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Goannas tend to be large lizards (although the pygmy goanna of the central deserts is, at 25 cm total length, the smallest goanna in the world). They are also among the oldest, early versions having been around to see the dinosaurs and even the modern versions dating back 15–20 million years.
The frilled lizard grows to around 45-90cm in length, about two-thirds of which is tail. It has a vivid yellow mouth and a large extendible frill gathered about the neck and under throat. The combination of the gaping mouth and the wide, brightly coloured frill provide an intimidating sight to any potential predator. It frequently runs at speed on two legs to escape danger, quickly climbing the nearest tree to safety. Their colour can be brown or grey with the frill being lighter and often tinged with orange or reddish-brown. Males are bigger than females and have a more robust appearance. There are two long, pointed canine-like teeth present in the lower jaw, which can inflict a painful bite.
Size: Average length is 1.5 m but can reach greater than 2m.
Identification: Extremely large monitor with long slender tail. Two colour forms occur.
Common form: The prominent pattern on juveniles darkens to almost abscence in adults. Adults are a dark grey to dull bluish black, usually with some remaining markings of bands and/or pale spots. Their are normally yellow and black marks on the chin.
Banded or Bell's form: Yellowish brown to bright yellow, with black mottlings and marked with very broad, irregular, dark brown to black band on the body. The top of the head is black, blotched with yellow.
Unsure what the specific name for this beauty is, however since asking around we have found that he is from the frilly family (though he does'nt have a frill). He was sunbathing on our gravel drive, Fiona and Josh found him.
Blue-tongued lizards are the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). Skink lizards have overlapping scales that are usually smooth and contain small plates of bone. There are more than 300 species of skinks in Australia.
Australia has six species of blue-tongued lizards and three are common and widespread in New South Wales. The Eastern Blue-tongue (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) occurs throughout much of the state, west to about Cobar but the Blotched Blue-tongue (Tiliqua nigrolutea) is restricted to highland areas from the Victorian border to the Blue Mountains. The Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa), also known as the Boggi, Sleepy Lizard and Stumpy-tailed Lizard, is common on the plains west of the Great Dividing Range where rainfall is low.
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