Description Gould's Monitor varies considerably in colour and pattern. The back varies from brown to greenish-grey to almost black, with scattered flecks and spots of lighter colours. These spots are arranged in irregular bands. Sometimes it has light cream or yellow ocelli markings (round spots with a darker centre) . Usually has a black stripe on the side of the head edged above and below with cream or white. The tail is light brown or black with white or yellowish tip.
Other Names Sand Monitor
Size Grows to 1.5m total length.
Habitat coastal eucalypt forest to the sandy desert of the arid interior
Food insects, reptiles, birds, mammals and carrion
Breeding Nests in active termite mound. The female digs a tunnel towards the center of the mound 50 to 60 cm deep with a large cavity at the end. She lays 10 to 17 eggs into the tunnel. Afterwards she refills the tunnel, and the termites reconstruct the mound around the goanna eggs. The termites regulate the temperature and humidity
Range Gould's Monitor is found in most parts of mainland Australia except south Victoria and extreme south east of New South Wales. Common around Perth (where it is known as the Racehorse Goanna)
Credits: Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
