---
title: "Sand Monitor"
description: "Varanus gouldii — Reptiles. The sand goanna (Varanus gouldii), also known commonly as Gould's monitor, the racehorse goanna, and the sand monitor, is a species of large Australian monitor lizard in the family Varanidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/sand-monitor
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Sand Monitor

> Varanus gouldii — Reptiles. The sand goanna (Varanus gouldii), also known commonly as Gould's monitor, the racehorse goanna, and the sand monitor, is a species of large Australian monitor lizard in the family Varanidae.

- Scientific name: *Varanus gouldii*
- Category: `reptiles` (Reptiles)
- Habitats: `savanna` (Savanna), `desert` (Desert)
- iNaturalist observations: 2752
- Wikidata: [Q671373](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q671373)
- iNaturalist taxon: [39414](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39414)

## Names

- en: Sand Monitor
- de: Gouldswaran
- es: Varano de Gould
- fr: Varan de Gould
- nl: Goulds varaan
- pl: Waran Goulda

## Countries with the most observations

AU (2651)

## Summary

The sand goanna (Varanus gouldii), also known commonly as Gould's monitor, the racehorse goanna, and the sand monitor, is a species of large Australian monitor lizard in the family Varanidae.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_goanna

## Photo

![Sand Monitor](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/sand-monitor/medium.jpg)

Photo: Max Tibby · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/109029746

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/sand-monitor?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).