The emeral tree monitor (Varanus prasinus) is a small-to-medium-sized arboreal monitor lizard. It is well known for its unusual coloration, spanning a myriad of shades from green to turquoise, topped with dark, transverse dorsal banding. It feeds on insects and other small animal fare common to its tropical climate. Emerald tree monitors and their close relatives can be found in New Guinea, as well as several adjacent islands, and on a few islands within the Torres Strait, the body of water separating eastern New Guinea and northern Queensland, Australia. The green tree monitor is reported to thrive in a variety of different lowland environments throughout its range, including tropical evergreen forests, palm swamps and cocoa plantations.