Varanus varius at Black Range, NSW

1 Lace Monitor at Black Range, NSW

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Identification history

Varanus varius

3 Dec 2019

MatthewHiggins

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Significant sighting

Patrick Campbell noted:

5 Dec 2019

Witnessing and documenting mating behaviour in wild monitors is a relatively rare event, therefore this is an interesting and valuable account.

Author's notes

Steph and I today saw Lace Monitor courtship behaviour. The male (a different individual from the one seen previously on our block, judging by facial pattern) was acting aroused, with lots of tongue-flicking to pick up scent, and it climbed a large tree. I then saw a smaller Lace Monitor (female) up the tree. The monitors returned to the ground where the male several times mounted the female who was in a submissive posture with head low to ground. Copulation did not take place as the female kept moving. After a while the pair ran off down the hill! About an hour later a local Kookaburra alerted us to the male’s presence and he was now on his own. As well as getting a good range of still images we also got good video of some of the key behaviour. A significant sighting.