OK, OK, not an Australian, a New Zealander but hey, we adopt all the good Kiwis. This guy is a tuatara, one of the most archaic of all living reptiles. Part of the order Sphenodontia, his name is derived from the maori language and means "peaks on the back". Go look him up on google, he's an amazing little guy. And listed as vulnerable to extinction just like a lot of NZ's magnificent wildlife as they're getting caned by imported predators against which they have no defence.
What a handsome chap! Of course he is. It's Diablo, my pet eastern bearded dragon (pogona barbata). He might look like a prickly character but he's actually not as spikey as he appears. And he doesn't mind being handled. He's captive bred and not wild caught and doesn't appear to be stressed about living in captivity.
This Mitchell's Water Monitor (varanus mitchelli) is a pet (not mine). He's a mean little critter and moves like something out of an Alien movie when he gets the scent of his lunch in his nose. He's had some serious problems during shedding and has lost a few toes because of tourniquets formed when the old skin has died off.
