varanid

Yes there was a varanid on New Caledonia, it's been mentioned by Michael Balouet in his books and papers a few times, and is also mentioned in Flannery's The Future Eaters.

The small, recently extinct, island-dwelling crocodilians of the south Pacific Darren Naish 2006

It seems the snake-varanid relationship is close to clinched now.

New evidence that natural selection is a general driving force behind the origin of species - The Panda's Thumb 2006

It seems the snake-varanid relationship is close to clinched now.

New evidence that natural selection is a general driving force behind the origin of species - The Panda's Thumb 2006

Skeletons of these extinct varanid lizards have been found at dinosaur nesting sites, indicating that these ancient lizards made their living by raiding nests, just as modern monitors do today.

Of dragons and microbes - The Panda's Thumb 2005

Based on these similarities, some herpetologists have theorized that an ancient group of varanid lizards began to follow a burrowing way of life, tunneling through loose dirt and sand in search of earthworms and other prey, just as some lizards do today.

Of dragons and microbes - The Panda's Thumb 2005

My speculation would be that venom first appeared in varanid snake ancestors as a way of disabling fish before they could swim away.

Of dragons and microbes - The Panda's Thumb 2005

My speculation would be that venom first appeared in varanid snake ancestors as a way of disabling fish before they could swim away.

Of dragons and microbes - The Panda's Thumb 2005

The bioactivities we’ve demonstrated for varanid venom so far are the same sorts that have been previously shown as useful for prey capture in snakes.

Of dragons and microbes - The Panda's Thumb 2005