“Goanna” is another name for a monitor lizard. There are 26 known species in Australia, but Rosenberg’s is the only one on Kangaroo Island:
Once common in southern Asutralia, they’re now listed as “vulnerable to threatened” and KI is their last stronghold. Other interesting Rosenberg Goanna facts:
- Found in heath, open forest, sand dunes, coastal areas and woodland
- Individually they require large areas of habitat
- Not sexually mature until 6 – 9 years
- Utilise termite mounds for nesting purposes, laying up to 14 eggs
- Are generally very curious
They’re the island’s largest native predator, feeding on birds, eggs, small mammals, other reptiles… and roadkill. Which makes them targets for roadkill themselves. Road deaths increase in line with the amount of traffic, so increase during the holiday tourism season.
To add to that, juvenile survival rates are low with only one out of 12 surviving the first year.
Today was a day of “bays”, starting with Western River Cove:
Then Snelling Beach – where there was a birthday party in full swing:
Stokes Bay:
Emu Bay:
Pennington Bay:
And finally Penneshaw – and someone’s wedding snaps:
… to catch the ferry back to the mainland, along with a significant proportion of the island’s sheep population!
Other pictures from our road journey:
A day “making it up as we went along” – the way we love to travel 🙂
Other random stuff from today:
I’ve seen these “Bushfire last resort refuge” signs in most towns:
A hobby train castle:
Florentine cookie – might try this one for Mum when I get home:
And today’s BOTD was an easy winner:
And here’s the runner up (green fly):