Canopy goanna scales. Its tail has no visible keel. The canopy goanna is small for a montor lizard, reaching a total length up to 77 cm. Canopy goanna The canopy goanna ("Varanus keithhornei") is a species of monitor lizards native to northeast Australia. It is also known as the blue-nosed tree monitor, Keith Horne's monitor, or occasionally as the Nesbit River monitor It belongs to the subgenus "Euprepiosaurus" and is a member of the "Varanus prasinus" species group. This monitor lizard is found in a restricted range near the Nesbit River, or in the McIlwraith or Iron Mountain Ranges on the Cape
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