black-headed monitor; freckled monitor
Refers to the lizard species Varanus tristis, also known as the freckled monitor. The name literally means 'butt-spine large lizard', describing the spiny scales near the tail base.
The black-headed monitor is a small monitor lizard native to Australia.
Hiragana spelling, also used but less common than katakana for this species name.
Kanji spelling is very rare and mostly seen in specialized or older texts; the source does not list it as a priority form.
Compound of 尻 (shiri, 'buttocks'), 棘 (toge, 'spine'), and 大蜥蜴 (ōtokage, 'monitor lizard'), referring to the spiny scales near the base of the tail. The exact derivation is uncertain, but the name is descriptive of the lizard's appearance.