Spencer's goanna Spencer's goanna Spencer's goanna or Spencer's monitor ("Varanus spenceri" ) is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Australia. The specific name, "spenceri", is in honor of English-Australian biologist Walter Baldwin Spencer. "V. spenceri" is native to the Barkly region in central Queensland/Northern Territory, Australia. "V. spenceri" can grow to a total length (including tail) of up to . Spencer's monitor is generally heavier than a similarly sized monitor of another species due to its "stockier" build. It has sharp claws which it uses for digging burrows. "Varanus spenceri" eats anything it can
Goanna toxin-producing glands. The goanna's hefty tail can be dangerous when swung, much like a crocodile's tail; small children and dogs have been knocked down by such attacks. Often, victims in goanna attacks are bystanders, watching the person antagonising the goanna. Alarmed goannas can mistake standing humans for trees and attempt to climb off the ground to safety, which is understandably painful, as well as distressing for the human. Goannas are protected species throughout Australia. Goannas have a prominent place in the culture of indigenous Australians. This includes totemic and stories relationships, anthropomorphic representations in dreamtime stories, and as a food