Reptiles and Frogs
Monitors & Geckos
Sighting 3373846

Varanus gouldii

Sand Goanna at Hall, ACT

Varanus gouldii at Hall, ACT - 24 Dec 2015
Varanus gouldii at Hall, ACT - 24 Dec 2015
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Identification history

Varanus gouldii 29 Mar 2024 DonFletcher
Varanus rosenbergi 3 Mar 2017 MichaelMulvaney

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User's notes

David Wong stated "Road Kill Damon Cusack sighting. Light patch on tail appears a little like gouldii but D. Cusack reported colour had rubbed off from being run over. W. Osborne confirmed identification as V. rosenbergi from photo."

4 comments

BrianLR wrote:
   22 Mar 2024
relooking at this specimen, it does look a lot like V. gouldii with its overall colour and appearance, the record is also in closse proximity to the reptile zoo, where V. gouldii are kept.
DonFletcher wrote:
   22 Mar 2024
I agree with Brian. This definitely looks more like gouldii than rosenbergi. There are various possible captive sources. Was any part of it kept? For example was the carcass donated to ANWC? @MichaelMulvaney @WillO @Wonga @BrianLR

Apologies @Wonga if you are not David Wong.
WillO wrote:
   27 Mar 2024
I agree Brian and Don - clearly more like V. gouldii - lacks the crescent-shaped dark bands on the back of the neck found in rosenberg. If the white tail tip-like object is in fact the tail tip then that feature also holds for gouldii.
DonFletcher wrote:
   29 Mar 2024
Altered to V. gouldii 29/3/2024 on basis of tail tip colour, absence of curved bands on back of neck, and overall colour pattern. As pointed out by @BrianLR there is a nearby source of captive V gouldii. For info or comment: @wombey @WillO @MichaelMulvaney @BrianLR

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Location information

Sighting information

Species information

  • Varanus gouldii Scientific name
  • Sand Goanna Common name
  • Not Sensitive
  • Local native
  • Non-invasive or negligible
  • Up to 535m Recorded at altitude
  • Machine learning

Record quality

  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Verified by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
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