Total three varanid species and their distributions in Yunnan were recognized during the expeditions resent years,they were V.salvator(Laurenti),V.irrawadicus (Yang) and V.vietnamensis (Yang).V.salvator is widely distributed in Yunnan border area,from the western to the southwestern,then to the southeastern;V.irrawadicus is only discovered in Yingjiang and Longchuan Counties in west Yunnan;and V.vietnamensis is acquainted to be distributed in Mengla,Xishuanbanna in southwest Yunnan,and the Chinese-Vietnam borer and the Chinese-Laos border.After comparison with other related species of the Southeastern Asia,we think that the three varanid species of Yunnan are all valid,though V.irrawadicus was considered as a synonym of V.bengalensis by Auffenberg,it is different from the latter in the position of nose,color pattern on neck and body,and ventral rows;V.vietnamensis has transversly enlarged upper ocullars so it differs from V.flavescens (no enlarged upper ocullars),also it has middle way positioned nose that is different with V.nebulosus,V.nebulosus should be a valid species while not a subspecies of V.bengalensis since it has transversly enlarged upper oculars that V.bengalensis has not (others:V.monitor is not a valid name).Finally in this paper,the habitats,habits and conservation of varanid lizards of Yunnan are preliminary reported.