The Goannas of Australia - 1

Gunther Schmida
www.guntherschmida.com.au
Draft only
The concept, text, lay-out and all
images contained in this publication
are by
The
Goannas
of
Australia - 1
Gunther Schmida
and protected by copyright.
This is a low resolution ‘work in progress’
preview only.
The complete 100 page volume will be
available by Dec. 2013.
Change pages by using up or down keys
on keyboard.
Tablet users just need to scroll the pages.
The Goannas of Australia - 1
Gunther Schmida
Yellow-spotted or Argus Monitor Varanus p.panoptes - 120 cm TL - NT
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
The Big Fellows
Goannas ‘on steroids’
Wanderer of the plains
Water lovers
Glossary
Further reading
Heath Monitor Varanus rosenbergi 90 cm TL - Coorong - SA
Preface
Most Australian’s, even city dwellers, will have heard the term ‘goanna’ or are even familiar with these highly intelligent lizards.
However, it is mainly the large and powerful members of this family most people will have encountered on picnics or bar-bques in parklands or journeys into the wilderness, the out-back. Few people are aware of the existence of the medium or dwarf
sized species which also inhabit many parts of this unique continent.
There are many field guides to Australian reptiles and these include the goannas as well. There are also a few informative
textbooks dealing with these lizards, even about keeping and breeding them.
The Short-tailed Goanna Varanus brevicauda only reaches a total length of 23 cm and is the smallest overall.
But no attempt has ever been made to show as many aspects of monitors lives in images as in this work.
I have been fascinated by goannas since I saw my first one at a zoo in my native Germany at 13 years of age.
They were part of the reason for me to migrate to Australia as a 23 year old to keep, study and photograph
them in their habitats.
Always for the love of it, never on a professional basis. I have kept a few and was the first to breed the smallest
species and have managed to photograph almost all of them over the past 40 odd years.
I have also written about them, published my images or given talks to special interest groups and students, in
the hope, that some of my enthusiasm for this unique part of our fauna may rub off onto others.
In a way I hope this two part e-book will achieve this on a much wider basis.
Unlike previous publications, this book is not done in alphabetical order, rather by size and/or common traits.
This first part deals with the larger species and a couple of smaller ones which tend to live near water.
The second part includes all others.
Much of what is written here is based on personal experience or that of close associates. Naturally, it would
have not been possible to write these volumes without consulting others and the published literature as well.
Anyone wishing to learn more will find the a ‘Further Reading’ section at the end of each volume.
Introduction
Goannas or Monitors, as they are
more widely known, are lizards.
There are currently 73 species known with 25 additional sub-species - and
they occur in Africa, the warmer parts
of Asia, Australia, New Guinea and
many other islands in the indo-pacific
region.
the heaviest lizard in the world today,
the honour of the longest recorded
lizard goes to the Asian Water Monitor,
Varanus salvator salvator from Sri
Lanka with a total length of 3.21
metres. (Randow 1932)
However, it is a much more slender
and longer tailed lizard.
Other large monitors once existed in
some parts of the world.
This is known from fossil remains.
Perentie Varanus giganteus - Australia’s largest monitor lizard
None larger than the now also extinct Varanus priscus, until
recently better known
It still roamed the Australian landscape when humans first arrived on
these shores. One can only imagine what an encounter with one of
these
Venomous Lizards (?)
A fairly recent scientific discovery are
the venom glands in the lower jaws of
those goannas studied to date (Fry et
all, 2006) and also some dragon
lizards. Although apparently not
dangerous to humans , this fact may
explain the often painful bites, even by
small species, and prolonged bleeding
of such bites, as the venom also
The big fellows
The two Goannas in this chapter reach total length of over 2 metres and are
Australia’s most powerful lizards indeed.
Lace Monitor & Perentie
Lace Monitor
Genus: Varanus
Sub-genus: Varanus
Type locality: New South Wales (exact location unknown)
Species: varius
(White ex Shaw 1790)
Max. size: over 200 cm total length
Cairns
Qld
Taroom
Brisbane
Surat
SA
Grafton
NSW
Sydney
VIC
Habitat:
Savannah woodlands, especially along water
courses, wet and dry sclerophyll forests,
rainforest.
Lace Monitor Varanus varius Male - 150 cm
Introduction:
This powerful goanna is the second largest of all Australian monitor lizards, and is
known to reach a total length of over two metres, especially in the south of its range.
It was also the first Australian monitor described by science and the naming itself is
Perentie Varanus (Varanus) giganteus
Other names:
Meaning of specific name:
Similar species:
Scientific: Hydrosaurus giganteus
Common: Prenty, Printie, Lace lizard
giganteus = gigantic (it was the largest
known lizard at time of discovery)
None
Goannas ‘on steroids’
Yellow-spotted, Sand & Rosenberg’s Monitors
These three monitors were once considered to be just one very variable powerful species, commonly known as Gould’s,
Racehorse or simply Sand Goanna Varanus gouldii, with several sub-species. A goanna with a range covering almost all of
Australia.
Opinions change ...
Yellow-spotted Monitor Genus: Varanus Sub-genus: Varanus Species: panoptes Sub-species: panoptes Storr 1980
Type locality: Lake Argyle - WA
Western Y.- s. Monitor
Max. size: over 150 cm
Genus: Varanus Sub-genus: Varanus Species: panoptes Sub-species: rubidus
Type locality: Wilgie Mia - 60 km NNW of Cue - WA
Storr 1980
Max. size: over 130 cm
Lake Argyle
Darwin
NT
WA
Pilbara
Qld
Cloncurry
Rosedale
Winton
Wilgie Mia
Glenmorgan
Habitat: From Mangrove zones to
Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes panoptes – 160 cm – ‘power walking’ near Winton - C-Qld
Introduction:
Gould’s Goanna Varanus (Varanus) gouldii gouldii
Diet:
Reproduction:
Heath Monitor Varanus (Varanus) rosenbergi
Status:
Comment:
90 cm long adult male - Sydney - NSW
Other names:
Scientific: Varanus gouldii rosenbergi
Common: Rosenberg’s Monitor, Sydney Gould’s Goanna
Meaning of specific name:
rosenbergi = named in honour of Hans Rosenberg of Hamburg,
Germany
Similar species:
Closest related to Sand Goanna, V. gouldii gouldii, and sharing
the
Wanderer of the plains
Spencer’s Monitor Varanus (Varanus) spenceri
Diet:
Reproduction:
Water lovers
Four not closely related species
An about 80cm long female Water Monitor, Varanus mertensi, relaxing by the Gregory River near Riversleigh in north-west Queensland. The image was taken
from just over a metre distance, using a wide angle lens. The lizard was quite obviously used to people.
The four species in this chapter are always found near water, either fresh, brackish or marine. They are not closely related however,
rather belong to three different sub-genera. Namely Varanus, Odatria and Euprepiosaurus. Water, Varanus mertensi, and Mangrove
Water Monitor Varanus (Varanus) mertensi
Features:
This species cannot be confused with any other Australian
goanna by colour alone.
It is light brown in colour often showing an olive tinge with
countless small cream to yellow spots all over. The throat is
Behavior:
Apart from being superbly adapted to a life on the ground near
and in water , it also climbs well and often basks on
overhanging
Diet:
It feeds largely on fish, frogs and other aquatic wildlife and has
been observed hunting for freshwater prawns on the substrate
of waterways.
Large specimen will also hunt reptiles, small birds and
The lizard was observed walking on the substrate of the pond searching
for prey, before and after surfacing.
Mitchell’s Monitor
Genus:Varanus
Sub-genus: Odatria
Species: mitchelli Mertens 1958
Type locality: 8 km west of Oenpelli - NT
Max. size: 70 cm
Darwin
Oenpelli
Daly River
NT
Kununurra
Gregory River
WA
Habitat:
Introduction:
Qld
Cairns
Cape
York
Peninsula
Townsville
Bowen
Mackay
Cape River
Qld
Dawson River
Habitat:
Predominantly coastal mangrove forests, but
also recorded
Introduction:
This somewhat secretive small monitor from the coastal mangrove belt on
much of Queensland’s Pacific coast was first described from Cape York in
1869 and
Mangrove habitat near Bowen
Mangrove Monitor
Genus: Varanus
Sub-genus: Euprepiosaurus
Species: indicus (Daudin 1802)
Type locality: Amboina - Indonesia
Max. size: 120 cm TL
NT
Cape
York
Peninsula
Darwin
Qld
Habitat:
Mangrove zones and adjacent forests of
tropical northern Australia. Always near water.
Introduction:
www.guntherschmida.com.au
You have viewed 23 pages from
‘The Goannas of Australia - 1’.
The complete work consists of equal or better
quality images (without the © stamps) and up
to date information, and is part of a series of
presentations about Australia’s
herpetological fauna, the reptiles & frogs.
End
The complete 100 page higher resolution pdf
file will become available by Dec. 2013.
Anyone wishing to express interest in a
printed version can do so by
contacting the author at
[email protected]