Goanna

[slowflow]

Goanna's are your friends who devour any small snake whenever possible, that's the end of the friendship.

Last week, an old bloke I know decided to pat a goanna whilst picnicking in the Royal National Park, as a result he has been in hospital for 5 days for repairs to damaged tendons, veins and other bits of flesh that were damaged. Blood everywhere. As he reflexed to withdraw his extended hand, the goanna climbed up his trousers and bit the offending appendage. Goanna's are very quick & he was lucky that the trousers protected him from the claws.

So, Harry now says don't pat the wildlife.

Harry is in his early 80's and still learning, hope we can take something from that.

 

[Sandta]

Is Harry Australian?
80 years old... Bet he never stuck his finger in a cockys cage...
Must have been out on day release with the family for a picnic :lol:
What was he thinking?

 

[Jaros]

I foolishly played with a full grown blue tongue lizard when i was 8 yrs old and discovered how powerful their jaws are. I think it 2-3 mths to get over the crushing experience on my right index finger. It bwuddi ert : 8.( 8.( 8.(

 

[ProspectorPete]

Ouch, that's gotta hurt. I like goannas but only from a safe distance, last year at Lake Wonboyn we were just leaving the boat ramp when we heard a dog barking, looked back to see the little fluffy Maltese about to try it's luck with a big goanna that was up on his rear legs sizing up puppy about 6ft away, said to Trace "this is gonna be ugly", no sign of either when we got back to the ramp a couple of hours later.
There were plenty around Wonboyn but we didn't see any snakes which was great.

 

[Jaros]

Do you mean you lost your Maltese??

 

[ProspectorPete]

I had my box of maltesers in the boat but I'm tipping someone else lost theirs or now has a dog that jumps at shadows :lol:

 

[AtomRat]

wow, I hope your friend is ok slowflow, sounds like a bit of repairs to do there! They are extreemly fast and nasty critters indeed. Luckily the jeans protected him and the Goanna didn't get to Harry's snake :lol:

 

[dwt]

and the Goanna didn't get to Harry's snake :lol:

Hahaaaaaa :lol:

 

[MJB]

I let the kids pat a Shingleback a while ago....now I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't. I was a cool day so maybe he was half asleep

 

[jamie]

i grew up catching all sorts of critters out in the sticks when i was young looking back now some i really shouldn't have, last time i grabbed a goanna only about 4ft long held it let my daughter have a pat of it and then let him go, showed my daughter the claws it had and explained why you need to have great respect for these lizards, the next day seen a drunk clown try and grab one, didn't go so well for him, my daughter said to me that's why you respect them and leave them alone (daughter was 6 at that time), lessons can be learned in all sorts of ways i suppose

 

[Keith]

Jamie, far better that some-one else demonstrated the hazard to your daughter & not you!

 

[Billy]

Sounds like the "old fella" was very lucky indeed, slowflow!!
I see a fair few of them around Stuart Town NSW and they grow to a big size. Apparently the bacteria in their mouth is quite nasty and I give them all the respect they deserve! Very cool critter though!

Cheers,
Billy.

 

[Jaros]

I watched one hunting birds in a very large gum tree at Glenlyon Dam a cuppla years ago. They are so patient and precise in their moves - it's fantastic to see.

 

[Goldpick]

Read this, and you will have second thoughts about picking up a goanna in the future.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/venom-research-badmouths-goannas/2005/11/17/1132016892739.html

 

[Jaros]

At the time i placed my finger near it's mouth i hand a hanky wrapped around my finger. Lucky i did that. It was like having a vice slam shut across the digit. 8.(

 

[dwt]

At the time i placed my finger near it's mouth i hand a hanky wrapped around my finger. Lucky i did that. It was like having a vice slam shut across the digit. 8.(

Never stick ya finger where you would stick ya d..... oh hang on, its the other way around

 

[slipped disc]

Best to give goannas a wide berth. they sometimes run up your legs and back/front using their sharp claws. I watched a 2 footer chase my mate around, quite funny really.

 

[Sandta]

A few years back (actually it was probably about 30 years ago) tv program, " funniest home videos" showed a video of three mates coaxing a goanna into another mates tent as he slept... Then did up the zips and proceeded to roll around in fits of laughter as the tent exploded into chaos :lol:
Funniest shite ever ! I actually pissed my pants :8 .. My mum thought that was even funnier than the video ... She still tells that story .... Often

 

[Goldpick]

Lol, I remember that one, though I think it was larger than a goanna, a perentie or something similar. There was a snake catcher in Alice Spring that tried to round up a perentie, it latched onto his hand and nearly dismembered his whole thumb. He was in hospital for a fair while afterwards due to a chronic infection to his hand from the toxins, and came close to losing it.

 

[Digginholes]

As a kid I spent all my spare time chasing and catching lizards, goanna's are by far the most dangerous, the first one I ever caught was just a baby about 70cm long, it scratched the shite out of my forearms and bit my hand. Their teeth are so sharp I didn't realise it got me till I felt the blood dripping off my arm onto my leg. They also use those big long tails to whip you and it does hurt and leave good welts. Like most lizards if you tuck their legs down they can't scratch ya but goannas have a fairly long neck and can twist their heads around a fair bit to bite ya, best to just leave them be but I still didn't give up the game till I had caught one bigger than me, I'll never forget the scream that thing got outta mum lol