Sand goanna

Gould's monitor lizard ( Varanus gouldii )

The Gould's monitor lizard ( Varanus gouldii ) is a large lizard from Australia and South New Guinea. He is 1.40 meters long, the head-body length is a maximum of 67 cm in males and 43 cm in females. The animals can reach a weight of 5 kg.

Three subspecies are distinguished:

• V. gouldii gouldii, lives in the far north of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, as well as on some islands off Australia 's north coast.
• V. gouldii hornii occurs in southern New Guinea.
• V. gouldii rubidus, lives in central Western Australia.

The populations on the islands of the Torres Strait have been assigned to any subtype.

Way of life

V. gouldii gouldii lives primarily in rivers, mangroves and on the sea coast and is rarely encountered more than 200 meters from the nearest water away. His self-dug burrows he often made ​​on the slopes dried out rivers. V. gouldii rubidus lives in much drier areas. He digs caves in the ground, which can be 1.30 meters deep. His life, like that of V. gouldii hornii largely unknown.

Nutrition

Gould's monitor lizard feeds on small mammals, birds, small reptiles (snakes, skinks, agamid, Small monitor lizards ), the eggs of birds, lizards and turtles, frogs and crabs from. On occasion, it will also eat carrion, even on carcasses of larger animals such as kangaroos.

Reproduction

Gould's Waran propagates in the rainy season. The only clutches per year covers a maximum of 11 to 13 eggs. In a captive breeding the Jungwarane hatched at an incubation temperature of 28 ° C after 210-229 days and were then already 30 inches long. In V. gouldii gouldii, however, a length of 10.5 inches was specified for the hatchlings.

With his tongue sticking out

Gould's monitor lizard in the Murray - Sunset National Park

Gould's Waran darker