21 February 2011

Rushed away without staying for a cuppa

Crude snaps of today's visitor to our front yard ~




2 comments:

budak said...

what goanna is he? he looks ornery...

anna tambour said...

It's the common one round these parts of southeast Australia, the lace monitor Varanus varius. It's always a treat to see them, as they are anything but ornery. Usually, they'll climb a tree and stay there until any perceived threat leaves, and if they feel threatened, they hiss, while they're safely up the tree. In Season's Dragons, I posted some pictures of another goanna that climbed up to our balcony in December '09. I just watched it quietly and until it took fright, it just wandered around the balcony oblivious of me. When it finally noticed me, it just slithered down, and away. I should post some of the goanna tracks that we see on the forest paths. During mating season, these normally solitary beasts really churn up the dirt.