Monster Lizard Hunts Kangaroo - varanus giganteus - parentie monitor
nothing much escapes his attention
most of the time he makes do with small
rodents
out here in Australia's barren interior
potential meals are few and far between
so he's not above scavenging
but such a big active hunter
sometimes needs a more substantial meal
a parentie of his size will actively hunt
wombats and even
lone dingoes
most reptiles wouldn't even dream of
taking on
a red kangaroo.
but the parenti isn't most reptiles
he can do something other lizards can't
parentis can run and breathe
at the same time
he has a large breathing tube and strong
neck muscles
that act like bellows to keep him well
oxygenated
even at high speed
the parenti is one of the fastest of all
reptiles
he can maintain speeds of around 25
miles an hour
for more than half a mile making him
a very efficient endurance hunter
even so a kangaroo is no easy target
his best chance is to launch a surprise attack he focuses on the weakest
and most vulnerable within the mob
this predator's festering mouth oozes
more than drool
it's recently been discovered that the
bite of the parenti
is venomous
anticoagulants contained within the
venom induces a collapse in blood
pressure
and dizziness soon subdues the victim
selecting an unwary target his approach
is silent
but the desert community is always alert
to stalkers
the chase is on a contest
of speed and agility
on the open playing, the kangaroo would
be much faster.
but while navigating the low desert
scrub it struggles to reach a top speed
but ultimately the parenting is
outclassed.
there's little shame in being outrun by
this iconic australian sprinter
but the parenti turns his attention to a
very different a challenge he's crossed paths with the
recently
fed mulga snake as one of the most
venomous snakes on the planet
the mulga is a real threat to most
reptiles
but the parenti stands his ground
the snake poses little threat to him
he's too big and thanks to eons of
co-evolution
parentis has also developed a
resistance
to snake venom so it's the mulga snake
that finds itself
in peril
and the parenti doesn't hesitate
it's a sizable meal that will provide
this unscrupulous predator
with enough energy to stalk his next
victim
