Profile of an Asian Water Monitor

Asian water monitor lizard from a public park in Thailand. On a '16 trip passing through Bangkok I spent a morning watching these terrific creatures eating...
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Asian water monitor lizard from a public park in Thailand. On a '16 trip passing through Bangkok I spent a morning watching these terrific creatures eating fish, fending off crows, and shying away from people. They are the second largest lizard after Komodo dragons and though big individuals in places like this might be 4-5 feet long (like this one), the record is supposedly 10'- the same as a Komodo!! Although protected in Thailand, they are common species that is used for mostly skins (for our handbags, belts, boots, etc.), meat, traditional medicine also as exotic pets. About a million a year (mostly wild caught and including just skins) are exported from SE Asia for these uses.
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