What is this?

[jessop]

Hey everyone, excuse my ignorance but whilst browsing pics on the net i came across this one... All it said was 'goanna'. Could anyone further identify it for me?

 

[iceman]

where abouts did u find it ???

 

[zen]

I'm guessing it's a Varanus rosenbergi juvenile.
Do you have a full body shot including the tail. It'd make it easier to tell.

 

[JasonL]

Looks like a juvie / sub adult Heath Monitor?

 

[jessop]

cheers zen! just found it when browsing 'goanna's' in google. love the colouring! do they stay like that in adulthood?

 

[JasonL]

Don't get to excited, they go grey when adult.

 

[jessop]

Don't get to excited, they go grey when adult.-quote

LOL, was very excited for a minute...

 

[zen]

My pleasure. I'm pretty sure that's what it is.
BTW, that's a beaut pic of a lovely specimen.

Click this link to read a wrap and check out the pic of the juvenile for comparison.

http://threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10826

 

[zen]

Here's another link with good pics of an adult & hatchling :-

http://www.users.on.net/~jbonnett/rosenbergi.htm

 

[jessop]

hey cheers for those links zen! love the hatchling pics... They look rather "grumpy" when they get older though... Does anyone here keep them?

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

we arnt allowed to keep them in victoria,
id love to have a pair..

 

[JasonL]

Free range out the back (Royal National Park) they are quite common in the nasho. They live in burrows and if you know where to look they arnt normally to far from these. When I was a kid living at menai I used to have a burrow in the backyard and used to leave eggs and meat near the entrance and sit and watch it eat.