LOS ANGELES — Two new child lizards have hatched on the Los Angeles Zoo, the primary of their species to be bred there, zoo officers stated Thursday.
Perentie lizards, or Varanus giganteus, are native to Australia and one of many world’s largest lizards, dwarfed solely by the Komodo dragon and some others.
“It’s extremely rewarding for our workforce to expertise success breeding this species,” zoo curator Byron Wusstig stated in an announcement. “This species just isn’t endangered, however it’s not often seen in zoo settings exterior of Australia.”
The LA Zoo is considered one of solely three establishments accredited by the Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums which have efficiently reproduced them, Wusstig stated, and it’s the first time the zoo has bred the perentie lizard species in its historical past.
Zoo officers stated the child lizards are doing nicely, consuming, and being carefully noticed by workers. They are going to be raised off-exhibit in a managed atmosphere of their early phases of life. Guests can see the daddy within the zoo’s Australia part by the Komodo dragon habitat.
Grownup perentie lizards can attain greater than 8 toes (2.4 meters) in size and might weigh greater than 40 kilos (18 kilograms), the zoo stated. They’ve brown pores and skin with cream or yellow markings. The carnivorous species eats turtle eggs, bugs, birds, different reptiles, and small mammals and marsupials, they usually swallow their prey complete.
