Varanosaurus

Description
Varanosaurus is the largest non-dinosaurian reptile in Terra Nova. It's a ruthless predator that is mostly active at night. Former Terra Nova security officer Tim Curran was bitten by one shortly after he was banished from the colony after Commander Taylor found out that he's the one who trapped the Nykoraptor that killed Officer Ken Foster inside a communications post. Apparently, Taylor didn't want Curran to die like this, so he stayed with him at his camp and when the vicious reptile returned that night to finish Curran off, Taylor managed to chase it away. Varanosaurus is dark green overall with a lighter green underbelly and bold stripes of indigo running across its back. It also has a brightly colored neck frill used for display. The lizard can expand this frill when attracting mates, establishing dominance, and to defend itself.

Fact File
As its name implies, Varanosaurus is a monitor lizard. In fact, it's the first monitor lizard ever to evolve. It was first discovered in Texas in 1988. Like all monitor lizards, it would ambush its prey and deliver a fatal bite with jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth. Another trait Varanosaurus and its moder-day cousins have in common is that it has toxic bacteria in its saliva that makes any open wound seriously infected. Once bitten, the prey suffers an angonizing death by blood poisoning. That entire time, the lizard would be watching its every move until it becomes too weak to fight back, then it would go in for the kill.