The Desert Monitor (Varanus griseus) is a robust, diurnal predator of arid regions from North Africa through the Arabian Peninsula to Central Asia. Actively hunting small mammals, birds, eggs, and large invertebrates, it uses powerful limbs and a stout tail to excavate burrows and pursue prey across sandy and gravelly terrain. Adults typically measure about 1 m (39 in) in total length but can reach nearly 2 m (78 in) in exceptional cases Wikipedia. Their weight varies considerably, from roughly 520 to 850 g (1.1–6.3 lb), with larger males often at the upper end of this range. This combination of size, strength, and agility makes the Desert Monitor one of the apex reptilian hunters of its ecosystem.

In the UAE, the Desert Monitor (Varanus griseus) is the country’s sole varanid and occurs widely across dry desert habitats—particularly below 300 m elevation and in areas receiving less than 200 mm of rain annually SpringerLink. Globally, it’s listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and protected under CITES Appendix I Wikipedia, but within the UAE it enjoys full legal protection under Federal Law No. 24/1999 (and its amendments), which prohibits its collection, harm, or trade without explicit permits uaelegislation.gov.ae