Gould's Goanna
Varanus gouldii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyVaranidae (Monitor Lizards)
- GenusVaranus (Monitor Lizards)
- SpeciesVaranus gouldii (Gould's Goanna)
The sand goanna (Varanus gouldii), also known commonly as Gould's monitor, the racehorse goanna, and the sand monitor, is a species of large Australian monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Gould's Goanna sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 12 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park
Argus Monitor
Varanus panoptes
Mertens's Water Monitor
Varanus mertensi
Black-headed Monitor
Varanus tristis
Black-spotted Ridge-tailed Monitor
Varanus insulanicus
Glauert's Monitor
Varanus glauerti
Black-palmed Rock Monitor
Varanus glebopalma
Mitchell's Water Monitor
Varanus mitchelli
Northern Blunt-spined Monitor
Varanus primordius
Banded Tree Monitor
Varanus scalaris
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Gould's Goanna in Kakadu National Park?
About 15% of wildlife watchers report a Gould's Goanna sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 12 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Gould's Goanna in Kakadu National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Gould's Goanna in Kakadu National Park in our monthly data.