第 0624 號，共 1 402 號

Lace monitor

Varanus varius

只是會痛會痛，但不會對你造成嚴重傷害。

咬吃：肉

The lace monitor is a large lizard that lives in eastern Australia, and it can grow up to 2 metres long. It is a skilled climber that often lives in trees, and it is one of the country's biggest monitor lizards. It is also known as the tree goanna.1

分布在

Eastern Australia, from Cape Bedford on Cape York Peninsula to south-eastern South Australia1

澳洲與大洋洲

首頁

Lace monitors live in open and closed forests. They often shelter in tree hollows, under fallen trees or large rocks. They also visit places where people live, raiding chicken coops and rummaging through rubbish bins and garbage bags in picnic and recreational areas.1

長度

2 m (6,6 ft)1

體重

14 kg (31 lb)1

最高速度

大約 16 km/h（9,9 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

Lace monitors mainly eat carrion, which is meat from animals that are already dead. They also eat insects, reptiles, small mammals, birds, and eggs and young birds and mammals, especially in spring and early summer. They search for food on the ground and retreat to a nearby tree if disturbed.1

Lace monitor 的照片 — Lace monitor。照片：Bidgee。 CC BY-SA 3.0 au, Wikimedia Commons.

怎麼認出牠

The main form is dark grey to dull bluish-black with scattered cream-coloured spots.1
The head is black, and the snout has prominent black and yellow bands that extend under the chin and neck.1
The tail has narrow black and cream bands that get wider towards the tip.1
Bell's form has a yellow-brown or yellow base colour with fine black mottling and broad black or dark brown bands from the shoulders to the tail.1
Juveniles have more defined banding, with five narrow black bands on the neck and eight on the body.1

毒液力量

咬

咬的時候，毒液會從毒牙或牙齒出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

Lace monitors have venom glands, and their venom is similar to snake venom, but it is not strong enough to cause serious harm. A bite on the hand can cause swelling within minutes, localised disruption of blood clotting (the blood clots less well in that area), and shooting pain up to the elbow. This pain can often last for several hours.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 疼痛可能會非常痛，但幾乎從來不會很嚴重。

Its venom is not enough to cause serious harm. Scientists have cautioned that calling these lizards venomous overestimates the medical risk to bite victims.1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

When disturbed, lace monitors retreat to a nearby tree.1

如果牠咬人

清洗傷口，讓傷者保持冷靜，並且就醫。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠咬了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多重？

跟 4 隻家貓一樣重

跟 4 隻家貓從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 11 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長可以在 22 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Lace monitor 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

騎腳踏車的小朋友 大約 12 km/h (7,5 mph)

Lace monitor 大約 16 km/h (9,9 mph)

一個正在衝刺的人 大約 37 km/h (23 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Populations near rubbish tips were thirty five times greater than in natural forest, and individuals were around twice as heavy.1

Lace monitors quickly learned to avoid cane toads after they had been poisoned by them.1

One lace monitor was recorded climbing a brick wall to find shelter during a thunderstorm.1

Its closest living relative is the Komodo dragon.1

破解迷思

迷思： Bites from monitors were thought to be dangerous mainly because of infection from bacteria in their mouths.

真相： Researchers found in 2005 that the immediate effects of bites were more likely caused by venom.1

給毒液專家

學名: Varanus varius
類群: 有毒液的蜥蜴
家人: Varanidae2
排序: Squamata
各大洲: 澳洲與大洋洲
寶寶: Females lay an average of eight eggs, and up to 12, in active termite nests on the ground or in trees. The eggs hatch 6 to 7 months later.1
壽命: 大約 20 年1
牠在野外的狀況: Least Concern1
對人的危險: 2 / 5: 疼痛3