Sand goanna.html



Sand goanna
Gould's Monitor or Sand Goanna in the Chace Range, South Australia.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Squamata Family: Varanidae Genus: Varanus Species: V. gouldii
Binomial name
Varanus gouldii (Gray, 1838)

The Sand goanna is a large Australian monitor lizard - also known as Gould's monitor.

The name sand monitor can be used to describe many different species. The Gould's monitor is a terrestrial or "ground-dwelling" reptile that excavates large burrows for shelter. Rock escarpments and tree hollows are also suitable dwellings. Varanus gouldii inhabits a vast range throughout Australia. The Gould's monitor reaches an average length of 140 cm (4.6 ft) and can weigh as much as 6 kg (13 lb). They can be found in Northern and Eastern Australia where they inhabit open woodlands and grasslands. Varanus flavirufus, a similar species resides in Australia's interior. There are some places however where the ranges of Gould's, Flavirufus and Argus monitors overlap. The similarities between the species and their close proximity frequently cause confusion.

The Gould's monitor is a relentless forager. It is diurnal so most of its activities take place during the day. Anything smaller than itself will be eagerly devoured. The diet of hatchlings and juveniles often consists mostly of insects and small lizards but generally varies more with age. Adult monitors will prey on mice, large insects, small agamids and geckoes, smaller varanids, snakes, and carrion. The Gould's monitor does consume smaller species of monitor. Ackies, Rock Monitors and other dwarf species are often found and eaten. It is common to see a Gould's disturbing rock piles in an attempt to flush out any odatria.

References

• Cogger, H. (1967). Australian Reptiles in Colour. Sydney: A. H. & A. W. Reed, ISBN 0-589-07012-6
• King, Dennis & Green, Brian. 1999. Goannas: The Biology of Varanid Lizards. University of New South Wales Press. ISBN 0-86840-456-X
• Brian Bush, Brad Maryan, Robert Browne-Cooper and David Robinson,(1995) A guide to the reptiles and frogs of the Perth region, Nedlands. UWA Press. ISBN 1875560424

Sand monitor walking tracks in sand.

This lizard article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This Australia-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.