We had arranged to meet up last October 24^th and do some work on the Old Gold Creek Sawmill Forest Walk at the end of Gold Creek Road.  Neither of us could have expected to be diverted by an amazing biological show we chanced upon, already well underway on the last creek crossing.  Two large male goannas were locked in serious, vigorous combat!  We were gobsmacked!  Camera phones out immediately.  The goannas (Varanus varius) took no interest in us, they were much too busy, often standing high on their hind legs, chest to chest, their tails used as props, their arms around each other, pushing, pushing, to and fro, sometimes falling over and rolling and thrashing on the ground, tails swishing, clawing each other and each apparently trying to get on top and hold down the other.  And this went on and on as we watched, agog.

They were about the same size and early on it seemed to be a contest of strength only, with little or no biting.  But biting became more common as the fight continued and blood was shed, smearing onto the combatants.  Towards the end, it became quite brutal, until one finally succeeded in pinning the other down, each still with a hold on the other, sometimes between clenched teeth.  After we’d been watching for about 50 minutes the clinch ended suddenly.  One escaped and dashed off, disappearing into the bushes upstream.  The victor left in the same direction a couple of minutes later and we saw no more.

Conferring later, we found we had both been very impressed by their persistence, and their stamina, and you can judge the strength of their commitment by watching the (condensed) video below.

Male combat in reptiles must be quite common but may usually be less prolonged. Perhaps this bout was a long one because the contest was so even.  This is not the sort of thing one can expect to see often, or at all, even if you are a goanna afficionado.  One of us has a biologist colleague with a sufficiently serious interest in varanid lizards to be an invited speaker at international conferences.  But despite his many hours of field work he has yet to observe male combat.  Indeed, there seem to be few substantial reports, and most record brief engagements, sometimes interrupted by the observer’s presence.

So, what is this all about?  We’re sure you’ve realised already that there must have been a lady goanna somewhere nearby.  We couldn’t see her, but there was probably some compelling scent wafting in and these two each wanted the owner of it for himself.  Yes, this is all about goanna love and, in contrast, we are sure you will be pleased to learn that their mating behaviour is said to be ‘very tender’.

Gordon Grigg and Andrew Wilson

Photos and words by Gordon Grigg and video courtesy of Andrew Wilson