The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-10-01
LOTS OF LIZARDS AND SNAKES.
Saurians Found in Tasmania - The
"Blue-Tongued" Lizard In Com
bat with n Snake.

We are rich in lizards in Tasmania;
they abound everywhere, summing
themselves on the tree trunks, crawl
ing over the stumps, running about the
garden and occasionally investigating
domestic affairs Of the house. They
are mostly quick, lively little fellows
with brown skins diversified with black,
and eyes as bright as diamonds. Then
there are the 'blood-suckers," ashy
gray lizards with irregular black mark
ings upon the back, and covered with
spiny projections; most people are
rather afraid Of them, and they do look
very ferocious when annoyed, for they
open their mouths with a cape like a
crockodile, as II It would give them
great pleasure TO swallow us whole.
The death adder" is another lizard
that grows to a good size, and is very
prettily marked; 1t is much dreaded in
the bush for its supposed poisonous
properties, and the most dreadful tales
are told Of its eDvenomed attacks.
Probably the idea has arisen through
the snakelike appearance OF this sau-
rian as 1t glides through the heritage,
Its body being very long and slender
and the legs comparatively short.
The largest Of all our lizards, how
ever, Is the "blue-tongued," a stout,
formidable looking fellow clad In yell
low and black suit Of plate armor and
much given to lying about the bush
roads and tracks asleep in the sun,
when one a often step over him, even
on horseback, without disturbing his
slumbers. This h~eaviness of DISPOSE
ton has earned for our stolid friend an
other name-Ae sleeping lizard"-
while from his ~fondness for taking up
residence in the holes Of dry stumps
he Is also known as the stump lizard"
Finally, his nickname among the bush
folk as %"goanner," a corruption evil
IDENTIFY OF "iguana," TO which family,
however, he bears no esemblance, being
a non-climber and Of a thick. stout
build. Now this "blue-tonguedp lizard,
the Tiliqua n%igrolutea of ~naturalists,
deserves good treatment at the hands
Of the bushman on ccoun of one very
interesting popularity which it mani
tests in common with the lord of ere.
atiou-namely TO its great antipathy to
snakes. In Tasmania il takes the place
Of that noted cobra destroyer, the In
dian mongoose, and ill-adapted as II
would at first appear to encounter such
foes, yet 1t generally comes off the VIC
tor.
We spoke just now of the heavy,
stolid disposition of our black-and-yel-
low knight, but let a nice, medium.
sized snake heave into sight and all Is
changed. The sleepiness disappears as
If by magic, and every nerve seems on
the alert, every sinew toughened "a
meet the enemy. This latter has eyi.
IDENTIFY mo stomach for fight" and
would straight depart" but his assall.
ant bars the way and forces an en-.
counter. Then quick as lightning the
snake makes a dart, but our friend
lodges with practiced skill, and gets
In" q bite himself. So they go on, dart
ing and lodging and savagely swapping
at each other, the snake getting tn,
worst Of II all the time, and soon ex
hibiting ~unmlstakable signs Of being
played out. Now is the "goanner's'
ccnortunity; with a quick. dcxteruu.