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A
goanna is a kind of lizard.
Goannas are covered
in scales.
Goannas
eat lizards, the eggs of snakes and lizards,and small animals.
Goannas
climb trees, swim, run fast, and can stand on their back legs.
When white people first came to Australia they saw large reptiles they thought were a kind of iguana, and called them 'goanna'. The goanna is in fact not an iguana, but a species of monitor lizard.
The
goanna is about 160 cm long altogether. Its head and body measure
about 70 cm. Its body is flattened, it has strong legs with long
toes and claws. It has a long neck. It can give a fierce blow
with its long tail. It has a tongue rather like a snake's, which
it flicks in and out.
Goannas climb
trees well and swim strongly. They can rear up or run quickly
on their hind legs when threatened
.
They dig a system of burrows. Their habitat is woodland or grassland
over much of Australia. In the northern parts of the country,
goannas stay active all year round, but in the south they are
inactive in the cold months.
The goanna eats lizards, the eggs of lizards and other reptiles, insects, spiders and small mammals.
In the northern part of Australia, goannas breed in the wet season which is in summer, but in the south they breed in spring. After mating, the female lays 3-10 eggs in a deep burrow, then seals it up and hides the entrance.
Acknowledge this source in
your bibliography like this:
Goanna (2000). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
Updated 25 October 2000