# Venomous ???????????



## ronhalling (Jun 4, 2016)

I have just finished watching 72 Dangerous Animals Australia on Netflix which was pretty interesting viewing for a wet windy Friday night, but there was 1 particular segment that i found to be a little more interesting than the rest, in this segment the presenter was talking to Rick Shine and Rick went on to say it was not really the Bacteria in the bites from Lace Monitors and Perentie's that caused the problems, "*IT WAS THE* *VENOM*" that these 2 animals introduced to their bites. Now i know this is probably going to cause some controversy amongst some of the keepers of these animals but please remember it was Rick Shine that said it not me. What have the educated Keepers of these animals have to input on this subject. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -ronhalling


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## baker (Jun 4, 2016)

Yes that is correct. A/Prof Bryan Fry has been the main leader on this research and has found that all monitors posses venom. It's not controversial at all, with them having clear venom glands once dissected and they have been milked. Nothing as advanced as elapids but they are certainly venomous. 

Cheers Cameron


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## BrownHash (Jun 4, 2016)

Yeah, its been pretty well documented. Have a look at venomdoc.com

I think Dr Brian Fry had the original research papers on his web site, but I'm not sure if the is the case currently.


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## BredliFreak (Jun 4, 2016)

Yeah they ended up finding venom glands somewhere in a lacies? skull.


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## dragonlover1 (Jun 4, 2016)

I think you will find that beardies also USED to be venomous but evolution has negated the need for it


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## GBWhite (Jun 4, 2016)

Here's a bit of light reading for a wet weekend if your interested Ron.

Cheers,

George.

https://sites.google.com/site/venomousdangerous/lizards/venomous-lizards-of-the

http://www.theatlantic.com/science/...bear-their-fangs-in-debate-over-venom/413485/

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2005/11/17/1506321.htm

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v439/n7076/abs/nature04328.html


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## ronhalling (Jun 5, 2016)

GBWhite said:


> Here's a bit of light reading for a wet weekend if your interested Ron.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> ...



Thanks George that's great mate, after seeing what others have posted to my thread i was doing some Googling tonight and apart from a a good post from Prof Brian Fry a lot of the info is pretty sketchy or contradictory, but the articles you have provided will be exceptional reading for this very wet weekend, I/we really appreciate the extra yards you have gone to to help clear a lot of things up as i along with quite a big part of the community still thought that up until a couple of years ago there was only 2 venomous lizards i.e the Gila Monster and the Beaded lizard. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -ronhalling


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## pinefamily (Jun 5, 2016)

George,
That first article, while interesting for the reporting of the venom found in monitors, is a bit questionable on its facts.
" Emerald tree monitor (Varanus prasinus)
This monitor is found in Papua-New Guinea. It is the second largest lizard, after the Komodo Dragon and has relatively large teeth."
I would have thought the second largest monitor was the perentie.


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## GBWhite (Jun 5, 2016)

Yeah I noticed that but I think the line was probably meant to have actually been placed with V giganteus which follows directly under V prasinus.

Prasinus also occurs on islands in the Torres Strait which are very close to the tip of Cape York and as such in Australian territory.


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## BredliFreak (Jun 5, 2016)

I would argue that lace monitors are larger than perenties, I have seen them over 3m. Here's a pic of one I found at the south coast at Meroo NP, it was so large it could barely get itself up a tree!


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## pinefamily (Jun 5, 2016)

Perenties are larger in body size, not just length.
And prasinus would be at the top of my wish list to keep, but I know it's virtually impossible.


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## Herpo (Jun 5, 2016)

Interesting, I didn't know that monitors possessed venom. But it's interesting to know. I assumed they were like beardies, and that evolution had removed them over time.


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## kalo1993 (Jun 5, 2016)

[MENTION=38465]pinefamily[/MENTION] i believe the author meant Varanus salvadorii not prasinus.


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## BrownHash (Jun 6, 2016)

I saw a Varanus salvator in a drain in Malaysia and it was by far larger than any perentie or lacies I've ever seen. Perenties may have been longer because they're fairly lean, but the V. salvator bulk was by far greater than any Australian monitor i've seen.


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## pinefamily (Jun 6, 2016)

[MENTION=42322]kalo1993[/MENTION] that's fine whatever the author meant. My problem was if you are giving a factual report, get the facts right.


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