Goannas Monitors and Earless Monitor: Varanidae

According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), two species are Vulnerable, which means they face a high risk of extinction in the wild. These are the Indonesian Komodo dragon and the Philippine Gray's monitor. Their low numbers are due mainly to habitat loss and to hunting. People kill these lizards for their skin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the following four species as Endangered, which means that they are in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range: the desert monitor, the Indian monitor, the Komodo dragon, and the yellow monitor.