Goanna (Lace Monitor)

Description:

Powerfully built goanna about a metre long. Very lovely banding across the body and tail and two distinctive cream bands wrapping around its snout. From behind the lighter bands look like spots, probably assists in camouflaging, although this lizard was very comfortable being seen and filmed. Used its forked tongue continuously.

Habitat:

Bobbin Head in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. This waterway is a saltwater tributary of the Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay, on the northern outskirts of Sydney. It was walking along the Apple Tree Bay creek towards the boating ramps. They prefer semi-humid to humid forested habitat, including river basins and adjacent areas. Although often seen on the ground, they spend much of their life in trees, sheltering in hollows. If approached, they will keep spiralling round to the back of the tree trunk, keeping the trunk between themselves and the watcher.

Notes:

There is a Jacobson’s organ on the roof of the mouth, also like that of snakes. The tongue constantly flicks in and out, transferring information to the Jacobson’s organ. This sensitive chemoreceptor can detect minute traces of odours in the air, whether from a prey item, a predator, or a potential mate. Because the tongue is forked, the lizard can receive information from both sides of its head, and figure out what direction the odours are coming from.