Wild Lizard Chase
Cool customer
The mertens monitors (V. mertensi) even became cheeky on
occasion, trying to get into our bags to snatch whatever treat they
could smell. Their sense of smell is amazing—they can detect
odors right through layers of sand and mud. And they're savvy. One
morning while filming at a lake in Australia's tropical north, we
were caught off-guard by a bush fire. With the fire closing in, the
mertens, including this one, remained calm—they knew what lay
in store. Insects fleeing the smoke and flames soon began landing on
the lake, where the mertens were waiting for them.