# Varanus Panoptes



## louisvillain2.0 (May 16, 2007)

Spent three days up at lizard island research station for work over the easter long weekend. Well, one day work, two days diving the reefs, hanging off sea turtles in the surf and chasing goannas, drunken easter parties and bbq's on the beach. Damn, tough life in the tropics.

Varanus panoptes run the island. Would not be unusual to see 10 or more a day around the research station and wandering the beaches.

































Some stingrays hunting in the shallows

























the view up and down the beach, never a soul in sight. Some research dinghies moored off the beach and you can see some shallow reef just offshore. 1800 species in the waters around the island make for some pretty spectacular diving. Unfortunately I didn't have an underwater camera with me.


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## Sheppard (Jul 8, 2004)

Those panoptes look sweet. It looks like such a nice place you were at. Would hardly feel like work at all!
What is it you do for a living if you don't mind me asking? I know I would love it if my employers paid me to hit it up places like that!


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## weerhom (Jan 12, 2007)

it's so nice to see an animal AT HOME instead of in a cage. Nice pics.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Pretty fantastic.

Do you know the main source of food for the _V. panoptes_ on the island? Any idea of total population?

Is access to the island restricted/controlled? (Since you talked about a lack of other people.)


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Mettle said:


> Pretty fantastic.
> 
> Do you know the main source of food for the _V. panoptes_ on the island? Any idea of total population?
> 
> Is access to the island restricted/controlled? (Since you talked about a lack of other people.)


Good questions. I'd like to know, too.

Extremely interesting pics! You're a lucky fellar! I can't manage to get out of my own state.


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## louisvillain2.0 (May 16, 2007)

Sheppard said:


> Pretty fantastic.
> 
> Do you know the main source of food for the _V. panoptes_ on the island? Any idea of total population?
> 
> Is access to the island restricted/controlled? (Since you talked about a lack of other people.)


Couldn't tell you the total population size, given the size of the island and the density of lizards it would have to be in the mid hundreds. Their main source of food...lots of big snails on the island (there are a couple to the right of the coconut in the 2nd pic), insects and small ground dwelling snakes would have to make up a good portion of their diet. Although they aren't as adept at climbing as their larger cousins Varanus varius they still get up into dense shrubs and trees to snack on bird eggs and young. Plus you will often see them working the high tide mark. Those that live near the resort probably make a fair living off tourists feeding them.

Access is not restricted but the island is pretty isolated. There is public mooring off the campground, some charter boats out of Cooktown will drop people off or charter flights from Cairns which is the easiest. On one side of the sland there is a large camping ground for visitors or the resort for those willing to drop 1500+/night. Research station is well seperated from these and off limits except for the odd tour group. Most visitors are there for the diving, the ribbon reefs and famous cod hole are all close by. Researchers are always out on the reef or monitoring their captives in the aquariums.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Really nice pictures. You are a lucky man!


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