# "Flash" the resident monitor...



## Smittiferous (Mar 15, 2016)

Mate of mine who still works in the Pilbara has been telling me about a resident critter who hangs around the loco shed at the FMG Thomas Yard rail facility. Apparently he likes to frequent the bbq area. 






Wonder what's up with his tail?


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## pinefamily (Mar 16, 2016)

He could have got it caught somewhere, or mangled in a fight. Looks well fed, lol.


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## Herpo (Mar 16, 2016)

Yep, fat little bugger lol!


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## BredliFreak (Mar 16, 2016)

Hey is that a panoptes? There is a subspecies that occurs there.


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## mummabear (Mar 16, 2016)

It might be possible that if he hangs around the BBQs he is eating an inadequate monitor diet (human food) resulting in MBD.


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## Smittiferous (Mar 17, 2016)

*&quot;Flash&quot; the resident monitor...*

Apparently their bbq area is quite infrequently used, I did ask that question, they also have fairly strict policies regarding leaving scraps and the like due to vermin.

While I was up there building that facility there were no shortage of mice, rats, locusts, beetles, spiders and of course all the herps we had to relocate out of the trenches and pits every time we went to work in those areas. Certainly no shortage of natural food there, and it's surrounded by scrub, so I really doubt he's being sustained by human scraps.


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## mummabear (Mar 18, 2016)

Maybe born that way then.


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## CrazyNut (Mar 18, 2016)

Doubt he was born with it. It certainly looks like a viatmin D deficiency related problem such as metabolic bone disease (MBD) but it could be a number of things and not all to do with poor diet/viatmin deficiency. I'm no vet so I can't say with any real confidence as to what it is haha. Other then the tail, damn nice looking monitor!


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