Editing Goanna (section)

==Habitats==
[[File:Goanna South Australia.jpg|thumb|right|Heath goanna (''Varanus rosenbergii''), [[Kangaroo Island]], [[South Australia]]]]
Goannas are found throughout most of Australia, except for [[Tasmania]], and manage to persist in a variety of environments. Most species are known to climb trees or outcrops; several primarily [[arboreal]] species are known. The [[lace monitor]] (''V. varius'') is probably the best-known among these, but is not the most common. The lace monitor is the second-largest of all goannas, reaching lengths up to {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Other more common tree goannas, such as the [[Timor tree monitor]] (''V. timorensis'') and [[mournful tree monitor]] (''V. tristis'',) do not grow to quite such lengths, typically a maximum of 61&nbsp;cm, nose-to-tail.

Other goannas are adapted to swampy coastal environments, such as the [[mangrove goanna]] (''V. semiremex''). Further still,  [[Mertens' water monitor]] (water goanna &ndash; ''V. mertensi''), found in lagoons and rivers across northern Australia, is streamlined for swimming, using its tail as a paddle. Most other goannas are good swimmers, but tend not to voluntarily venture into water.