Saturday 18 October 2008

Camera Critters, Goanna, Queensland, Australia.

I had never seen a goanna before, so when at last I saw this one, I was excited.I was visiting a friend of my daughter's and we were having coffee, when suddenly this big guy appeared.."Be careful"they said to me, and with a reason! If you had seen its claws....You would also have been on the alert.



 
 
 
 
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Being predatory lizards, goannas are often quite large, or at least bulky, with sharp teeth and claws. The largest is the Perentie (Varanus giganteus), which can grow over 2m in length.
The one I saw was not that large but its tail was very long. I must apologize for the poor quality of my photos, but I had to take them fast.
Not all goannas are gargantuan. Pygmy goannas may be smaller than a man's arm. The smallest of these, the short-tailed monitor (Varanus brevicuda) reaches only 20 cm in length. They survive on smaller prey such as insects and mice, and my daughter lost a turkey chick, which got out of its cage while a goanna was lurking for the poor little thing.
Goannas combine predatory and scavenging behaviour. A goanna will prey upon any animal it can catch that is small enough to eat whole. Goannas have been blamed for the death of sheep by farmers, though most likely erroneously, as goannas are also eaters of carrion and are attracted to rotting meat.
Most goannas are dark in coloration, whites, greys, browns, blacks and greens featuring prominently. Many desert dwelling species also feature yellow-red tones. Camouflage ranges from bands and stripes to splotches, speckles and circles, and can change as the creature matures; juveniles sometimes being brighter than adults.
Like most lizards, goannas lay eggs. Most lay eggs in a nest or burrow, but some species lay their eggs inside termite mounds. This offers protection and incubation, additionally the termites may provide a meal for the young as they hatch. Unlike other species of lizards, goannas do not have the ability to regrow limbs or tails.
For more exciting Camera Critters, click on the logo in the sidebar. Thank you so much Misty Dawn!

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think it came to quench its thirst.I would have been really scared!

Sandy Kessler said...

They have longer legs than I thought thanks sandy

The Weaver of Grass said...

I have never even heard of these creatures before Reader Wil. They look pretty fierce though.

Jeanne said...

Wow I've never heard of these and I wouldn't be getting to close either. Definitely get the message of this guy. Stay clear!

Janice Thomson said...

Yikes! Am glad I can view from a GREAT distance LOL. Neat creature though.

antigoni said...

Scary!!!!!!

AppleDebbie said...

The Goanna reminds me of a Komodo Dragon. Thank you for the informative post and photos!

Marina said...

It's so agly and scary!!!

me ann my camera said...

Thank you for sharing these pictures and interesting information. I had never heard of these creatures before. Fascinating.

Lapa37 said...

Cool picture and lots of great info.

Jane Hards Photography said...

OMG! Not your average garden critter.Superb.

Carletta said...

Oh my gosh!
I wouldn't want to run into one of these. Glad YOU got the pics!

Anonymous said...

I've never seen a real one before too! Nice shots too! Mine is posted HERE. Happy CC!~

Unknown said...

Wow! How cool to have him wander through your yard! Glad you're safe. :)

Lilli & Nevada said...

Oh my that is a huge one

Dirkjogt said...

Flinke knaap! Leuk dat je deze op foto kunnen zetten hebt

Eki said...

Thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog today. I'm returning your visit and glad I did. You have a wonderful collection of pictures in your blog. I especially like your yesterday's skywatch photos. They are stunning. The photo in this post is also curious and very nice.

I'm glad to know someone who grew up in Indonesia. May I know which city was it?

Regards,
Eki

Anonymous said...

That's one creepy critter! At first I thought you were talking about an iguana...just spelled differently...but upon closer examination I see it's not the same thing. This looks to be a cross between a crocodile and an iguana. Whatever...I don't need to ever meet one!

Elizabeth said...

Wow!
I'm not sure I would want to see one of these critters - or maybe just from a distance.
Fascinating pictures.

Anonymous said...

I am so fortunate to have seen this lizard. I would never have known about him had I stayed at home.

ratmammy said...

wow, look at that!! you dont find THOSE in our backyards here in san diego california! :) thanks for visiting us!

Gill - That British Woman said...

you wouldn't have seen me for dust!!!

Gill in Canada

kjpweb said...

Exciting, isn't it? In parts of Florida, those roam around as feral animals, abandoned by their owners, and the start creating problems...
Cheers, Klaus

Wisdom Of Heart said...

very interesting....thanks for sharing

nonizamboni said...

Oh, my! A little too sci fi for me but how very interesting to see one in your own backyard! Another fascinating, tho a tad scary, post. Thanks for sharing!

Susan Demeter said...

He would have freaked me out! Great shots :) Thank you for stopping by earlier :)

Nova said...

whoaaa.. that's a big thing there...

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Wil: I'm sorry I missed this yesterday, that is a wonderful capture. I've only seen it on TV.

Anonymous said...

Ewwww....
I am really scared !!

Leedra said...

Scary...wouldn't want to go outside again. Glad we just have bears.

Misty DawnS said...

That is so awesome!!! What a great experience you captured.

??? said...

Very cool pictures. But I would have kept my distance, too. I love goannas/monitor lizards because of their intelligence and their elegant way to move.

Anonymous said...

GOANNA _ Forgiveness & Determination
Goanna remind us of the prehistoric Thunder Giants. Every Goanna step meets Mother Earth with slow and determined purpose. His large fork tongue lashes the air with harmonic rhythm and his BEING has all senses activated. If danger appears('nd it does,doesn't it)this ancient EARTH WALKER can run like the WIND or shimmy up TALL trees in its FLIGHT FOR SAFETY...BLONDIE SAYS: "SO EYE NOTICED".