Perentie

Lore & Background

British zoologist John Edward Gray described the perentie in 1845 as Hydrosaurus giganteus, calling it the 'gigantic water lizard'. George Albert Boulenger later moved it to the genus Varanus. Within the monitor genus Varanus, it belongs to the subgenus Varanus. Perenties are found in the arid desert areas of Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, inhabiting rocky outcroppings and gorges with hard-packed soil and loose stones. They are the largest living species of lizard in Australia, growing to lengths of 2.5 m and weighing up to 20 kg, possibly up to 3 m and 40 kg, making it the fourth-largest extant species of lizard. However, perenties are very lean among large monitors, making it significantly less bulky than the rock monitor at a similar size. The head and neck have a creamy-white background and a reticulated pattern of black lines and flecks; the body is yellow or cream with brown rosettes on the back; the limbs are dark with white spots.

Reader's Guide

In late 2005, University of Melbourne researchers discovered that all monitors may be somewhat venomous. Previously, bites inflicted by monitors were thought to be prone to infection because of bacteria in their mouths, but the researchers showed that the immediate effects are caused by mild envenomation. Bites on the hand by perenties have been observed to cause swelling within minutes, localised disruption of blood clotting, and shooting pain up to the elbow, often lasting for several hours. However, University of Washington biologist Kenneth V. Kardong and toxicologists Scott A. Weinstein and Tamara L. Smith argued that the suggestion of venom glands has had the effect of underestimating the variety of complex roles played by oral secretions in the biology of reptiles, and concluded that calling all in this clade venomous implies an overall potential danger that does not exist and misleads in the assessment of medical risks. Perenties are apex predators that at adult size have no natural predators in their range. They are highly active carnivores feeding mostly on reptiles, small mammals, and less commonly birds. They also display intraguild predation, eating other monitor lizard species and smaller members of their own species. Their significance lies in their ecological role as top predators in arid Australia and their cultural importance to Aboriginal peoples.

Did You Know?

• Perenties can grow to lengths of 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) and weigh up to 20 kg (44 lb), possibly up to 3 m (9 ft 10 in) and 40 kg (88 lb).
• They are the largest living species of lizard in Australia.
• Perenties are apex predators that at adult size have no natural predators in their range.
• The species is part of the Ngiṉṯaka dreaming and was a favoured food item among desert Aboriginal tribes.