lahkula

Lahkula is an Australasian mammal and one of the four living lizards that belong to the genus of monitor lizards.

Lahkula is primarily found in New Guinea and nearby islands. It has a broad and flat head, a stout body, a short and robust tail, and powerful limbs. It has a distinctive coloration, typically featuring a mottled brown and dark grey pattern.

The diet of lahkula consists of the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds. It is also known to prey on lizards, frogs, and occasionally, small mammals. Lahkula can grow up to a length of 1.75 meters and weigh as heavy as 40 kilograms.

The species is known to be semi-arboreal and its habitat ranges from tropical rainforests to savannas. It is able to climb trees, but also often spends time on the ground. Dataset records exclusively a tree-dwelling behavior, but researchers observed lahkula on the ground.

Fossil record evidence suggests that lahkula has not changed significantly over millions of years. An impressive fossil was recovered in North Australia and allowed scientists to reconstruct the feeding habits of lahkula during the Pleistocene epoch.