Wildlifeof Nepal
Common Water Monitor
Monitor Lizards
Photo: (c) Martin Gutewort, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Varanus salvator
Basic stats
Diet
Fish, frogs, rodents, birds and eggs, crabs, molluscs, other lizards and snakes
Habitat
Lowland wetlands, primary forest, mangrove, canals and cities; recorded to 1,800m
Range
India, Nepal, Bangladesh, mainland Southeast Asia and southern China to the Sunda islands and Sulawesi
Clutch size
10–40 eggs
Incubation period
6–7 months
Size
Adults rarely exceed 1.5–2m
Weight
Common mature weight 19.5kg
The Asian water monitor, or common water monitor, is widely considered the second-largest lizard after the Komodo dragon and is one of the most widespread monitors. Adults rarely exceed 1.5 to 2m in length, and a common mature weight is 19.5kg. Males are larger than females. It is semi-aquatic and opportunistic, living around lakes, rivers, swamps and mangroves, and also in city parks and urban waterways, and has been recorded up to 1,800m (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is an excellent swimmer, steering with the raised fin of its tail, and climbs trees to escape predators such as the king cobra. It eats a wide range of prey, from fish, frogs, rodents, birds and eggs to crabs, molluscs, other lizards and snakes. Breeding is from April to October, with 10 to 40 eggs laid in rotting logs or stumps and incubated for six to seven months. The Reptile Database lists Nepal in its range.
Quick answers
- What does the Common Water Monitor eat?
- Fish, frogs, rodents, birds and eggs, crabs, molluscs, other lizards and snakes
- What habitat does the Common Water Monitor live in?
- Lowland wetlands, primary forest, mangrove, canals and cities; recorded to 1,800m
- Where is the Common Water Monitor found?
- India, Nepal, Bangladesh, mainland Southeast Asia and southern China to the Sunda islands and Sulawesi
- How many eggs does the Common Water Monitor lay?
- 10–40 eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Common Water Monitor incubated?
- 6–7 months
- How big is the Common Water Monitor?
- Adults rarely exceed 1.5–2m
- How much does the Common Water Monitor weigh?
- Common mature weight 19.5kg