[2][3] The species was described based on a single specimen supposedly collected on Rossel Island in the Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New Guinea.

[1] It is now believed that the original collection data was in error and that the species occurs on some other, currently unknown, island east of New Guinea.

[4] Like all tree monitors, the body is slender with a long, prehensile tail (~2 times the SVL).

It lacks a visible dorsal pattern unless held under alcohol, at which point narrow dark crossbands can be faintly seen.

Unique for tree monitors, the tongue color is yellow (vs. pink) and the soles of the hands and feet are light-colored (vs. dark).