Goanna Facts for Kids

It’s just a regular day, and you hear a loud thump outside. ‘What is that!’ you wonder. If you live near the bush in Australia, it may be a neighbourhood goanna trashing his tail and making his rounds.

Part of the family Varanidae, a relative of the Komodo dragon and most commonly found in the Land Down Under, this lizard certainly merits a low-down of its own. Let’s go!

Fun Goanna Facts

Goannas belong to an ancient lineage that evolved during the Cretaceous period, 90 million years ago!
Like most lizards, goannas lay eggs.
Goannas can grow up to two and a half meters in length!
Goannas are also known as monitor lizards.
Goannas can be found everywhere in Australia except Tasmania. Most occur in Eastern Australia, but certain species of Goannas persist across the country.
Goannas are predatory lizards whose food sources include birds, small reptiles, small mammals, eggs and smaller prey like insects. The diet of goannas will change according to available food sources.
When threatened, goannas stand on their hind legs, inflate the flaps on their necks and make a harsh hissing noise.
Goannas use their sharp teeth, sharp claws and strong tail for protection.
Goannas will hide and live under big rocks, termite mounds, hollow logs and tree hollows.
Goannas run at high speeds and can even run short distances on their hind legs. It is known to be able to run at speeds up to 40 km/h!
A female lace monitor (a type of goannas) will lay her eggs in a termite nest to ensure they are protected. Female lace monitors, like other goannas, do not guard their eggs. As a bonus, the hatchlings also get to snack on the termites once they are out.
Goannas are carnivorous.
The breeding season for goannas happens in the warmer months of Spring and Summer.
Just like a snake, goannas can flick out their forked tongue to pick up scents in the air.
Goannas are solitary animals except during mating season.
Also like a snake, it can unhinge its lower jaw to swallow large prey!
Goannas are primarily found in Australia (25 species) and Southeast Asia (5 species).
Unlike other species of lizards, the goanna can’t grow back its tail if it loses it.
Goannas can survive up to 40 years in the wild.
These large lizards are great climbers and swimmers (there is even a species of monitor lizard known as the water goanna).
A baby goanna is called a goanna (original, we know).
Goannas are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day.
Some goannas hibernate during the coldest months.
Predators of the goanna include hawks, snakes, other giant lizards and dingoes.
A female goanna will produce up to 25 eggs!
It is thought the name goanna is adapted from the word iguana, which is what the goannas were likened to by early European settlers.
The sand goanna is the most common of all the Australian goannas.

Are Goannas Dangerous?

Goannas have venom glands, but recent studies question whether goannas have fangs to inject venom into humans. Bites are not deadly to humans and larger animals, but further complications can result from bacterial infections.

While goannas are not deadly, they are wild animals and people should not seek to antagonise wild animals, gigantic lizards. If you leave a goanna alone and give it lots of space, it will leave you alone too. It might try to steal a sausage but most of the time, people and goannas can cohabitate quite safely but there have been exceptions.

Goannas can mistake humans for trees, and this can result in being climbed by a goanna which is why advice suggests lying down is the best thing to do if a goanna runs at you.
If a goanna feels threatened, then it may seek to defend itself, don’t go out of your way to make a goanna feel threatened! (Such attacks are rare)
While unlikely to attack intentionally, if you are camping in Australia with small children or dogs and a goanna is close, you should remain alert. There are old wives’ tales about goannas attacking livestock, but there is very little evidence to substantiate this except for the odd story, which will make you wonder.
Some people have tried to feed goannas which have resulted in finger injuries – don’t do this.
Feeding goannas makes them less wary of people which is more likely to increase the likelihood of goanna attacks.

Do Goannas keep snakes away?

The short answer is no. The goanna will eat venomous snakes but there is no evidence that a goanna is a deterrent for snakes.

Where to find goannas in Brisbane

Goannas live in Brisbane, commonly sighted at Mount Coot-tha and Mount Mee but also out at Cedar Creek and potentially anywhere in the outer suburbs. If you have ever camped on Stradbroke Island, Fraser Island or Bribie Island, you will likely have come across one.

You can also find them at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary – Famously known for being the first and largest koala sanctuary with over 130 koalas; it is also home to plenty of other animals and birds today. One among these to visit is the huge, tree-climbing Lace Monitor, commonly called the ‘tree goanna.’ The centre is a 20-minute drive northeast of Brisbane, making it a perfect place to spend an afternoon with the kids.

Like all Australian native fauna, Goannas still need our help to thrive. Habitat loss and disturbance of their habitats all threaten their future. While they are not listed as endangered at a national level, there are several species of goanna that are threatened. If you notice a sick or injured person, you should reach out to Wires Australia for advice.

You might also like to read the following animal fact sheets