Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone have any information on Varanus Rosenbergi (Rosenberg's Goanna)?
I'd like to know more about these beautiful lizards & does anybody work with these in the US?

G

What sort of information are you after? Get yourself a copy of the King and Green book on monitor lizards (Monitors: The biology of varanid lizards). It's an excellent book on monitor biology in general, but much of it is based on work done on Varanus rosenbergi.

Keep in mind that much of the work done on this species has been done on the South Australian population, which may differ slightly in biology from the West Australian and NSW/ACT populations.

They are quite common where I live, in fact I was at a friend's place yesterday with my camera as there's been one hanging around for the past few weeks and I was hoping to get some shots. Didn't see it yesterday, unfortunately.

Thank you so much for the information. I am looking for housing, feeding, & breeding info in case I am lucky enough to find a pair or trio her in the US. I will definitely pick up that book!

If you have any pictures of them, let me know & I'll give you my email address, as the ones I have found on the internet are old & of pretty por quality.

Thanks for your time!

G

Hi,
I very much doubt you will find 1, much less 2 V. rosenbergi in USA/North America. I know of only 2 parties who have them in captivity anywhere - 1 zoo in Western Australia and a 1.1 pair in Germany, who recently bred successfully, but I have never heard of anyone else having them. They are the only species to feed on penguins!
cheers,
mbayless

Hi Mark,

They are quite commonly kept here in private collections and I personally know of many people that keep and breed them (I was looking at a couple yesterday, in fact, for the friend I was visiting has CB juveniles - he also happens to live next to a national park so gets both wild V rosenbergi and V varius sniffing around his chook house). As far as institutions go, I wouldn't doubt that many zoos have them aside from Western Australia. Taronga has a couple as well.

They may be the only monitor that regularly feeds on penguins, but lace monitors are also found in little or fairy penguin range so they'd surely feed on dead ones. There is a big penguin colony on an offshore island near my favourite lace monitor spot and I have seen penguins swimming at some of the very same beaches I have seen lace monitors patrol.

That is really cool info!
I really wish there were a way to bring these into the US. These are just fascinating Moniotrs!

Hi DK,
Thanks for info - I only know of the two sources published. I figured there are quite a few in captivity in Australia, but as you know, many many more people who keep varanids keep to themselves and do not (often) advertize what they keep with them.

I would be most interested to learn about the breedings of V. rosenbergi, as they are virtually unknown/unreported in the private sector. I would be curious to learn how different their breeding times, temps etc are from nominate V. gouldii types.

I did not know V. varius was also feeding on (fairy) penguins as well....I got my information from a fellow who actually saw them feeding on the little penguins....I never considered V. varius doing this too - and don't know why I did'nt either??

Cheers, Thanks DK,
markb

Thank you for the info. I really wish they were available here i the USA. These I'm sure would become very popular varanids!

G

I think you'd find they'd be really popular for a while for their novelty value - people are stuck on the idea of getting what no one else has - but once established over there they'd lose their popularity to the more colourful species.

That may be true. Maybe I'm different but I just like the way they look. To me color isn't everything. Head shape,body build, size & microhabitat are all part of what makes a reptile special to me.
Maybe I'm a weirdo, I just can't judge a book by it's cover. Especially a reptile book!

G