Lace Monitor (Varanus varius): Australian species guide

The Lace Monitor is a large Australian goanna, also called the tree goanna. The accepted scientific name in the consulted museum and government sources is Varanus varius (White, 1790), so the supplied database name is current and needs no correction. [1] [2] Its linkable WildGuardian database profile is [Lace Monitor — record 14](/wildlife/lace-monitor).

WildGuardian’s MEDIUM risk label is a prompt to give this powerful wild reptile space, rather than a claim that every sighting is an emergency. A Lace Monitor may climb away when alarmed, but its claws and pointed teeth can injure a person who gets too close. [1]

Identification limits: what a Lace Monitor looks like

An adult Lace Monitor is a very large lizard with strong legs and a long, slender tail flattened from side to side. Its ground colour is dark grey to black, overlaid with light spots and narrow yellow-and-black bands. The snout has black and yellow bands continuing below the chin, while the tail bands become broader towards the tip. Museums Victoria records a maximum total length of up to 2.1 metres. [1]

Young Lace Monitors can be more brightly marked than adults and may show a bluish wash on the sides of the face and body. [2] Pattern, size and a view of an animal in a tree can support an identification, but they are not a reason to approach. Lighting, distance and age can change how markings appear.

The name tree goanna is useful but not exclusive: Lace Monitors are semi-arboreal, meaning they use trees extensively, and they also forage on the ground. [1] A goanna seen on a path, beside a log or moving across a clearing can therefore still be a Lace Monitor in suitable range and habitat.

Australian range and habitat

Lace Monitors occur across a broad part of mainland eastern Australia. The Victorian government’s species assessment describes their range as forests and woodlands from Cape York Peninsula in Queensland south to Gippsland in Victoria, extending west into western New South Wales and parts of South Australia. [2] Local records and suitable wooded habitat matter within that range.

The species uses treed environments. The government assessment lists damp and dry sclerophyll forest, riparian forest, box–ironbark forest, red gum and black box woodland, including forested corridors along major watercourses in semi-arid country. [2] Museums Victoria similarly identifies dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands, while the NSW education centre highlights the importance of trees, hollows, logs, rocks and leaf litter for shelter, prey and habitat structure. [1] [3]

For an observer, the practical takeaway is simple: a Lace Monitor can be above eye level on a trunk or branch, but may also be using the ground between trees. Scan quietly and give it an unblocked route away rather than trying to get closer for a photograph.

Behaviour and ecology

Lace Monitors are day-active reptiles that use external warmth to regulate body temperature. The Victorian assessment describes them as both terrestrial and arboreal, capable climbers, opportunistic carnivores and scavengers. [2] They search widely for food. Their varied diet includes insects and other invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals, birds, eggs and carrion. [1] [3] This broad diet places them in forest and woodland food webs as both predator and scavenger. [3]

Their forked tongue helps them gather chemical information while investigating their surroundings, and their curved claws help them climb and grip bark. [3] They shelter in tree hollows and can flee up a tree when alarmed. [1] Those behaviours are good reasons to observe without blocking a trunk, hollow or escape route.

Female Lace Monitors lay eggs, often in active termite nests; the stable conditions in a nest can assist incubation. [1] [2] Do not disturb termite mounds, hollows, fallen timber or other potential shelter and breeding features for the sake of a closer look.

A GPS study in the Burragorang Valley, New South Wales, tracked nine large adult males. In that study, mean 95% minimum-convex-polygon home range was 65.5 hectares, core ranges had almost no overlap, and winter movement was greatly reduced. [5] These results are useful context for why an individual may repeatedly appear around a broad wooded area, but they should not be treated as a universal size for every Lace Monitor: the study focused on large males at one south-eastern Australian site. [5]

Safer encounters

A Lace Monitor is best left to continue its normal activity. Its normal use of trees, ground habitat and carrion does not make it an animal to feed, touch or encourage closer to homes and campsites. [1] [3]

• Keep a safe distance and observe quietly. The NSW education guidance specifically advises observing Lace Monitors from a safe distance. [3]
• Do not feed it. Feeding, food scraps and unsecured rubbish can alter natural foraging and attract Lace Monitors towards people. [3]
• Keep dogs away and supervise children. The same NSW guidance recommends keeping dogs away from wildlife. [3]
• Let it choose its route away. Step back rather than crowding, cornering or blocking an animal near a tree, hollow, log or track. Its documented response to alarm can be to climb a tree. [1]

If there is a scratch or bite

Museum guidance says Lace Monitors are not thought to be harmful, but their sharp claws and large pointed teeth can cause a painful injury. [1] This page does not treat a Lace Monitor bite as a snakebite. The relevant concern is a wound from an animal: Healthdirect notes that native animals can bite, that broken skin can become infected, and that a person whose skin is broken by an animal bite should see a doctor as soon as possible. [4]

For a minor wound while arranging medical advice, Healthdirect advises cleaning the skin around it with soap and water, using running water to remove dirt or other material, patting it dry with a clean cloth and covering it with a clean dressing. Apply pressure with a dry dressing after cleaning if it is bleeding heavily. [4] Medical assessment also allows a clinician to consider wound care and tetanus vaccination status. [4]

Seek emergency care if the wound is large or deep, is on the face or head, or bleeding cannot be stopped. Do not drive yourself to hospital; have someone drive you or call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance. [4] Fever, increasing pain, redness, swelling, warmth, pus or discharge are signs that can accompany an infected animal-bite wound and need medical attention. [4]

Frequently asked questions

Is the Lace Monitor’s scientific name still Varanus varius?

Yes. Both the Museums Victoria species record and the Victorian government assessment use Varanus varius (White, 1790) for the Lace Monitor. [1] [2]

Is a Lace Monitor the same animal as a tree goanna?

Yes. Tree goanna is another recorded common name for the Lace Monitor. [1]

Do Lace Monitors only live in trees?

No. They are semi-arboreal: they mainly use trees and hollows, yet also forage on the ground. [1] The species uses forests, woodlands and other treed habitats across its Australian range. [2] [3]

Is it safe to feed a Lace Monitor for a closer view?

No. NSW guidance says never to feed Lace Monitors because food scraps and unsecured rubbish can alter their natural foraging behaviour and attract them to people. Observe from a safe distance instead. [3]

What should I do if a Lace Monitor scratches or bites me?

Treat it as an animal-wound issue, not snakebite first aid. Clean and cover the wound as advised by Healthdirect, seek medical advice promptly if the skin is broken, and seek emergency care for a large or deep wound, a face or head wound, or bleeding that will not stop. [4]

References

1. [1] Varanus varius Lace Monitor, Museums Victoria Collections
2. [2] Threatened Species Assessment Varanus varius
3. [3] Lace monitor fact sheet, Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre
4. [4] Dog, cat, bat and human bites, Healthdirect Australia
5. [5] Territoriality and seasonality in the home range of adult male free-ranging lace monitors