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LA Zoo hatches first-ever perentie lizards

Two new perentie lizards have hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo, the first of their species to be bred there

The Columbian
Published: December 27, 2024, 5:41am
3 Photos
This photo provided by the Los Angeles Zoo shows a perentie lizard hatching Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, as the zoo celebrates the successful hatching of two, healthy perentie lizards (Varanus giganteus).
This photo provided by the Los Angeles Zoo shows a perentie lizard hatching Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, as the zoo celebrates the successful hatching of two, healthy perentie lizards (Varanus giganteus). (Byron Wusstig/Los Angeles Zoo via AP) Photo Gallery

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two new baby lizards have hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo, the first of their species to be bred there, zoo officials said last week.

Perentie lizards, or Varanus giganteus, are native to Australia and one of the world’s largest lizards, dwarfed only by the Komodo dragon and a few others.

“It is incredibly rewarding for our team to experience success breeding this species,” zoo curator Byron Wusstig said in a statement. “This species is not endangered, but it is rarely seen in zoo settings outside of Australia.”

The LA Zoo is one of only three institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that have successfully reproduced them, Wusstig said, and it is the first time the zoo has bred the perentie lizard species in its history.

Zoo officials said the baby lizards are doing well, eating and being closely observed. They will be raised off-exhibit in a controlled environment in their early stages of life. Visitors can see the father in the zoo’s Australia section by the Komodo dragon habitat.

Adult perentie lizards can reach more than 8 feet in length and can weigh more than 40 pounds, the zoo said. They have brown skin with cream or yellow markings. The carnivorous species eats turtle eggs, insects, birds, other reptiles, and small mammals and marsupials, and they swallow their prey whole.

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