Short-tailed monitor
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| Varanus brevicauda |
The short tailed monitor, or as it is also known, the pygmy goanna, is originally from South-East Asia but has migrated in recent years to the northern parts of Australia and Indonesia. Its scientific classification is Varanus brevicauda. The Short-Tailed Goanna is named as such as its tail only gets to 20 cm, compared to the Regular Goanna which can grow to the size of 2 metres in length. They eat small mice, insects and other animals' eggs.
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[edit] History
The short-tailed monitor was discovered in Asia thousnads of years ago, but there are not written records of this, only spoken passed down tradidtional stories. Research started on these lizards in 1982 when goannas became a well known Australian icon. Prof. Samuel Johnson and Prof. Gordon Mitchell made a world first discovery in 1990 when they found that these goannas were breeding with the regular goannas. The alleles of the short tailed monitor were mixing with the alleles of the regular goanna and the tails became non-exsistant. Gene research followed this discovery and in 1992 they overcame the problem by adding a small piece on DNA into the regular goannas to stop them breeding with the pigmy goannas. [dubious — see talk page]
[edit] Habitats
The pigmy goanna lives amongst trees in remote areas of Australia and Asia. They have never been sighted in Southern NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Southern WA or New Zealand. They trive in warm and humid climates especially in rain and wind.
[edit] Predators
The main threat to short tailed goannas is humans. The species could go extinct due to loss of habitat. The only other threat to them is the bigger goannas. As they are so small, Pigmy Goannas may be weaker, or seem weaker to other goannas and loose fights for burrows and mates. Pigmy Goannas are a predator to most small animals such as mice, bush rats and baby possums.
[edit] References
- Cogger, H. (1967). Australian Reptiles in Colour. Sydney: A. H. & A. W. Reed, ISBN 0-589-07012-6
- King, Dennis & Green, Brian. 1999. Goannas: The Biology of Varanid Lizards. University of New South Wales Press. ISBN 0-86840-456-X
