Asian water monitor

[user 43767]

Hi, this is one of my V. s. macromaculatus, he`s coming up to 6 years old, he currently measures 230cm . this subspecies can reach over 270cm. His name is Binjai….

 

[Sdaji]

When I was living in Asia I'd often be seeing many of these every day, they're extremely common even right in the middle of some of the world's largest cities, maybe Bangkok being the best example, where even in the very centre of the city you can find them within a few hundred metres of any location. Surprisingly, most foreigners walked straight passed these giant 2+ metre lizards and were amazed when I pointed them out. Yours is obviously a lot more socialised than the ones I was surrounded by!

 

[user 43767]

When I was living in Asia I'd often be seeing many of these every day, they're extremely common even right in the middle of some of the world's largest cities, maybe Bangkok being the best example, where even in the very centre of the city you can find them within a few hundred metres of any location. Surprisingly, most foreigners walked straight passed these giant 2+ metre lizards and were amazed when I pointed them out. Yours is obviously a lot more socialised than the ones I was surrounded by!

I haven`t seen them in Thailand but I have seen the nominate species (V. s. s) in Sri Lanka, as you will know those are the largest in the complex. It took a full year before I could even go in the room without him running to hide, now he`s ridiculously tractable, I think they get calmer as they grow providing the keeper puts enough time and effort into trying to gain their trust, I also believe it benefits keeper and kept if it happens, a less stressed animal is a healthier one..

 

[Herpetology]

For some reason I can’t imagine a large monitor being skittish and darting off when a human is near! In my mind it looks funny like a cartoon

 

[Sdaji]

For some reason I can’t imagine a large monitor being skittish and darting off when a human is near! In my mind it looks funny like a cartoon

If you want a comical cartoon style mental scene, I've literally chased 2.5 metre specimens across fields on a bicycle.

I've watched their combat, courtship and mating behaviour in the USA embassy in Bangkok (and had security guards tell me I had to leave, but explained I was staring at the giant lizards, not the embassy, and convinced them to let me stay as long as I didn't take pictures or video, which was very unfortunate!).

I caught a young one in the middle of Bangkok city on the street, it bit me, a said (in Thai, but I'll translate) to his friends "Haha, stupid white man got bitten by a Water Monitor, I bet it hurts. Watch, the lizard will soon start drooling" the lizard did indeed drool heavily on my hand just he said it, and he then said "The drool has come now!" At the time I was almost as excited by my ability to understand what he was saying as I was interested in what the lizard was doing.

In Thai, the worst word you can say (equivalent to the 'c-bomb' in English) is heeya, which unlike the c-bomb which means vagina, means Water Monitor (in the same way that English has the word vagina and other less offensive synonyms, there are normal ways to refer to Water Monitors). I find it peculiar that the worst insult you can give someone in Thai is "Water Monitor!". Most people consider them to be bad luck etc, and they find my fondness for them to be strange and distasteful.