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| Sand goanna | |
|---|---|
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| Gould's monitor or sand goanna in Mungo National Park, New South Wales, Australia | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Varanidae |
| Genus: | Varanus |
| Subgenus: | Varanus |
| Species: | V. gouldii |
| Binomial name | |
| Varanus gouldii | |
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| Distribution of the sand goanna | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
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Thesand goanna (Varanus gouldii), also knowncommonly asGould's monitor, theracehorse goanna, and thesand monitor, is aspecies of largeAustralian monitorlizard in thefamilyVaranidae.[4]
John Edward Gray described the species in 1838 asHydrosaurus gouldii,[3] noting the source of the type specimen as "New Holland" and distinguishing the new varanid by "two yellow streaks on the sides of the neck" and small flat scales at the orbits.[2] An earlier description,Tupinambis endrachtensis Péron, F. 1807, was determined as likely to refer to this animal, but the epithetgouldii was conserved and a new specimen designated as the type.[5][3] This neotype was obtained in 1997 at the near coastal Western Australian suburb ofKarrakatta, and placed with theBritish Museum of Natural History. The decision of a nomenclatural commission (ICZN) was to issue an opinion suppressing the earlier nameTupinambis endrachtensis and the nameHydrosaurus ocellarius Blyth, 1868, that were unsatisfactory to some who had commented on the case, but provided taxonomic certainty for future revisions of the associated taxa.[6]
Thespecific name,gouldii, is assumed to be a Latinised form of the surname of an associate of the describing author, the EnglishornithologistJohn Gould,[7] who was actively assembling specimens of fauna from Australia but is not thought to have any direct connection to this species.[5]
In someAboriginal languages, the sand goanna is calledbungarra,[8] a term also commonly used by non-Aboriginal people inWestern Australia. InPitjantjatjara and other central Australian languages it is called "Tingka".
Two subspecies are recognised,
Nota bene: Atrinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in agenus other thanVaranus.
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A species ofVaranus, lizards known as monitors and goannas, that is found in a variety of habitat. Due to the taxonomic uncertainty during the twentieth century the species form and behaviour has included taxa later recognised as distinct species, this includesV. rosenbergi, formerly treated as a subspecies and later elevated, andV. panoptes, described as a new species in 1980 and resolved as a legitimate publication in 2000.[6][9]
Gould's monitor is a terrestrial reptile that excavates largeburrows for shelter. Rock escarpments and tree hollows are also suitable dwellings. It inhabits a vast range throughout Australia, reaching an average length of 140 cm (4.6 ft) and weighing as much as 6 kg (13 lb). It can be found in northern and eastern Australia, where they inhabit openwoodlands andgrasslands.V. g. flavirufus, a slightly smallersubspecies, resides in Australia's interior. In some places, however, theranges of Gould's monitor,V. g. flavirufus and theArgus monitor overlap. The similarities between the species and their close proximity frequently cause confusion.
The sand monitor is a relentlessforager. It isdiurnal, meaning most of its activities take place during the day. Anything smaller than itself will be eagerly devoured. The diets of hatchlings and juveniles often consist mostly ofinsects and smalllizards, but generally varies more with age. Adult monitors willprey onmice, other smallmammals, smallbirds,crustaceans, scorpions, large insects, small lizard species,snakes, amphibians, eggs, and carrion.[10][11] They have also been seen to congregate aroundfish kills.[12] They are seemingly immune to snake venom and will kill and eat even the most venomous species such as theinland taipan. The sand goanna does consume smaller species of monitors:Ackies,rock monitors and other dwarf species are often found and eaten. It is common to see a Gould's monitor disturbing rock piles in an attempt to flush out anyOdatria. It lays itseggs intermite mounds to protect them from the harshdesert climate.
Like all goannas andsnakes the sand monitor has a forked tongue, with which it "tastes" the air. Scents are picked up on each side of the fork which, when retracted, brushes over an area in the mouth called theJacobson's organ, which identifies on which side the scent is stronger. Upon identifying this difference in scent strength the sand monitor can alter its direction accordingly. A 2021 study had shown that during theMiocene,Komodo dragons had hybridized with the ancestors of the sand goanna, thus providing evidence that the Komodo dragon had once inhabited Australia.[13][14][15]
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