# West Arnhem Varanus scalaris



## tropicbreeze (Nov 15, 2012)

Yesterday wandering through the bush I witnessed a real life drama. A story of unrequited love and a damsel who flung herself from a great height to avoid unwanted advances. Okay, I have a vivid imagination, but it is in essence what happened. 

A lizard ran across in front of me, larger than the skinks that were all around the place. When it got up a large dead eacalypt I saw it was a goanna. As it climbed the tree I got out the camera. 

Shortly after I noticed there was another slightly smaller one higher up on a limb of the same tree. The larger one watched me but was also looking up to the other one. Then it crouched down and crawled further up. 

The one at the end of the branch seemed to look around and then suddenly jumped out. There weren't any other trees nearby. It kept its body and tail straight as it 'flew' through the air. 

From the height of the launching point to the ground where it came down was a good vertical 7 to 8 metres. I thought it was going to hit some boulders there but instead hit the leaves of a small Croton arnhemicus. These aren't anything like the garden plant which has that same common name, the leaves are really large. So it was a calculated jump. Then the other goanna went into one of the hollows in the tree out of sight.

Well, I've never seen pigs fly, but now I can say I've seen a goanna fly, or at least glide.


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## Tristis (Nov 15, 2012)

that animal looks more like a V.tristis orientalis


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## Varanidae (Nov 15, 2012)

Defiantly a Tristis in my opinion, but still a very nice find well done


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## tropicbreeze (Nov 16, 2012)

I had it in my mind that tristis was the darker one. Did I get it the wrong way around? Oh well, same story, different name


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## disintegratus (Nov 16, 2012)

Maybe you've got it all wrong. Maybe she was after him all along, but he told her to go jump, so she did

Nice pics


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## Varanidae (Nov 19, 2012)

tropicbreeze said:


> I had it in my mind that tristis was the darker one. Did I get it the wrong way around? Oh well, same story, different name


Tristis tristis come in all different colours not just black, but as I said still an unreal find mate well done.


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## tropicbreeze (Nov 20, 2012)

Disintergratus, I was getting it all set up ready to sell the rights to Hollywood and now you've shattered my illusions. :cry:

Varanidae, thanks. I was wondering whether this was a normal practice, she was obviously trying to glide. I've seen plenty of goannas drop from trees, especially Mertens into water. But this action never.


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## moloch05 (Nov 20, 2012)

Wow, what a sighting. It is always fun to see these sorts of events. Can't say that I've heard of a gliding monitor before ... must have been quite a sight. 

Regards,
David


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