All printables
Lace Monitor — printable fact sheet
Free to print or save as PDF. Great for classrooms, homeschooling, and young explorers.
Creature Atlas
Animal Fact Sheet
Name: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Lace Monitor
Varanus varius
Varanus varius is Australia's second-largest lizard, reaching 2 m, and it is a strong, fast climber that spirals around a tree trunk to keep the trunk between itself and a threat. Its most remarkable behaviour concerns nesting. Female lace monitors do not dig a nest in soil; the…
Did you know?
- Despite their intimidating size and appearance, Lace Monitors are shy and will usually flee from humans rather than confront them.
- The nine-month gap between laying and returning to excavate the hatchlings makes lace monitors one of the few reptiles that appear to remember and act on a spatial and temporal task over most of a year. They will raid picnic sites and camps with total confidence and have learned to associate humans with food across much of eastern Australia. Goanna fat was widely used as a traditional medicine and lubricant by Aboriginal Australians and, later, by settlers.
What I learned
Draw the lace monitor
© Creature Atlas · www.creatureatlas.com · Free for classroom & personal use
Want the whole set?
Get printable fact-sheet packs, coloring pages, and classroom worksheet bundles for dozens of animals — ready to download and print.
Browse printable packsGet a free printable each week
Join the newsletter for a new Creature of the Week + printables.