“LA Zoo successfully breeds first-ever perentie lizards, one of the world’s largest lizard species”

LOS ANGELES – Two new baby lizards have hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo, the first of their species to be bred there, zoo officials said Thursday.

Perentie lizards, also known as Varanus giganteus, are indigenous to Australia and rank among the largest lizards globally, surpassed in size only by the Komodo dragon and a few other species.

According to zoo curator Byron Wusstig, the successful breeding of this species is a highly gratifying achievement for their team. He mentioned in a statement, “While this species is not classified as endangered, it is a rare sight in zoo collections outside of Australia.”

The LA Zoo stands out as one of just three accredited institutions by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that have effectively bred perentie lizards. This marks the first instance in the zoo’s history of successfully breeding this particular lizard species.

Zoo officials said the baby lizards are doing well, eating, and being closely observed by staff. 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 (2.4 meters) in length and can weigh more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms), 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.