Denzils Nature Photo Challenge #6: Sharp
If you live in the bush, you have to expect the unexpected. This big bloke is a regular around the place. I am on one of his places to check out in his territory. It used to be worse when I had chooks.
This is on his way to the front verandah. He is so big he just knocks stuff around, he doesn’t mean it. Most things usually get out of his way!!
Don’t you love the side eye. Ah now you can see a bit of sharp. The tongue isn’t rude, he just wants to know where I am. The Goanna’s tongue is how it finds food and its way around.
Their main defense is to climb a tree or the closest vertical object. They don’t have the best eyesight so it’s best not to stand still if there is a Goanna running around in fright. Here you can see what those sharp claws are for as well as holding on while it munches with jaws that can crush small bones
Is that a smug smile for getting a good way up the tree or a grimace when it banged itself when it got scared. Those sharp claws came in handy
You really should get a close up of the scaly reptilian foot and sharp claws. I guess they are about 50 to 75mm long
They have such lovely markings. This bloke was probably a bit hungry. It was after THAT fire and here this Goanna is on one of the burnt trees. I bet he hated getting charcoal on that lovely yellow belly.
When Goannas are on the ground they hang on holes in the ground or under logs when they aren’t hunting which is a lot of the time. They are a bit lazy and eat eggs but will eat anything they come across. One time I caught a Goanna in the chook house, I grabbed him by the tail and lifted him off the ground as they can’t do any thing dangling. As I was heading to get a bag to put him in came two slimy hens eggs.
Goannas can live for up to forty years. The bloke in the first photo has been around for a s long as I can remember. There is a white patch towards the tip of his tail and he the only one. It is quite distinctive.
bushboys world 