Australian Goannas (Australian Monitor Lizards) I also have photos of the different species ... ...and even a few videos to watch. What Do Goannas Look Like? Goannas or monitor lizards are a common sight in Australia. There are over 20 different species, adapted to different habitats, and interestingly they all look very similar. You can see that in the photos on this page and also in the videos below. But there is a big difference in their size. The largest Australian monitor lizard, the Perentie, can be over two metres long. Its tiny relative, the short-tailed monitor, reaches all of 20 cm. All goannas are dark (grey, olive or brown) and most of them show a pattern of lighter coloured (grey, white or yellow) spots, rings, blotches or stripes. Those patterns vary between the species, but also between younger monitors and adult lizards. Another common characteristic is the loose skin on a goanna's neck. It makes the neck look bigger than the head. If a monitor lizard feels threatened they can puff up those flaps so they look more dangerous. What Do Goannas Eat?

Most goannas are rather large for a lizard, and they all have sharp teeth and long claws. Monitor lizards are predators. They forage and hunt for lizards, snakes, insects, birds and eggs and even small mammals, and they often dig them out of their shelters and nests. They're not fussy about what they eat, anything they can grab and overpower will do, and they also eat dead and rotting things. Like snakes the goannas can unhinge their lower jaw to help them swallow bigger prey. It's impressive to see what size meals they can swallow whole. And if the food is there they will just keep eating. Watching them makes you think they must have bottomless guts. The two videos below illustrate that very well. The first goanna video shows a baby Lace Monitor. Unfortunately you can't see very well how it catches the other lizard, but the details of how it swallows its prey are great. The second video features a fully grown Argus Monitor (Varanus panoptes), demonstrating what I said above about how they just keep eating. Watch him devour rat after rat after rat... Return to top Goanna Behaviour Monitor lizards are mostly terrestrial (except for water monitors).

They live on the ground, they find their food on the ground, and they dig an unbelievable amount of holes. They dig holes when searching for food, they dig holes to lay their eggs in, and they dig huge burrows to shelter in. (Can you imagine the size of the burrow system of a four feet goanna? In your garden? One day I'll break an ankle stepping into one of their holes...) Goannas can rear up on their hind legs. Sometimes they do it to scare off attackers. They also fight in this way. But mostly I see them stand up when they hear/notice anything suspicious, to look around for threats (in those cases that would have been me...). Goannas can run very fast over short distances, sometimes using their hind legs only. They are very good tree climbers, and that is what they will often run for. You may have heard stories that if there aren't any trees the goanna will use you instead and tear shreds of you. (Aussies love to scare tourists with horror stories about what our animals might do to you.) If the goanna has room to run it'll run away from you.

Of course, if you corner it or try to catch and wrestle it you might find out just how sharp these teeth and claws really are. Goannas get used to humans quickly. All my photos on this page were taken very close to my veranda. I have a few sand monitors living here, and they don't take much notice of me any more... If you travel anywhere in the Australian Outback you are highly likely to see goannas in the wild. They are most active during the day, and many goanna species like to hang around water courses and rock pools, lazing and sun basking, just like we do... Some common goanna species The Komodo Dragon The best known monitor lizard is the biggest species, the Komodo Dragon. Interestingly, there is also a dragon family of lizards in Australia (the Agamidae), but the Komodo Dragon isn't a dragon, it's a monitor (family Varanidae). You can see the Komodo Dragons in Australia, but only in zoos. They are not native to Australia. The two zoos that display Komodo Dragons are the Australia Zoo and the Taronga Zoo.

The Perentie The Perentie (Varanus giganteus) is the biggest Australian monitor lizard. It can grow to over two metres. Perenties live in the dry regions of inland Australia and particularly like rocky country. Perenties look, eat and live just like I described above for goannas in general. Something I didn't mention is hibernation. Perenties (and other goannas) hibernate during the cold time of the year, from about May to August. Despite its huge the size the Perentie is a rather shy lizard, and it is not a common sight. But some people get lucky. Here is a page that has some beautiful photos of a wild Perentie . The Water Monitor Water monitors (Varanus salvator) are the second biggest lizards in the world, but they aren't native to Australia. The Australian water monitors are smaller. There are two kinds, the Mertens Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi), and the Mitchell Water Monitor (Varanus mitchelli). The Mertens Water Monitor, which is quite common, grows to 4 feet in length. The uncommon Mitchell Water Monitor is smaller, about two and a half feet (70 centimetres).

Both live in northern Australia near creeks, swamps, lagoons and other bodies of water. Water monitors are excellent swimmers and can stay under water for several minutes. Most of their food comes from the water - fish, frogs, crabs, shrimps and similar - but they also find some on land, like reptile eggs and insects. Unlike other goannas a water monitor will not run, but rather slide into the water when disturbed or threatened. The Sand Monitor The Sand Monitor, sometimes called Goulds Monitor or Goulds Goanna, is the most common Australian goanna. Another name sometimes used for them is Racehorse Goanna. There are several species and subspecies, and there is some taxonomic confusion, so I'll just keep it simple and throw them all together as Sand Monitors. These large goannas are plentiful just about anywhere, except for the extreme south and south east of Australia. Sand monitors are the most terrestrial of all goannas. They only climb trees to escape trouble. Sand monitors are equipped with longer legs and bigger feet than most goannas and are particularly good diggers. They seem to get a lot of their food from below the ground.

And here is an interesting tidbit of information regarding the goannas in the north. One of their favourite food sources is crocodile eggs. In fact, over 90% of crocodile eggs never hatch due to the insatiable goannas. Now that the toxic cane toads are wiping out goannas across the north the crocodile population is expected to explode. Let's see... The Lace Monitor The Lace Goanna or Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) is the second largest Australian goanna and can grow to two metres. Its range is restricted to eastern Australia, where it is found from Melbourne in the far south all the way up to Cape York in the north. If a Lace Monitor feels threatened it will definitely race for the nearest tree. They generally spend a fair bit of their time in large trees, so much so that some people call them tree goannas. They are believed to eat more birds and eggs than other goannas. But they are good runners, burrowers and swimmers as well. Like other goannas they hunt and forage for their food on the ground.

Goanna Skip to content Goanna Goanna is the name given to any of the various Australian monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Asia. There are around 20 species of goanna, 15 of which are endemic 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. Traditionally, it formed an important part the diet of many Aboriginal peoples. 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. Goannas prey on all manner of small animals; insects, lizards, snakes, mammals, birds, eggs. Meals are often eaten whole, and thus the size of their meal may depend on humans the size of the animal itself, although all species are scavengers and will readily eat animals as large as cattle and camels. 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 are attracted to rotting meat. 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. 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. 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.

Habitats Goannas are found throughout most of Australia 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 thin layer of soil to be free. As well as sandy plains, some goannas live in rocky outcrops and cliffs, often having special adaptations 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 best-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. 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 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 throats and emit a harsh hissing noise. 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. The debate whether goannas are venomous or not is growing. Previously it was thought that incessant bleeding caused by goanna-bites were the result of bacterial infection.

Recent studies suggest that monitor lizards (including goannas) are venomous and have oral toxin-producing glands. 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. Alarmed goannas can mistake standing humans for trees and attempt to climb off the ground to safety, which is understandably painful, as well distressing for both man and beast. It should be noted that goannas are a protected species throughout Australia for all non-indigenous people. 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.

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. 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 drinks from a healing spring which neutralises the poison. This is immortalised in Banjo Paterson's humorous poem Johnson's Antidote. Possibly related to the above poison immunity, goanna fat or oil has been anectdotally imbued with mystical healing properties.

Aborigines traditionally used goanna oil as an important bush medicine,and it also became a common medicine among whites in Australia's early days. Said to be a cure-all for all sorts of ailments, and possessing amazing powers of penetration (passing through metal as if it were not there), it was sold amongst early settlers like snake oil in the Old West of North America. Diet The diet of goannas varies greatly depending on the species and the habitat. Many of the small species feed mostly on insects, with some being small lizard specialists. Many of the medium to large species will feed on whatever prey items they can catch. This includes eggs, fish (V.Mertensi), birds, snails, lizards, snakes, marsupials, and rodents. All species are carrion eaters and will feed on the carcasses of dead animals. Possible origins of the name The name Goanna might have been derived from iguana, as early European settlers likened goannas to the South American lizards. Another possibility is that the name might have been derived from the South African term for a monitor lizard Leguaan (as the Cape of Good Hope was a popular refresher stop for immigrant ships to Australia from Britain).

Hey all you budding Photographers! Have you taken a great photo of a Goanna? If you have - send it into This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . If we think the picture is good enough to put up on our website - we will! And we promise to credit the photographer too! Because we pride ourselves on our images on this website, we will only put up high quality clear and detailed shots. And don't forget - they must be yours! Australian Animals - Tourism Australia Load More Mammals Australia’s mammalian wildlife is unique from the rest of the world. The dingo, or wild dog, is our largest carnivorous mammal, while the numbat, quoll and Tasmanian devil are each generally the size of an average house cat. Dingoes can be found all around Australia, except for Tasmania, and the best places to spot them include Queensland’s Fraser Island , the Kimberley in Western Australia and across the deserts of the Northern Territory and South Australia. Numbats are found only in Western Australia and the Tasmanian devil can only be seen in wildlife parks or in the Tasmanian wilderness.

Endangered quolls are difficult to spot in the wild, but inhabit the wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, and a small area of northern Queensland. The bilby can be seen in Francois Peron National Park in Western Australia. Marsupials Australia has more than 140 species of marsupials, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and wombats. Our 55 different native species of kangaroos and wallabies vary greatly in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram (1 pound) to 90 (198.4 pounds) kilograms. Come face to face with kangaroos and wallabies in Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks in the Australian Alps , Pebbly Beach in New South Wales and Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park . Despite popular belief, our native koala is not a bear. Spot koalas at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve near Canberra, Port Stephens in New South Wales and the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Queensland. The wombat is another creature you’ll find here – a stout, burrowing animal that can weigh up to 36 kilograms (79.4 pounds).

Some of the best places to see them in the wild are the Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales, Wilsons Promontory in Victoria and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania. Monotremes Another animal group found only in Australia is the monotremes, or egg-laying mammals. The most distinctive is the platypus, a river-dwelling animal with a bill like a duck, a furry waterproof body and webbed feet. Platypuses live in burrows, which they dig into the banks of rivers. They are difficult to spot, but your best chance to see them is in small streams and calm rivers along the east coast, such as the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve near Canberra, Lake Elizabeth in Victoria’s Great Otway National Park and in northern New South Wales and Queensland. The echidna, otherwise known as the spiny anteater, is another of Australia’s monotremes. It has a prickly coat like a hedgehog or porcupine – so don’t try to pick one up! Kangaroo Island is one of the best places to spot them in the wild.

Birds We have more than 800 species of birds in Australia, and about half cannot be found anywhere else. They range from tiny honeyeaters to the large, flightless emu, which stands nearly two metres (6.6 feet) tall. See cassowaries in our tropical rainforest, kookaburras in our open woodlands and emus in sclerophyll forests and savanna woodlands. Get up close to penguins on Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Philip Island in Victoria , or hear the winter call of the lyrebirds in Wollumbin National Park and in the Gondwana Rainforests in southeast Queensland. There are 55 species of parrots in Australia, including a spectacular variety of cockatoos, rosellas, lorikeets, cockatiels, parakeets and budgerigars, which are seen in rural and urban areas. Reptiles Australia has more venomous snakes than any other continent, 21 of the world’s 25 deadliest in fact. But not all are poisonous, and we also have some stunning pythons and tree snakes.

We are famous for our crocodiles, and host two different species, the freshwater crocodile, which is found nowhere else in the world, and the estuarine crocodile (also known as the saltwater crocodile). The Kimberley, Kakadu National Park and Cape York Peninsula are excellent places to see crocodiles in their natural habitat. Of the seven species of marine turtles in the world, six can be found here including the flatback turtle, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, leatherback turtle, loggerhead turtle and olive ridley turtle. The best spots to see turtles are Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia and Eco Beach in Broome . We also have an amazing array of lizards, ‘dragons’ and goannas (monitor lizards), such as the spectacular frilled-neck lizard and bearded dragon. Thorny devils can be found in Western Australia’s desert habitats, Shark Bay, Carnarvon and Exmouth. Marine animals Our marine environments support around 4,000 of the world’s 22,000 types of fish, as well as 30 of the world’s 58 seagrass species.

We also have the world’s largest coral reef system, the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef , where there are countless species of colourful fish, including the beautiful clownfish seen in Finding Dory. We also have around 1,700 different species of coral. Larger marine species include the humpback, southern right and orca whales, the dugong (or manatee), several dolphin species and a number of different sharks. Catch a glimpse of the whales during their migration along the east coast from May to November, or swim with gentle whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Kangaroo Island is one of the best places to see beautiful Australian fur seals in the wild. More On Australian Animals Top 10 Australian Mythical Creatures & Cryptids Posted by Shell Harris on October 8, 2010 in Animals | 60,932 Views | 18 Responses With one of the world’s most unique environments and ecosystems, is it any wonder that Australia is full of strange and mythical creatures? While they may not be as famous as their European or Asian counterparts, Australia has their fare share of cryptids, creatures from folklore , and mythological beasts.

Many are derived from Aboriginal culture while others are more modern in origin. But whatever their source, they represent some of the strangest, and most fascinating, legendary creatures in the world. So here are ten of Australia’s most fantastic and incredible mythical creatures, in alphabetic order. A word of caution: many of these creatures are derived from the traditions of Aboriginal Dreamtime. To understand them, the reader must have a decent understanding of what the Aboriginal Dreamtime is. The only problem is that it can be quite difficult to understand. So here’s a quote from Peter Weir’s The Last Wave (1977) to help sum it up: Aboriginals believe in two forms of time; two parallel streams of activity. One is the daily objective activity, the other is an infinite spiritual cycle called the ‘dreamtime’, more real than reality itself. Whatever happens in the dreamtime establishes the values, symbols, and laws of Aboriginal society. It was believed that some people of unusual spiritual powers had contact with the dreamtime. Basically, the Dreamtime is a sacred era of time in Australian Aboriginal mythology.

It is a kind of “time before time” wherein the universe was created, mankind was created, and the Creators laid down the rules for how humans should interact with themselves and their environments. During the Dreamtime, the Ancestor Spirits came to earth and gave birth to the land, plants, animals, and humans. Afterwards they turned into other objects, such as animals and geologic locations such as hills. If you are still confused, the topic of the Aboriginal Dreamtime is further discussed and detailed here on the internet. 10. Bunyip One of the most famous Australian monsters is the Bunyip, a creature that lives in or near bodies of water such as creeks, pools, and swamps. There are supposedly as many as nine regional variations of bunyips scattered throughout Aboriginal Australia. Because it is so widely known in so many different cultures , there is no real consensus concerning what a bunyip looks like. But some common characteristics include tusks, flippers, and a horse-like tail. It is believed that they come out at night to feast on animals, young children, and women. It supposedly makes a loud bellow when approached. It is sometimes argued that they harbor supernatural powers.

Originally, they were punishing spirits derived from the Aboriginal Dreamtime. But today they have been toned down and are included in literature for children and even make appearances in television commercials. There is a long list of supposed sightings of bunyips. Some of the most recent and concentrated sightings were during the 1930s in the midst of the Depression. One possible theory for the existence of the bunyip is that they are diprotodon, which went extinct about 20,000 years ago. 9. Dirawong The first Dreamtime creature to appear on this list, the Dirawong is a goanna (an Australian monitor lizard) Creator Being that departed knowledge and protection to the Bundjalung Nation. Comprised of 15 Aboriginal tribes, the Bundjalung believe that the Dirawong shared with them the knowledge of medicine, bush foods, astronomy, law, and cultural traditions such as dances, head gear, body designs, and songs. The Dirawong is supposed to resemble a Megalania prisca, a 7-10 meters long goanna that went extinct around 40,000 years ago.

In addition to teaching the Bundjalung how to live and survive, the Dirawong is eternally engaged in a battle with the Creator Being known as the Rainbow Snake. The Dirawong once engaged in an epic battle with the Rainbow Snake when it had misbehaved. The resulting struggle resulted in the creation of parts of the Richmond River, Snake Island, and Pelican Island. At the end of the struggle, the Rainbow Snake made it to the ocean and became an island, supposedly New Zealand. When the Dirawong caught up with the Rainbow Snake, he laid down facing the sea to guard against its return. The Goanna Headland at Evans Head, New South Wales is believed to be the Dirawong’s physical body. The Dirawong is also believed to be associated with rain. In the Goanna Headland there is a rain cave where the Elders of the Bundjalung Nation used to go and conduct ceremonies for rain. The Dirawong continues to this day to be an important influence to the Bundjalung people. In 1985, sixteen hectares of the Goanna Headland became the first aboriginal land grant in New South Wales.

The legend and history of the Dirawong is a fascinating one and can be further explored . 8. Drop Bear respectfully borrowed from DARKMITE8 The best description of a drop bear is to liken them to giant carnivorous koalas. They are said to live in the tops of eucalyptus and gum trees and hunt by dropping from trees onto the heads of their victims, knocking them unconscious, and then devouring them. They are equipped with sharp teeth and razor-like claws. It is said that they prefer to hunt at night and are not afraid of attacking creatures that are much larger than them. In all likeliness, they are fake creatures that were invented with the sole purpose of scaring tourists and outsiders. Children are frequently told stories of the deadly koala cousins and how they should avoid them. There are some utterly absurd methods of deterring them, like spreading toothpaste or vegemite behind your ears and your neck. Although the best method of protecting oneself from a drop bear attack is to hold a screwdriver above one’s head. If a drop bear attacks, it will accidentally impale itself on the tool. Campers beware! The drop bears are out to get you! 7.

The Hawkesbury River Monster In New South Wales lies the Hawkesbury River, home to one of Australia’s strangest cryptids. The beast, known simply as the Hawkesbury River Monster, is a kind of aquatic lizard, much like the Loch Ness Monster of Scotland. Descriptions of the creature liken it to the prehistoric plesiosaur, extinct for 70 million years. Sightings report that it is between 7 and 24 meters long. It supposedly has two sets of flippers and a lengthy, snakelike neck and head. The monster was first heard of by settlers in the 1800s, although there is Aboriginal rock art over 3-4000 years old in the area that describes the creature. The settlers were told stories by the Aboriginals of woman and children being attacked by the moolyewonk or mirreeular, both of them Aboriginal names for the monster that lurks in the river. Much like its Scottish cousin, the Hawkesbury River Monster has gained significant attention from the scientific world. Many hunters and crytozoologists have spent decades trying to locate and/or catch the monster .

There have been hundreds of reported sightings, so the odds are the monster hunters will be scouring the area for many years to come. 6. Muldjewangk ha! Deep in the Murray River of South Australia lurks a terrible race of creatures known as the muldjewangk. Details on the creature vary. Some say that they are a race of merfolk. Others say that it is a single giant monster. But one thing is constant: you don’t want to mess with them. Supposedly hiding under clumps of floating seaweed, the muldjewangk destroy fishing nets and disturb those who are foolish enough to enter their territory. Though some local elders claim that the muldjewangk no longer exist, they still thrive in stories told to naughty children to keep them from playing by the river after dark. 5. Rainbow Serpent The Rainbow Serpent is one of the most important Creator Beings in the entirety of Aboriginal Dreamtime mythology. It believed that the worship of the Rainbow Serpent represents the world’s oldest continuous religious tradition. The Rainbow Serpent (or Rainbow Snake) is a common motif and character in Aboriginal art and mythology.

The stories of the Rainbow Serpent vary from region to region, explaining why it can be worshipped as a Creator Being in most of Australia, but also as an antagonist by the Bundjalung Nation. George Caloupka, the biggest authority of Arnhem Land rock art, writes: The belief in the Rainbow Snake, a personification of fertility, increase (richness in propagation of plants and animals) and rain, is common throughout Australia. It is a creator of human beings, having life-giving powers that send conception spirits to all the waterholes. It is responsible for regenerating rains, and also for storms and floods when it acts as an agent of punishment against those who transgress the law or upset it in any way. In Dreamtime mythology, the Rainbow Serpent slept beneath the ground until the time of creation. At that time, it awoke and pushed its way to the surface, creating ridges, mountains, and gorges in the process. Since then, the Rainbow Serpent inhabits permanent waterholes and controls water. Like the Dirawong, the mythology behind the Rainbow Serpent is incredibly complex and fascinating. A beautiful rendition of the Rainbow Serpent’s role in the Aboriginal creation myth can be read here . 4.

Tiddalik The Tiddalik is a character in Aboriginal Dreamtime mythology. While not a Creator Being like the Dirawong and the Rainbow Serpent, the Tiddalik still plays an important role in Aboriginal folklore. Although tales of the Tiddalik are widespread, they actually are all derived from the Aboriginal people of South Gippsland, Victoria. The Tiddalik is a giant Water-holding Frog that once drank all of the world’s fresh water. When everything began to die of thirst, the other creatures devised a plan to make Tiddalik laugh, thereby releasing all of the water in his mouth. Many creatures tried to make him laugh, but all failed until Nabunum the eel danced and twisted himself into knots before him. Laughing, Tiddalik released the water, refilling the world’s lakes, swamps, and rivers. While this restored water to the world, it also had the adverse effect of causing a massive environmental disaster. The ensuing flood resulted in many creatures drowning and being stranded on different islands. In modern times, the story has been cleaned up so as to give it a happy ending.

The Tiddalik has gone on to transcend its Aboriginal roots by becoming a popular character in children’s books. 3. Wagyl The last Dreamtime creature to appear on this list, the Wagyl is a snakelike Creator Being. Don’t confuse it with the Rainbow Serpent for they are two different creatures. While the Rainbow Serpent created the universe and humans, the Wagyl was assigned with creating and protecting rivers, lakes, springs, and wildlife. Much like the Dirawong, the Wagyl is believed to have a physical body here on earth. The Wagyl’s body is made up of the Darling Scarp, a low escarpment to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. It is said that as the Wagyl slithered over the land, he carved out the paths of rivers. Whenever he stopped to rest, his body created bays and lakes. His scraped off scales become forests and woodlands while his droppings became piles of rocks. Strongly associated with rivers, the Wagyl is said to be personally responsible for the creation of the Swan and Canning Rivers and the other waterways around Perth and south-west Western Australia.

The Noongar people believe that they were assigned by the Wagyl as the guardians of the land. 2. Yara-ma-yha-who Measuring in at four feet tall and sporting bright red skin, the yara-ma-yha-who may not look like much. But in reality it is one of the most fascinating creatures in all of legendary Australia. Much like the aforementioned drop bear, the yara-ma-yha-who is a carnivorous creature that lives in the trees and feeds on those unfortunate enough to pass below them. The difference is that the yara-ma-yha-who has one of the strangest methods of consuming its prey in all of folk lore. When a yara-ma-yha-who spots its prey, it will jump down on top of them and suck most of its blood. It uses octopus-like suckers on the ends if its fingers and toes to hold on while it feeds. After the victim is sufficiently weakened, but still alive, from blood loss, the yara-ma-yha-who will swallow them whole. After falling asleep, the yara-ma-yha-who will then regurgitate its victim. Upon waking, they will swallow the victim again.

The process of eat-and-regurgitate will continue over and over again until the victim, who is usually alive throughout the entire process, becomes a new yara-ma-yha-who. 1. Yowie The yowie is a hominid cryptid in the same tradition of the North American Bigfoot and the Himalayan Yeti. The first known recorded account of the yowie appears as early as 1876, but they have apparently been a part of Aboriginal folklore since a much earlier time. They can stand up to six or seven feet tall with bodies covered in black or brown fur. Although they are bipedal creatures, they have been reported as running on all fours. They are most commonly reported in New South Wales, the Gold Coast of Queensland, and in the bush country of the Moehau Range. There have even been reports of sightings in the North Auckland and West Coast areas of New Zealand. They have been sighted as recently as 1997 when a woman living in the Tanimi Desert was awoken at 3 a.m. by a seven foot tall creature covered in hair. The police discovered gigantic footprints and a shredded irrigation pipe on the scene.

There are various theories concerning the truth about the yowie. One of the most popular was put forward by self-proclaimed archeo-cryptozoologist Rex Gilroy. Gilroy argues that the yowie may be the remnants of an extinct ape species or even a less evolved version of homo sapiens. list by Nathaneal Hood “Creator Being that departed knowledge and protection to the” Pretty sure you don’t mean “departed”. IMparted? LOL sold the idea of right and left handed sheep to kiwis Hee hee sheep who walk clockwise or counterclockwise around hills have shorter legs one side Reptile - Australian Goannas Australian Goannas Emerald Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus) The Emerald Tree Monitor is a small to medium sized arboreal monitor lizard. The body colour is many shades of green to turquoise, with darker bands across the body. The tail is prehensile tail to help it live in trees. It uses its long forked... Click to continue> Gould's Monitor (Varanus gouldii) Gould's Monitor varies considerably in colour and pattern. The back varies from brown to greenish-grey to almost black, with scattered flecks and spots of lighter colours.

These spots are arranged in irregular bands. Sometimes it has light cream or... Click to continue> Heath Monitor (Varanus rosenbergii) The Heath Monitor is similar to the Lace Monitor but usually darker with less distinct pattern and usually has plain dark tail tip (as opposed to banded like Lace Monitor). Young ones have orange and grey pattern on head and body. Click to continue> Australian Goannas - Evolution and Radiation - Australian Museum About us Australian Goannas - Evolution and Radiation Goannas, or monitors as they are known elsewhere in the world, are a very distinctive group of lizards. Goannas evolved in the northern hemisphere in the Upper Cretaceous Period about 90 million years ago. Lace Monitor, head Photographer: RWG Jenkins © Australian Museum Goannas, or monitors as they are known elsewhere in the world, are a very distinctive group of lizards. They range in size from the diminutive Australian Short-tailed Pygmy Monitor Varanus brevicauda (total length of 25 cm), to the largest lizard living today, the 3 metre-long Komodo Dragon of Indonesia, Varanus komodoensis. There are 69 living species of goanna and most of them are carnivores.

Goannas find their food by searching widely across the landscape, catching animals by stalking or digging them out of shelters and nests. They are aided in their search for food by their long forked tongues which they flick in and out, picking up chemicals in the air and on the ground. Goannas then "read" these chemicals with a special organ in the roof of the mouth. Goannas evolved in the northern hemisphere in the Upper Cretaceous Period about 90 million years ago. However, in the Miocene Epoch, about 15 million years ago, goannas moved south into Africa and Australia. In Africa, only a few species evolved, but in Australia, goannas evolved into roughly 28 species of which at least one is extinct (Varanus priscus, a giant species which grew to more than 6 m in length). Goannas may have evolved in such profusion in Australia because, when they arrived, there were relatively few medium-sized carnivores competing for the same resources. Africa, however, had a large number of medium-sized carnivores, especially mammals in the dog and weasel families.

One of the most distinctive features of the evolution of goannas in Australia is that their size range is enormous but their body shape has changed very little over time. The scarcity of competitors provided goannas with an evolutionary opportunity: to stick with one way of making a living and apply it over a range of sizes rather than changing the way of making a living within the same size range. Words to know: ENDEMIC - native to one area or continent only. UPPER CRETACEOUS PERIOD - approximately 97 - 65 million years ago. MIOCENE EPOCH - approximately 23 - 5 million years ago. RADIATION - the evolution of a species into new and different species as a result of adaptations to the environment. Allen Greer Goanna an Australian Animal Home | Teaching Tools | PET | Resources | Educational Games | Contact us | Site Map | Support | Shopping cart | Goannas are Australia's biggest lizards. The Perentie is the largest of the goannas; it grows up to about 1.6 metres (or 7 feet), but some grow to 2 metres long. They are found in the Central and Northern Australian desert areas.

The common goanna, tree goanna and the lace monitor are widely spread through Australia and grow to a length of 6 feet. There are many types of goannas. They have black spots on a yellow belly. When they are threatened they usually prefer to run away than fight. They have about 249-290 scales around the middle of the body. Their tail is long, strong and at the base it is very thick. Their tails are about 1.3 times longer than their head and body. Habitat: Ground dwelling lizard which inhabits deep crevices and burrows in rocky and sandy areas. They eat insects, reptiles, birds, small mammals and carrion. Scientific name: Varanus giganteus. Mark David | Lizard bites mdavid.com.au Lizard bite: getting more than you bargained for People say animals are stupid. But after seeing a father proudly watching his kids teasing a wild goanna, I’m thinking it’s the humans that should be smarter. Goannas and other large lizards are capable of a really nasty bite and that dad was letting his kids take a big risk.

Monitor Lizard Goannas, dragons and monitor lizards are known for lots of things, but oral hygiene isn’t one of them. These amazing critters feed on all sorts of stuff, including the rotting flesh of dead animals. And they don’t floss. So their mouths develop into breeding grounds for many types of dangerous bacteria capable of causing dreadful infections if one bites you. What about feeding them? There are lots of reasons why I’m not a fan of the idea of feeding wild animals: It leads to the animals depending on you. It fills them up with an unbalanced diet. Things like bread might be poisonous to them (that surprises most people). It can make the wild animals aggressive. And it can cause the animals you’re feeding to chase other wildlife out of the area. Feeding big lizards has another risk attached to it because those big lizards are likely to think your hand is part of the food. 1: This Monitor Lizard seemed to think my camera was food 2: Frilled-neck Lizard When I was in Kakadu National Park the guide for our group told us a story. He said he once caught a frilled-neck lizard so the tourists in his group could take photos.

While he was catching it the critter swung around and bit him on the leg. The bite didn’t hurt all that much, at first. But the infection that resulted from that bite became so bad the guide wasn’t able to work for two months. What are your chances of being bitten, then? Goannas and other big lizards are not likely to attack people unless you frighten them or attack them, or try to feed them. Those kids I saw teasing the goanna were grabbing it by the tail, making the goanna swish its heavy tail about. Apart from the fact that its tail can hit with enough force to knock down a small child, grabbing a goanna is a really stupid thing to do. It’s exactly the kind of thing that can get you bitten. When I explained to the father that the goanna bite is really nasty and that his kids were taking a big risk he just ignored me. Like I said, it made me think the dad was less intelligent than the goanna. Perhaps I should have also explained to the stupid dad that when a goanna gets spooked it will sometimes run up the nearest tree, and because there were no trees nearby then the goanna might run up him instead.

I have heard stories of that happening. You see, just standing there watching is a great way of imitating a tree, the way a goanna sees things, and the goanna is not a fussy creature. Maybe that would have encouraged stupid dad to control his kids a bit better.

Question: In Australia, what sort of creature is a goanna?
Answer: Monitor lizard