ReptilesReptile Index Central Netted Dragon Ctenotus leonhardii Ctenotus saxatilis Crocodile Geckos Gidgee Skink Goanna, Monitor, Perentie Inland Bearded Dragon Lined Firetail Skink Long-nose Dragon Serpentes Skinks Spiny-tailed Goanna Thorny Devil Yellow-Bellied Water Skink (Eulamprus heatwolei)
The Spiny-tailed Goanna (Varanus acanthurus), also known as the Australian Spiny-tailed Monitor, Ridge-Tailed Monitor, Spiny-tailed Monitor, Ackie Dwarf Monitor, and colloquially as the Ackie Monitor.
Varanus acanthurus is a small goanna that grow up to a length of 70 cm, with reports of larger goannas up to 86 cm in the wild. The tail is about 1.3 to 2.3 times as long as the head and body combined.
Varanus acanthurus is a reptile found in the arid ranges and outcrops, native to northern Australia, from Broome in the west, throught Northern Territory and to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The Spiny-tailed Goanna pictured here had entereded into the building and was carefully removed and released back into the desert park.
The upper side of the Spiny-tailed Goanna is dark brown and with yellowish to cream spots, that often enclose a few dark scales. The tail of the Spiny-tailed Goanna is round in section and has very spinose scales (scales bearing spines).
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Subclass: Lepidosauria
- Order: Squamata
- Suborder: Lacertilia
- Family: Varanidae
- Genus: Varanus
- Species: Varanus acanthurus
Footnote & References
- Varanus acanthurus Boulenger, 1885, Bushy Yate, Ridge-Tailed Monitor, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Varanus acanthurus
ReptilesReptile Index Central Netted Dragon Ctenotus leonhardii Ctenotus saxatilis Crocodile Geckos Bynoe’s Gecko Eastern Tree Dtella Southern Spotted Velvet Gecko Gidgee Skink Goanna, Monitor, Perentie Black Headed Goanna Perentie Pygmy Mulga Goanna Sand Goanna Inland Bearded Dragon Lined Firetail Skink Long-nose Dragon Serpentes Blind Snake Central Carpet Python Children’s Python Stimson’s Python Skinks Spiny-tailed Goanna Thorny Devil Yellow-Bellied Water Skink (Eulamprus heatwolei)