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 source. Representations of goannas are common in indigenous artwork, not just as food, but also as a symbolic spiritual motif. Goannas and the mighty perentie are often considered two different animals when used in aboriginal works, as illustrated by the story "How the Goanna and Perentie got their Colours". European settlers perpetuated several old wives' tales about goanna habits and abilities; some of these have persisted in modern folklore among campers and bushmen. This includes the above-mentioned exaggeration of goannas dragging off sheep from shepherds' flocks in the night. These might even be exaggerated into child-snatching, rivalling drop bears (attack