Perentie

Meet Irwin!

The Perentie is the largest monitor lizard from Australia - they typically reach between 6 and 7 feet long, but have been recorded at over 8 feet in length! Native to the dry, desert regions of Australia, the perentie is a great digger and a fast runner. Perenties are apex predators - at the top of the food chain - and can and will eat just about anything they can catch, which is often other reptiles.

In the wild, the perentie’s population is considered stable and they are ranked “Least Concern” by the IUCN, but they are rare to see here in the USA. There are only 4 zoos in the United States where you can see the perentie, including Iguanaland! Irwin was hatched at the Dallas Zoo in Dallas, Texas in 2018 and came to us at Iguanaland in 2020, along with his brother Geo.