You can learn a great deal about wary unobservable species such as Varanus in this way. It is an incredible thrill when the track suddenly becomes the magnificent animal, captured in mid-stride and frozen in time. More often than not, however, before you see it, the animal breaks into a run and dives down a hole or climbs up a tree and escapes into a hollow. The track of a running animal is often harder to follow than that of one walking. Statements about Varanus eremius to follow are based upon impressions I have gained while following literally hundreds of kilometers of eremius tracks on foot.
Individuals usually cover great distances when foraging.
I have often followed a fresh track for distances of up to a kilometer. These pygmy monitors are attracted to fresh holes and diggings of any sort, and will often visit any man-made digging within a few days after it is made. In contrast to V. gouldi , V. eremius do not dig for their prey, but rather rely upon catching it above ground. More than once, I have noted an eremius track intercept the track of another smaller lizard with evidence of an ensuing tussle. Once, while stalking a small skink, my ex-wife Helen actually observed an eremius attack another lizard from ambush.