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Project Noah Nature School
Varanus varius
I spotted this beautiful lace monitor sunning itself on a rocky ridge. Locally known as "goanna", it was a fully-grown adult at least 2 metres in length, and could weight anything up to 14 kgs. It was a large animal and made no attempt to flee as I approached. I love the defense strategy of "crouch low and close the eyes" (3rd and 4th photos).... He's hoping I'll just go away! I've seen other goannas do this too, as if their rapier-sharp claws and powerful bite aren't enough of a deterrent! I kept a respectable distance, but am wondering if it would do the same if threatened by a predator, say a dingo or an eagle? They are known to prey upon goannas, so the "go away" strategy will most certainly fail. However, I did see two other strategies demonstrated by other individuals later in the day. The first was to climb a tree, and the second was to break cover and run like crazy for 100 metres and hide in the dense undergrowth. This makes a lot more sense because goannas are strong climbers and very fast runners. It also scared the living daylights out of me!
Spotted on a rocky ridge line along the Mt. Mathieson Trail, in a section of sclerophyll forest at Mt. Mathieson, Spicers Gap. This area forms part of Main Range National Park, and is included in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Massive fires have recently burnt through this area, although some sections of the park were spared.
The last photo shows the area where I spotted this goanna. I have placed two ink dots - one at the tip of the nose and the other at the tip of the tail, to give an indication of how big an adult can grow.
Spotted on Mar 14, 2020
Submitted on Mar 15, 2020
8 Comments
Thanks, Ornithoptera80. I saw three big goannas on this track. My lucky day :)
Great find Neil!
It is land of the lizards, Mark, and cheers for the nomination. And thank you, Maria. I'm fascinated by goannas, but also wary of them. The adults are big animals when you see them in the flesh!
Very cool spotting and interesting notes, Neil!
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Ha! Land of the lizards.
It's a great strategy. I'll try it with the people at work!
I LOVE your description of it closing its eyes to make you disappear!