Wildlife Wednesday: Big ol' lizard

I got a pleasant surprised this weekend past. While taking the family for a relaxing morning barbecue brunch at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station (an historic reserve at the site of the original overland telegraph station of Alice Springs) I chanced upon this big old perentie (Varanus giganteus) mooching along the dry riverbed of the Todd River. I followed it up into the rocky river bank and into an overhang. Finally my daughter arrived with a camera and I was able to snap some okay pictures.Perenties are not uncommon animals but it is only the second time I've seen a wild one so close to town.

Melanie with the perentie just visible in the background, the only shot that I could get that gave the lizard some scale. Note also the resurrection fern (Cheilanthes sp.) growing nice and green in the rock crack above and to the left of Melanie's hat. It rained here a few weeks ago.