I have just got home from a lovely walk on my favourite beach. I haven't had chance yet to look at any of the photos, so here is one taken on Thursday while out with our walking group.
As we were ending our walk we stopped by one of the picnic tables waiting for the straggler walkers to catch up. One of our walkers wandered into the nearby bushland to pick up a piece of rubbish left there and got the shock of her life as this lace monitor lizard scrabbled by her on his way up the nearest tree.
It wasn't easy to capture as the light wasn't good and the monitor was keeping his eye on us. You can't really see the size of him in this shot, but trust me he is around 2 metres long (7 ft). Not too far away was another lace monitor and I suspect that she must be the female partner of this chap. I will post her photo tomorrow. She is slightly smaller at around 1.5 metres (5 ft).
I did get a better photo of her and I also got quite close as she was on the ground. I did keep a close eye on the direction she was moving though because I didn't want her climbing up me thinking I was a tree.
OMG 2 metres long! Looks more like a crocodile than a simple lizard. Lizards here are not more than 15-20 centimetres long. Weren't you afraid of him? Fav.
@happysnaps They do have lovely markings don't they.
@deborah63 With those claws he didn't have any problem climbing the tree. I often see them climbing trees, I think they just want to get away from the people who are watching them.
@sangwann They aren't aggressive although the claws look quite intimidating. I was just thankful it didn't mistake me for a tree. I wouldn't fancy those claws digging in my legs.
@inthecloud5 Ha ha, yes, Helen did get quite a shock as she nearly trod on him. Luckily he just wanted to make a quick exit though.
@ludwigsdiana He did give Helen quite a shock. I heard her shout but I had spotted the other monitor first and was taking a photo of that one.
Oh my goodness. I definitely would not want to meet this it anywhere. I'm sure I would have heart failure. Great picture. The lizards I see around here are may be 6 inches at most.
Had to laugh at your last sentence Babs! This lizard is enormous, what a shock you would all get, hope they do t bite! Rather thrilling to see those in the wild though!
@louannwarren Luckily they aren't aggressive and they don't move too fast. You would have plenty of time to escape Lou Ann if he was heading towards you.
@jodies@dizzyd He did give my friend Helen quite a fright because she was standing right next to him when she heard him rustling in the undergrowth. Luckily he climbed the tree to get away from her. I was taking a photo of another monitor (probably this one's partner) at the time, so I took a photo of both of them. We were so lucky to see two in one place.
@henrir They aren't too scary when you see them in the wild and they do tend to keep away from people unless they think you are a tree and decide to climb up you, ha ha.
@flowerfairyann He was well hidden in the undergrowth, it was only when he climbed the tree that he was easy to spot. The other lace monitor that was with him though was easier to spot because she was on the ground near the picnic area and I took a photo of her too.
@julienne1 I think he was trying to make himself look flat to blend in with the tree. His belly looked quite flat too and wide, I think he had just had a feed, because his belly was enormous, you can't see the size of it too clearly in this shot though.
@happypat haha, you don't want to be mistaken for a tree when one of these things walk by, their claws are enormous. I suppose they could bite, but they don't tend to be aggressive unless cornered. I think this one had just had quite a feed because his belly was enormous, so he was moving rather slowly.
@golftragic Yes indeed Marnie. a lace monitor lizard is a variety of goanna there are about 25 different varieties of goannas in Australia I believe, so all lace monitors are goannas but not all goannas are lace monitors if you follow what I mean. They are gorgeous aren't they and I did keep me eyes peeled in case they thought I was a tree, those claws are lethal.
@annied Didn't get that close to check everything out, but there were two of them by the picnic tables and this one wandered off up the tree and the other one went in a different direction. I think they had been scavenging and by the look of his belly I think he got the biggest bite of the food.
The other lace monitor was quite a bit smaller than this one and if you look at the links she must be a female because she is much prettier don't you think. http://365project.org/onewing/365/2018-05-06 http://365project.org/onewing/365/2018-05-12
@deborah63 With those claws he didn't have any problem climbing the tree. I often see them climbing trees, I think they just want to get away from the people who are watching them.
@deborah63 @gilbertwood They are gorgeous aren't they.
@sangwann They aren't aggressive although the claws look quite intimidating. I was just thankful it didn't mistake me for a tree. I wouldn't fancy those claws digging in my legs.
@inthecloud5 Ha ha, yes, Helen did get quite a shock as she nearly trod on him. Luckily he just wanted to make a quick exit though.
@ludwigsdiana He did give Helen quite a shock. I heard her shout but I had spotted the other monitor first and was taking a photo of that one.
Great shot
@louannwarren Luckily they aren't aggressive and they don't move too fast. You would have plenty of time to escape Lou Ann if he was heading towards you.
@jodies @dizzyd He did give my friend Helen quite a fright because she was standing right next to him when she heard him rustling in the undergrowth. Luckily he climbed the tree to get away from her. I was taking a photo of another monitor (probably this one's partner) at the time, so I took a photo of both of them. We were so lucky to see two in one place.
@henrir They aren't too scary when you see them in the wild and they do tend to keep away from people unless they think you are a tree and decide to climb up you, ha ha.
@flowerfairyann He was well hidden in the undergrowth, it was only when he climbed the tree that he was easy to spot. The other lace monitor that was with him though was easier to spot because she was on the ground near the picnic area and I took a photo of her too.
@julienne1 I think he was trying to make himself look flat to blend in with the tree. His belly looked quite flat too and wide, I think he had just had a feed, because his belly was enormous, you can't see the size of it too clearly in this shot though.
@happypat haha, you don't want to be mistaken for a tree when one of these things walk by, their claws are enormous. I suppose they could bite, but they don't tend to be aggressive unless cornered. I think this one had just had quite a feed because his belly was enormous, so he was moving rather slowly.
The other lace monitor was quite a bit smaller than this one and if you look at the links she must be a female because she is much prettier don't you think.
http://365project.org/onewing/365/2018-05-06
http://365project.org/onewing/365/2018-05-12
The close up of this one up the tree definitely looks more butch, ha ha.
http://365project.org/onewing/365/2018-05-11