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Perentie — printable fact sheet
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Perentie
Varanus giganteus
Varanus giganteus is Australia's largest lizard, reaching about 2 to 2.5 m and 15 to 20 kg, and it is one of the world's biggest monitors after the Komodo dragon and the crocodile monitor. It lives in the arid interior, in rocky outcrops and deep burrows, and it is shy enough th…
Did you know?
- The perentie is capable of delivering a powerful, venomous bite, as recent studies have shown that all monitor lizards possess venom glands.
- Varanid lizards have venom glands in the lower jaw, established by Bryan Fry's work in 2005 and 2009, which overturned the old idea that monitor bites cause infection through dirty bacteria; the swelling and bleeding come from actual venom proteins. Perenties lay eggs in termite mounds, which incubate them at a stable temperature, and the female may return to open the mound when the young hatch. Its forked tongue works stereoscopically — the two tips sample scent at slightly different points, letting the lizard tell which direction a trail is heading.
What I learned
Draw the perentie
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