The Ridge Tailed Monitor - Tiny Spiny Tailed Goanna

The spiny-tailed monitor (Varanus acanthurus), also known as the ridge-tailed monitor or Ackie&dwarf monitor, is an Australian species of lizard belonging to the genus of monitor lizards also known as Goanna or Varanids The spiny-tailed monitor, a medium-sized monitor lizard, can attain a total length of up to 70 cm (27 in), although there are unconfirmed reports of wild individuals growing up to 34 inches.[The tail is about 1.3-2.3 times as long as the head and body combined. The upper side is a rich, dark brown and painted with bright-yellowish to cream spots, which often enclose a few dark scales. This arid-adapted lizard is found in northern Western Australia, in the Northern Territory and in the eastern and northeastern parts of Queensland. The spiny-tailed monitor inhabits is associated with arid rocky ranges and outcrops. V. a. acanthurus is primarily found in northwestern Australia in the Western Territory, while V. a. brachyurus can be found in central Australia, with their range extending up into the Northern Territory. V. a. insulanicus&range is limited to a small island off the coast of Northern Australia Spiny-tailed monitors are diurnal, solitary ground-dwellers. This species is most often found in its shelter, mainly under rock slabs, boulders or in rock crevices. Only rarely do they hide in spinifex. As the Ridge tailed monitor has a lower level of activity compared to other monitor lizards, as well as a lower metabolic rate, it is often found in its...