Monitor Gurus

[womas4me]

Greetings all, I need help with a quick way to ID the difference between V. panoptes rubidus and V. gouldii.
I need to work this out as in one of the local caravan parks they have some resident monitors, big adults, that have been there for years and years. These big guys are getting aggressive towards the caravan terrorists and need to be moved.
Also they havn't actively foraged ever to our knowledge in the park, except in bins or garbage left on the ground, or from those idiot terrorists who continue to feed them.
Now, i have spoken with CALM and the decision has been made to put the animals into captivity as they are basically half captive and relocating them will probably mean their death IMO. They wont be going into the pet trade, but rather to wildlife parks. I just can't seem to get a clear definitive ID from any of my books and i cant get any photos as the cam is u/s.
Thanks

 

[ozherpconservation]

Sounds like V.panoptes to me. Any pic's?

Daniel

 

[womas4me]

camera is u/s unfortunately

 

[ozherpconservation]

the cam is u/s.

Sorry, didn't see that bit. I think the panoptes out there will be generally, darker (less yellow spots), larger and more aggressive than gouldii. That's all I can think of that the moment.

Daniel

 

[danw]

RE: Re: Monitor Gurus

Also I read in "Australian Goannas" by Matt Vincent and Steve Wilson that most Varanus gouldii have the tip of their tail completely white,yellow or another light colour whereas the V. panoptes have their tip of their tail banded.

 

[womas4me]

RE: Re: Monitor Gurus

Looks alot like a photo i have just had emailed to me so are almost definately panoptes. As the sender said the panoptes here dont seem to have the banding on their tail tips. When i catch em will have to get hold of a friends cam and take some photos.

 

[sobrien]

RE: Re: Monitor Gurus

V.panoptes are also far more robust in build and larger than V.gouldii

 

[ozherpconservation]

panoptes do also have a yellow tail tip.

 

[Simon_Archibald]

And Jim when you do catch 'em, there's no need to send them to a Fauna Park. You can send them to me

Simon Archibald

 

[instar]

Womas4me, dont remove em, they're doin a great job, those caravan terrorist deserve all they get! :lol:

The tourist are probably throwing them food. :wink:

 

[womas4me]

The terrorists have been feedng them directly and indirectly for years. The same idiots are also feeding the feral cats, all have been asked to cease but havn't. The cats will be caught and euthanised, the monitors caught and taken to fauna parks. It would be just easier to catch and euthanise the idiot caravaners, at least then i wont end up bruised.

 

[herptrader]

Hey why don't catch and euthanase the cats and feed them to the monitors - problem solved ;-)

Seriously new animals may well replace the ones you remove fairly promptly.

The terrorists have been feedng them directly and indirectly for years. The same idiots are also feeding the feral cats, all have been asked to cease but havn't. The cats will be caught and euthanised, the monitors caught and taken to fauna parks. It would be just easier to catch and euthanise the idiot caravaners, at least then i wont end up bruised.