Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) When I was a kid I was obsessed with Dinosaurs, so imagine my delight - even at 40 - to have these beautiful reptiles start hanging at my camp. The Lace Monitor is the closest relative to the Komodo Dragon (who is if course also a Monitor, and isn't in the dragon family) and have recently been found to have a mildly venomous bite (a mild rattlesnake-like venom). Monitors are the only species of lizard that come equipped with a forked tongue and Jacobsons organ giving them the ability to "taste" the air with the same sensitivity as a snake; they are both capable of stereo smell. They will eat anything they can overpower and - armed with a dentition similar to crocodiles - use razor-sharp, pointy teeth to slice chunks off whatever smells good then simply toss it down their inflatable throats; like one of those kitchen garbage bins with the flip-top lids. They never chew because they have no molars. If you already know all that, then my apologies I just figured I should add some manner of info preceding the photos. Edited December 24, 2014 by Psychaesthetic 10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smokeliss Posted December 24, 2014 How did you get so close? Tele lens or tame? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gimli Posted December 24, 2014 Great photos! Amazing creatures indeed 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) gooooooorgeous , and beautiful to see them in nature... and I so feel ya on the dinosaurs vibe from way back are monitor/saurs all poisonous? or is that just the komodo dragon? Edited December 24, 2014 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spooge Posted December 24, 2014 Awesome pics man. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Getafix Posted December 24, 2014 So cool, I fucking love lizards Getafix 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Getafix Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) gooooooorgeous , and beautiful to see them in nature... and I so feel ya on the dinosaurs vibe from way back are monitor/saurs all poisonous? or is that just the komodo dragon? Most lizards are not poisonous. Komodo Dragons are not actually venomous as such but carry very bad bacteria in their mouths. With larger prey like large cattle etc they will attack and bite and then wait for the bacteria to kill the beast, this can take days. I guess it is a poison of sorts but not a neurotoxin like a snake etc. Getafix Edited December 24, 2014 by Getafix 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Posted December 24, 2014 thanx buddy , what a fascinating bunch of critters ... ... can't imagine how good that must feel to encounter them, nature's soo better than any tv 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) How did you get so close? Tele lens or tame? Nah neither tame nor tele. All these photos are taken with a little $200 compact and although it has a 12x optical zoom it's pretty pointless for close-range and macros. I've found if I just be gentle around them they respond. Of course food is the great social lubricator between them and me, and without that there'd be no reason for them to even give me a second glance, but it's almost sad, in a sense, how trusting they can be for just the smallest amount of food. Once they realize that they can eat without any fear of my overstepping the "boundaries" of their personal space, they relax. I don't move suddenly, I talk to them calmly, and I never try to grab at them; though I do reach out to pat them once they appear comfortable with me. Edited December 24, 2014 by Psychaesthetic 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 gooooooorgeous , and beautiful to see them in nature... and I so feel ya on the dinosaurs vibe from way back are monitor/saurs all poisonous? or is that just the komodo dragon? All Monitors have the same mild venom that Komodos have, as well as the cornucopia of bacteria in their mouths, but until relatively recently, it was believed a Goannas bite simply contained bacteria; which can lead to a nasty infection in and off itself. The venom though is apparently not enough to cause us any major issues, but being such a close relative to the Komodo, it must utilize the venom - at least on occasion - or evolution would've dropped it from the "arsenal". Yeah they're awesome lizards They walk just like little Komodos too; like they know no other animal is big enough to fuck with them; birds can't carry them away and dogs and other carnivorous mammals are all nocturnal so they're pretty damn confident animals ;) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 I would also venture to state that they show every indication of dog-grade personality. The way they rub themselves against trees to mark scent, the way they Nah their front claws when flies get to annoying for them, the way they kick their back feet straight backwards when they lay down to bask. I've even seem one locking his butt - beat he could do with such a thin tongue anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) Most lizards are not poisonous. Komodo Dragons are not actually venomous as such but carry very bad bacteria in their mouths. With larger prey like large cattle etc they will attack and bite and then wait for the bacteria to kill the beast, this can take days. I guess it is a poison of sorts but not a neurotoxin like a snake etc. Getafix Nooooo no nono that's what we all *used* to believe. Recent discoveries have shown that it is actual venom, not just bacteria, that kills the kill. Goannas may or may not utilise it, but it's there just the same as in the Komodo and it's chemically similar to rattlesnake venom. It's not fast-acting like snake venom, but wears the animal down, sometimes over days, dependant on animal size of course. Edited December 24, 2014 by Psychaesthetic Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 I forgot this one too, illustrating just how enjoyable it is to neck-rub against the base of a tree.. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DiscoStu Posted December 24, 2014 interestingly, like komodo dragons, it's thought that monitors are capable of parthenogenesis, meaning they can asexually reproduce, very excellent creatures 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 "Disco Stuuuuu, doesn't ad-ver-tisse" love it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 interestingly, like komodo dragons, it's thought that monitors are capable of parthenogenesis, meaning they can asexually reproduce, very excellent creatures Even though it's a bit "splitting hairs"-ish, I hate to call them Goannas. The name originated with some stupid white English colonialists who made reference to them looking like Iguanas. Iguana was mis-heard as 'goanna' and that, stupidly, was that. And other than the fact they both have a head, four legs, a tail and are lizards I see no similarity between sn Iguana and a Goanna at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
incognito Posted December 24, 2014 We used to have a few that lives along the side of the road mum would drive me down to get to the bus stop. Sometimes they would run along flat out next to the car like a dog, I've grown up around them but have always steered well clear. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) Broski! Yeah you grew up here in the mountains I'll assume you've heard the stories of Monitors pigging out on missing bushwalkers corpses. You wouldn't want to be in a position where you're too sick to scare em off. Out of curiosity though, why did you steer clear of them? Edited December 24, 2014 by Psychaesthetic Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
incognito Posted December 24, 2014 Stories that they will climb up u when they are frightened. Big claws, sharp teeth, nuff said lol 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted December 25, 2014 interestingly, like komodo dragons, it's thought that monitors are capable of parthenogenesis, meaning they can asexually reproduce, I hadnt heard of ^ that?! Another fun fact... They also have two penises (hemipenes) lol. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coolname Posted December 25, 2014 i spotted this little guy about a week ago. so cute 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 25, 2014 (edited) i spotted this little guy about a week ago. so cute 2014-12-21 11.54.43.jpg Looks like a little Water Monitor? Or a young Eastern Water Dragon? Just havin a guess, Google's the only herpatological adviser I got. *thumbs-up* Edited December 25, 2014 by Psychaesthetic Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted December 25, 2014 i spotted this little guy about a week ago. so cute 2014-12-21 11.54.43.jpg Possibly a Sand Goanna. ( Varanus gouldii ) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psychaesthetic Posted December 28, 2014 (edited) Here's a short 20 second video of one of them eating some left-over pasta. I have clips of them snatching chicken-necks out my hand and various other reptilian things but they're on the old phone's memory card. I uploaded this one while in town over wifi just to see that the embedded video player was functioning fine. It is. https://psychaesthetic.com/26-12-2014/lace-monitor-eating/ Edited December 28, 2014 by Psychaesthetic Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
