Goanna
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ID#23
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Classification:Reptilia Endangered Status: Common Habitat(s): Forest, Deserts, Jungles, and Grasslands
Goannas have long necks and snouts holding a long,snakelike, forked toungue. The tails and bodies are always very long, because of this some goannas can grow over 9 feet long! and have a snakelike, forked toungues. Different goanna species will vary in color but the color will suit as good camoflouge for the many habitats the species may live in. For example, Australia’s largest lizard, the perentie, V.giganteus, is dark grey, black, and has yellow spots hiding it in the sandy desert sorrounding it. The goanna runs swiftly and fastly with the tip of their tail barely lifted off the ground in a curve. Goannas are solitary creatures before it’s time to mate and often travel alone even after mating. Goannas are diurnal (awake at day, asleep at night) animals and is a carnivore. Diets may consists of eggs, smaller lizards, birds, shrews, rodents. Goannas have many snakelike features and just like a snake, the goanna will swallow its food whole. A monitor has the potential to lay a maximum of 30 white and leathery eggs and will hide them in many different areas. Species of monitor lizards will lay their eggs in holes, trees, and some species in termite mounds! The monitors have thought of many different ways to bury and protect the eggs. Some monitors will lay their eggs in a hole and claw at the sides causing a cave-in effect to bury the treasures. One species of monitor got so clever, it digs its path inside a termite mound, laid its eggs, and leaves the termites to close up the hole. The mound will provide warmth, safety, and food for the hatching infants. Goannas and Monitor Lizards have earned their name as a monitor for crocodiles. The goanna turns a ggressive and defensive fast when sensing a crocodile, warning people and other animals to run away from the area. When attacked or threatened, goannas will often retreat to a tree, rock, or other unaccessible object to the attacker. If unable to retreat, monitor lizards will inflate their bodies and hiss, then it will deter any attacks with a big swipe of the tail. But if the intruder remains unfazed, goannas will grab the adversary with powerful jaws and will then claw their feet. This strategy will often win the battle for the goanna. |