Varanus nesterovi, known commonly as Nesterov's desert monitor, is a species of monitor lizard in the subgenus Psammosaurus of the genus Varanus. It can be found in the Zagros Mountains between Iraq and Iran. It was previously considered a subspecies of the desert monitor before being elevated to full species status in 2015. It was named after its original discoverer, Petr Vladimirovich Nesterov (1883-1941).