Goanna involved previously). This reinforces the wildlife authority's recommendation of not feeding animals while camping or adventuring, but most authorities doubt that a goanna will actually direct an intentional attack at a human unless the human attempts to attack it (or grasp at it) first. Aborigines who hunt goannas for food consider the perentie as a high-risk (but tasty) prey. The debate on whether goannas are venomous or not is growing. Previously, the incessant bleeding caused by goanna bites was thought to be the result of bacterial infection. A recent study suggests monitor lizards (including goannas) are venomous and have oral
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