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Monitor lizard...

Monitor lizard...
An old shot from Sydney, Australia. This fellow was about 5-6ft. long.

There are 25 subspecies of monitor lizards in Australia. This one is a Lace Monitor, Bells Phase:www.zoochat.com/community/media/lace-monitor-bells-phase.136134
The photo is from the Featherdale Zoo in Sydney, so the lizard in that page may be this exact one.

Another source states, "Genetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA shows the lace monitor to be the closest relative (sister taxon) of the Komodo dragon..." en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lace_monitor

Sami Serola (inactive), M♥rJ Photogr♥phy !! ( Marj ), Smiley Derleth, Pam J and 13 other people have particularly liked this photo


29 comments - The latest ones
 Ronald Losure
Ronald Losure club
Impressive beast.
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Ronald Losure club
Very! Biggest lizard I've ever seen. Thank you, Ronald!
5 years ago.
 Laura Perinelli
Laura Perinelli
Che brutto rettile.....fa un po paura!! Ciao Laura
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Laura Perinelli
It was a little scary, but I didn't touch it! Grazie, Laura!
5 years ago.
 Gudrun
Gudrun club
Quite a bit bigger than our lizards! Does it have a forked tongue?
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Gudrun club
Very big! Yes, you can barely see the pink forked tongue sticking out of his mouth.
5 years ago.
 Keith Burton
Keith Burton club
Very well taken Diane..............captured in fine detail!
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Keith Burton club
Thanks so much, Keith!
5 years ago.
 Thérèse
Thérèse club
Superbe
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Thérèse club
Merci, Therese!
5 years ago.
 Gabi Lombardo
Gabi Lombardo club
cool !! was he in a zoo?? fantastic capture!
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Gabi Lombardo club
Yes, otherwise I would not be standing so close! Thank you, Gabi!
5 years ago.
 GrahamH
GrahamH club
Thought he was an Aussie in the thumbnail. Could be a lace monitor. Much smaller than Indonesia's Komodo dragon though, less than a metre.
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to GrahamH club
I've searched and searched for a matching pattern. The lace monitor has small stripes on the legs, not the wide ones on the body. The water dragon is more similar looking, but has short spikes on its head. This one was longer than a meter, more like 2. Or, a goana...it's so confusing, wish I'd written it down when I was there!
5 years ago.
 Sylvain Wiart
Sylvain Wiart
79 species of Varanus : difficult to help you for identifying !
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Sylvain Wiart
But 25 in Australia. That is also too many! I gave up. ;-(
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has added
I stumbled upon the correct name for this fellow. See above.
5 years ago.
 polytropos
polytropos club
"...an old shot from Sidney..."
meanwhile you can admire him in a shop window of Gucci or Prada :-]
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to polytropos club
Yikes! I hope not. ;-(
5 years ago.
 tiabunna
tiabunna club
Very impressive indeed, I guess at Taronga Park.
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to tiabunna club
I just looked at the map. It was Featherdale. It was so much fun to see animals I have never seen in an American zoo, like the massive bats and cute echidnas. I was disappointed to not see a platypus! ;-b

Edit: Just now stumbled upon this: www.zoochat.com/community/media/lace-monitor-bells-phase.136134
5 years ago. Edited 5 years ago.
 Diana Australis
Diana Australis club
A lovely lace monitor!
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Diana Australis club
Hi, Diana - is it? I was so confused trying to compare it with online photos - there are so many monitor species in Australia. The photos of lace monitors don't show the wide stripes on the body. Well, you and George (tiabunna) would know better than I!

Edit: OH! I found it! It's a lace monitor in "Bell's form." www.zoochat.com/community/media/lace-monitor-bells-phase.136134
5 years ago. Edited 5 years ago.
 Rosalyn Hilborne
Rosalyn Hilborne club
They are fascinating creatures Diane. Australia has so many!! A great shot with lovely detail.
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Rosalyn Hilborne club
Yes, it's truly another world! Thank you, Rosa.
5 years ago.
 Pam J
Pam J club
HE IS AMAZING
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to Pam J club
Big Boy, eh? ;-)
5 years ago.
 M♥rJ Photogr♥phy !! ( Marj )
M♥rJ Photogr♥phy !!… club
Wow impressive creature !!!
5 years ago.
Diane Putnam club has replied to M♥rJ Photogr♥phy !!… club
I thought so, too! Rather daunting to have him look me in the eye. Thank you, Marj!
5 years ago.

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