subgenus Euprepiosaurus, which has prominent red-orange markings on its body.

Proportions of the body and the construction of scales most closely resemble V. melinus, which can be found on the islands of Mangole and Taliabu.

The lizard was named obor (meaning "torch" in Indonesian) due to its unique coloration.

[3] The sago monitor was first seen in the wild by Valter Weijola, who in March and April 2009 visited Sanana.

One preserved specimen (the holotype), apparently collected between 1860 and 1866, is housed in Naturalis (formerly Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, later Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum), Leiden, the Netherlands.