Spencer’s Goanna

Alice Springs Reptile Centre

Found in the black soil plains of the Barkly Tableland region in the Northern Territory, through to Central Queensland, the Spencer’s Goanna (Varanus spenceri), also referred to as the Spencer’s Monitor, are usually active only during the cooler hours of the morning and late afternoon.

The Spencer Goanna has a grey to grey-brown colouration with pale banding pattern. They have a blunt looking head and short laterally compressed tail, that is as long as the the head and body.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Varanidae
Genus: Varanus
Subgenus: Varanus
Species: V. spenceri
Binomial name: Varanus spenceri