Malayan Water Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvator), hea เหี้ย (Thai), Common Water Monitor, Two-banded Monitor, No-Mark Lizard The Water monitor, Varanus salvator is a member of the monitor lizard family. They are large lizards growing up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) in length, but most adults are 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) long at most, and are close in size to the Komodo Dragon. Maximum weight of Varanus salvator can be over 75 kg, but most are half that size. Their body is muscular with a long powerful tail. Water monitors are perhaps the most common monitor lizards in Asia, and range from Sri Lanka, India, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and various islands of Indonesia, living in tropical forested areas. Water monitors are very opportunistic in their feeding, eating small mammals (like rats and monkeys), birds, reptiles, fish, insects, and carrion. Large adults can also attack deer. Thai category: "Reserved Wild Animals", which means that it is illegal to hunt or possess them. Malayan Water Monitor Lizard Wikipedia Water monitor attacking a snake, YouTube Eating their meat Bound for China? Smugglers caught with 1,800 monitor lizards in Bangkok planned to 'sell them for food' A short video of Lumpini Park This animal belongs to my uninvited guests in my house/garden The copyrights of this photo are unfortunately violated by the author of the WordPress-blog "a postcard from Thailand / Random jottings about life in Thailand" under the heading "The H-word", indeed an "H-act" for photo-owners. I don't hope for other photo-owners that he don't steel random photos in his jottings which has been filed under "Quirky Thailand" because his quirks are stinking for me! When you don't know the meaning of "The H-word" you can read all about it in this site. More photos can be seen here This photo is part of the gallery Fauna" href="javascript:openLB(1778205148,'',XLarge,'',1024,683);">