, ▁and ▁southern ▁Africa . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁second - long est ▁l izard ▁found ▁on ▁the ▁continent , ▁and ▁the ▁heav iest - b od ied ; ▁locally , ▁it ▁is ▁called ▁le gu a an ▁or ▁lik ke wa an . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁First ▁described ▁by ▁François ▁Marie ▁Da ud in ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 2 , ▁V . ▁al big ular is ▁has ▁been ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁sub species ▁of ▁V . ▁ex anth ematic us , ▁but ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁declared ▁a ▁distinct ▁species ▁based ▁upon ▁differences ▁in ▁hem ip en al ▁morph ology . ▁ ▁The ▁generic ▁name ▁Var anus ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁word ▁war al ▁ و ر ل , ▁which ▁is ▁translated ▁to ▁English ▁as ▁" mon itor ". ▁ ▁The ▁specific ▁name ▁al big ular is ▁comes ▁from ▁a ▁comp ound ▁of ▁two ▁Latin ▁words : ▁al bus ▁meaning ▁" white " ▁and ▁g ula ▁meaning ▁" th ro at ". ▁ ▁The ▁sub species ▁of ▁V . ▁al big ular is ▁are : ▁White - th ro ated ▁monitor , ▁V . ▁a . ▁al big ular is ▁ ▁Ang olan ▁white - th ro ated ▁monitor , ▁V . ▁a . ▁ang ol ensis ▁Eastern ▁white - th ro ated ▁monitor , ▁V . ▁a . ▁micro st ict us ▁Black - th ro ated ▁monitor , ▁V . ▁a . ▁ion ides i ▁▁ ▁( but ▁may ▁be ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁V . ▁a . ▁micro