? Goanna
Lace Monitor (Varanus virius)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Sauria Family: Varanidae Genus: Varanus in part
Species
See text.

Australian (and to an extent Australasian) monitor lizards belonging to the Varanus genus are called Goannas. The name presumed to be derived from iguana, as early European settlers likened them to the South American lizards. There are around 20 species of goanna, 15 of which are unique to Australia. They are a varied group of carnivorous reptiles that range greatly in size and fill several ecological niches. The Goanna features prominently in Aboriginal Mythology and Australian folklore. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders See text. ... Suborders Amphisbaenia - Worm lizards Sauria- Lizards Serpentes - Snakes Squamata (scaled reptiles) is the largest recent order of reptiles, including lizards and snakes. ... Families Many, see text. ... Species Many, see text. ... Species Many, see text. ... In biology, a species is the basic unit of biodiversity. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Oceania. ... Species Many, see text. ... Species Many, see text. ... Species Lesser Antillean Iguana, Green Iguana, Although iguana can refer to other members of the lizard family Iguanidae, this article concerns members of the genus Iguana. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... In biology, a species is the basic unit of biodiversity. ... The lion is a well-known, truly carnivorous member of the order Carnivora. ... Orders See text. ... In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in an ecosystem. ... Representation of the Rainbow serpent, the Waugal In Australian Aborigine religion the Dreamtime, also called The Dreaming, is the era before the Earth was created, and a time when everything was spirit and not physical. ... Folklore is the body of verbal expressive culture, including tales, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs current among a particular population, comprising the oral tradition of that culture, subculture, or group. ...

Characteristics

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. They prey on all manner of small animals; insects, lizards, snakes, mammals, birds, eggs. Meals are often eaten whole, and thus the size of their meals depends on the size of the animal itself. However, the Perentie has been observed killing a young kangaroo, and then biting out chunks of flesh like a dog. Goannas have even been blamed for the death of sheep by farmers, though most likely erroneously, as goannas are also eaters of carrion and attracted to rotting meat. This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A claw is a curved pointed growth found at the end of a toe or finger, or in arthropods, of the tarsus. ... Binomial name Varanus giganteus (Gray, 1845) The Perentie is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia. ... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... Superfamilies and Families Henophidia Aniliidae Anomochilidae Boidae Bolyeriidae Cylindrophiidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Xenopeltidae Typhlopoidea Anomalepididae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenophidia Acrochordidae Atractaspididae Colubridae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Viperidae Snakes (from Old English snaca, and ultimately from PIE base *snag- or *sneg-, to crawl), also known as ophidians, are cold blooded legless reptiles closely... Orders Subclass Multituberculata (extinct) Plagiaulacida Cimolodonta Subclass Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Subclass Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Eutheria (includes extinct ancestors)/Placentalia (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata (extinct) Perissodactyla Pholidota Plesiadapiformes... Orders Many - see section below. ... A carton of free-range chicken eggs Ostrich egg Bird eggs are a common food source. ... Species Macropus rufus Macropus giganteus Macropus fuliginosus A kangaroo is any of several large macropods (the marsupial family that also includes the wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons and the Quokka: 65 species in all). ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758) This article is about the domestic dog. ... Species See text. ... Titan arum For other uses, see Carrion (disambiguation). ...

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. This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Most goannas are dark in coloration, whites, greys, 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. Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ...

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. An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams In some animals, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... Families Reticulitermes spp. ... In biology, regeneration is the ability to recreate lost or damaged tissues, organs and limbs. ...

Habitats

Goannas are found throughout most of Australia, except for Tasmania, and manage to persist in a variety of environments. Most species are terrestrial, or ground dwelling. Prominent among these is the Sand goanna (Varanus gouldii – also known as the ground goanna or Gould's goanna), the most common of all goannas. They are often found in close proximity to a burrow or den, which may be a hollow log, or if in the plains a dug burrow which can be up to a metre (three feet) deep. They may even take over rabbit warrens. The far end of the burrow is often close to the surface, so if the entrance is blocked off (by a predator, or a collapse) the goanna just needs to break through a few centimetres/inches of soil to be free. Emblems: Flora Tasmanian Blue Gum Fauna none Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Slogan or Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... Terrestrial literally means of the earth and is used in a variety of contexts: In biology and in the general sense, terrestrial means indicates ground-dwelling (compare aquatic). ... In geography, a plain is a large area of land with relatively low relief. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a meter. ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae, found in many parts of the world. ...

As well as sandy plains, some goannas live in rocky outcrops and cliffs, often having special adaptions that aid their survival. The spiny-tailed goanna (Varanus acantharus) of Northern Australia, has blunt spines on its tail that make it virtually immovable from the rockface if in danger.

While some terrestrial goannas may occasionally climb trees or outcrops, there are plenty of primarily arboreal species. The lace monitor (Varanus varius) is probably the most well known amongst these, but is not the most common. The lace monitor is the second largest of all goannas, reaching lengths of up to 2 metres. Other more common tree goannas, such as the Timor tree monitor (Varanus timorensis) and Mournful tree monitor (Varanus tristis) do not grow to quite such lengths, averaging only a few feet nose to tail. This article is about the biological organisms known as trees. ... Binomial name Varanus varius (Shaw, 1790) Lace Monitor climbing a tree The Lace Monitor, or Lace Goanna, Varanus varius, is a member of the monitor lizard family, Australian members of which are commonly known as goannas. ...

Other goannas are adapted to swampy coastal environments such as the Mangrove goanna (Varanus semiremex). Further still, the Mertens' water monitor (Water goanna – Varanus mertensi), found in lagoons and rivers across northern Australia, is streamlined for swimming, utilising its tail as a paddle. Most other goannas are good swimmers, but tend not to voluntarily venture into the water.

Goannas and humans

Confrontations

Like most native fauna, goannas are rather wary of human intrusions into their habitat, and will most likely run away (into the scrub, up a tree, or into the water, depending on the species). A goanna is a rather swift mover, and when pressed will sprint short distances on its hind legs.

Goannas also rear up when threatened, either chased or cornered, and also inflate flaps of skin around their throat and emit a harsh hissing noise. The larger goannas can reach around a man's waist, so they can be quite a fearsome experience to the unwary.

Some goannas recover from their initial fear of humans, especially when food is involved (or food has been involved previously). This reinforces the wildlife authority's mantra of not feeding animals while camping or erstwhile adventuring. This said, most authorities doubt that a goanna will actually direct an intentional attack on human unless said human attempts to attack it (or grasp at it) first. Aborigines who hunt goannas for food consider the Perentie as a high-risk (but tasty) prey. Indigenous Australians are the first inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands, continuing their presence during European settlement. ...

Aside from a severe bite or scratch (which carries risk of tetanus), other dangers a goanna presents is from its hefty tail. It can swing this much like a crocodile if cornered. Small children and dogs have been knocked down by such attacks. Often victims in goanna attacks are bystanders, watching the person antagonising the goanna. People can be mistaken by a terrified creature for a tree, and then hurt quite badly as the animal tries to claw their way up them (and probably even worse off when they run about screaming and bleeding with a goanna still attached). Tetanus is a serious and often fatal disease caused by the neurotoxin tetanospasmin which is produced by the Gram-positive, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani. ...

Folklore

European settlers perpetuated several old wives' tales about goanna habits and abilities, some of these have persisted in modern folklore amongst campers and bushmen. This includes the above-mentioned exaggeration of goannas dragging off sheep from shepherds' flocks in the night. Around a campfire these might even be exaggerated into child-snatching, rivalling drop bears (attack koalas) as tourist scarer, probably more convincing due to the reptiles carnivorous nature and fearsome appearance. An old wives tale is a wisdom much like an urban legend, supposedly passed down by old wives to a younger generation. ... A drop bear (or dropbear) is a mythical Australian marsupial supposedly related to the koala. ... Binomial name Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817) The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a thickset arboreal marsupial herbivore native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae. ...

A common tale was that the bite of a goanna was infused with a powerful incurable venom. Every year after the bite (or every seven years), the wound would flare up again. For many years it was generally believed by herpetologists that goannas were nonvenomous, and that lingering illness from their bites was due solely to infection and septicaemia as a result of their saliva being rife with bacteria from carrion and other food sources. However, in 2005 researchers at the University of Melbourne announced that oral venom glands had been found in both goannas and iguanas.[1] It has been suggested that Snake poison be merged into this article or section. ... Infection is also the title of an episode of the television series Babylon 5, and the English title of the Japanese film Kansen. ... Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις) is a serious medical condition caused by a severe systemic infection leading to a systemic inflammatory response. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... The Old Quad Building, formerly Old Law The University of Melbourne, located in Melbourne, Victoria, is the second oldest university in Australia, after the University of Sydney. ...

Because the goanna regularly eats snakes (often involving a fierce struggle between the two), they are often said to be immune to snake venom. The goanna does eat venomous snakes, but no evidence found suggests actual poison immunity. Other stories say the lizard eats a legendary plant, or from a healing spring which neutralises the poison. This is immortalised in Banjo Patterson's humorous poem Johnson's Antidote. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... In a medical sense, immunity is a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. ... Banjo Paterson. ...

Possibly related to the above poison immunity, goanna fat or oil has been anectdotally imbued with mystical healing properties. Said to be a cure-all for all sorts of ailments, and possessing amazing powers of penetration (passing through glass as if it were not there), it was sold amongst early settlers like snake oil in the Old West of North America. Clark Stanleys Snake Oil Liniment. ... Great Basin region, typical American West The Western United States has played a significant role in history and fiction. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Species

For the most part, in common names, "goanna" and "monitor" are interchangeable.

1. Perentie – Varanus giganteus
2. Lace monitor – Varanus varius
3. Sand goanna – Varanus gouldii (also Gould's goanna or ground goanna)
4. Mertens' water monitor – Varanus mertensi
5. Spiny-tailed goanna – Varanus acanthurus (also ridge-tailed monitor)
6. Mangrove goanna – Varanus semiremex
7. Timor tree monitor – Varanus timorensis (also Timor monitor)
8. Mournful tree monitor – Varanus tristis
9. Short-tailed monitor – Varanus brevicuda
10. Racehorse goanna
11. Black-tailed goanna
12. Rosenberg's goanna – Varanus rosenbergi

Binomial name Varanus giganteus (Gray, 1845) The Perentie is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia. ... Binomial name Varanus varius (Shaw, 1790) Lace Monitor climbing a tree The Lace Monitor, or Lace Goanna, Varanus varius, is a member of the monitor lizard family, Australian members of which are commonly known as goannas. ...

References

• Cogger, H. (1967). Australian Reptiles in Colour. Sydney: A. H. & A. W. Reed, ISBN 0-589-07012-6
• Underhill, D. (1993). Australia's Dangerous Creatures. Sydney: Reader's Digest. ISBN 0-86438-018-6

External links

• Johnson's Antidote by Banjo Patterson.