 This group probably originated in the Moluccas, although dating their origins is complicated by the paucity of the fossil record.The absence of large placental predatory mammals east of Wallace's line may be partially responsible for the radiation of the "V. prasinus" group in the Australo-Papuan region.Emerald tree monitors and their close relatives can be found in New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) as well as several adjacent islands, and the northern Torres Strait Islands.