I've just come back from 6 days in Wellington, NSW, doing some field research with colleagues John and Mieke. Mieke is in the pic above at the Lion of Wellington pub, built in the 1840s, where we had dinner a couple of times. Wellington is a small town of 5300 people about half an hour from Dubbo. Apart from sitting in emergency department waiting rooms for 4hrs per day conducting research we also had a look at Wellington Caves, Old Dubbo Gaol and...
the Wellington Botanic Gardens and Arboretum where we encountered this very nice lace monitor or tree goanna. It was not bothered by our presence and didn't attempt to hide behind the tree it had decided to climb.
About 4 -4.5 feet long, in the process of sloughing its skin. Very nice looking animal. Some recent research has now shown that monitors are actually venomous - they have primitive venom glands in their jaws and when they bite they do 'inject' this venom into their prey.
1 comment:
How was the rest of your time in Wellington? You know I don't think I've ever been to the Wellington Botanic Gardens! It's not just the park near the shops is it? I've never seen giant lizards there. Did you go to the caves? They're not bad.
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