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Perentie Facts

Perentie Facts
Perentie is a type of monitor lizard that belongs to the family Varanidae. It can be found in Australia. Perentie inhabits arid areas, rocky hillsides, semi-arid savannas and caves. Various Aboriginal tribes hunted perenties in the past because of the meat and fat that were used as a source of food and in medical and ceremonial purposes. Despite that, perenties are numerous and widespread in the wild (they are not on the list of endangered species).
Interesting Perentie Facts:
Perentie is the largest Australian lizard and 4th largest lizard on the planet. It can reach 8 feet in length and up to 33 pounds of weight.
Perentie has brown body with a tinge of red color. Body and tail are covered with yellow spots with dark edges arranged in the form of transverse bands. Throat is covered with black lines.
Unique pattern of spots on the neck of perentie can be used for identification of individuals (like the fingerprints).
Perentie has long snout, forked tongue and numerous, sharp, slightly curved teeth. It has long neck, muscular legs and extremely strong, long, laterally flattened tail. Perentie has sharp claws on the feet which facilitate digging of burrows and climbing on the trees.
Perentie collects chemicals (smells) from the air with its long tongue (like snake). It also uses excellent eyesight to find its next meal.
Perentie is a carnivore (meat-eater). Its diet is based on small mammals, birds, lizards, turtle eggs and insects.
Perentie grabs the prey with its mouth and violently shakes it until victim dies. It swallows the prey in one piece.
Perentie is very fast animal. It can run at the speed of 25 miles per hour using all four legs or only hind legs.
Perentie digs complex burrows in the sand that usually have more than one exit. Burrows provide protection against predators and extreme weather conditions.
When perentie is threatened, it erects the body, inflates the neck and produces loud hissing noise. Natural enemies of perenties are humans, dingoes, large snakes and wedge-tailed eagles.
Mating season of perenties takes place during the spring and summer.
Males are territorial and aggressive during the breeding season. They fight with each other while standing on the hind legs and use their front legs, sharp claws and strong tail to establish dominance and get opportunity to mate.
Male licks and rubs female's body during the courtship.
Female lays 8 to 11 eggs per season. Eggs are deposited inside the termite mounds because they provide optimal temperature, humidity and protection against predators. Incubation period lasts around 8 months. Hatchlings are bright colored and able to fend for themselves from the moment of birth.
Perentie can survive up to 20 years in the wild.


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