14/08/2026
Happy World Lizard Day!
When asked what his favourite lizard was, Biosis Senior Zoologist Wyn Russell decided to highlight the Lace Monitor (Varanus varius).
The Lace Monitor is one of Australia’s largest reptiles, growing up to 2 m long and 14 kg in weight. Widespread across eastern Australia, this terrestrial and often arboreal species occupies a broad thermal range and feeds mainly on carrion. A study in Gippsland found populations near rubbish tips were 35 times more abundant and individuals nearly twice as heavy as those in natural forests. Females reproduce by laying eggs in active termite nests, which provide stable temperatures for incubation.
Working with colleagues from Monash University, Wyn produced a research paper on the geographic distribution of colour morphs of the lace monitor: the widespread and mostly coastal ‘Lace’ morph (first picture) and the rarer ‘Bell’s’ morph (second picture), more prevalent inland of the Great Dividing Range. Using more than 1,600 georeferenced photographs from the iNaturalist citizen-science database, the study found that Bell’s morph individuals are more common inland, occupying hotter, drier environments with greater thermal extremes.
Without citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist, which provide verified photographic records, studies on rarely encountered species would be far more difficult, costly, time-consuming, and in some cases practically impossible.
Observation © prossington and Adam Jackson from iNaturalist database:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/207082215
