The most common is the Water Monitor. It can be huge 3 meter 70-80 kilo. Yes it can eat a cat. Fish is the main diet. But it also eat birds, turtels, small crocodiles. And about every small animal it can catch

I saw one eat a swimming duck in Lumpini Park in BKK. There was also a case a while back where some old village man apparently died out in the fields and the monitors had eaten about half of him before they finally found him.

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monitor lizards eat cats if they can catch and kill them.

many a rural thai will eat monitor lizards if they can catch and kill them.

Wrong.

Thai name for them is hia (เหี้ย), which means bad person and is an insult, hence the fear for them, they certainly don't kill them and eeat them. It was my first "respectful" experience with locals, when I found a huge monitor lizard in my rubbertree plantation and they caught it and brought it to the temple, where more of them live in the forest.

They have even changed the name to "Silver and Blue", to avoid calling the name "Hia"....

Monitor lizards are big and eat rodents, fish (even catfish), but also small crocodiles, eggs and carrion.

Not sure what they eat but I know the Thais eat them. They are on the menu at a rural restaurant near me. A Thai friend of mine told me when Thai people see them they are fighting, saying "It's mine I saw it first."

They've just declared a cull on them around here at a whopping 50B a head. I can understand that as they are becoming plague like now. A year ago I'd see the odd one or two, now they are all over the place. They actually let them be for a year as they thought they might affect the rodent population but someone boobed there.....

The canals are now chock full of hunting Cambodians and Burmese.

Bullocks. All monitor lizards are protected in Thailand!

"Protection" means sweet FA here. Tigers, Cobras, Pythons, along with many other species are all 'protected" here but that doesn't stop them ending up on the dinner table/menu. You could always try telling the fish farm owners around here who are funding the cull.

people in my village would eat the lizard in a heartbeat

a delicacy in the part of Nigeria where i lived.

I hope the lizard eats your cat....hate cats. Then after your cat is gone....take your bb gun and shoot the lizard.

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monitor lizards eat cats if they can catch and kill them.

many a rural thai will eat monitor lizards if they can catch and kill them.

Wrong.

Thai name for them is hia (เหี้ย), which means bad person and is an insult, hence the fear for them, they certainly don't kill them and eeat them. It was my first "respectful" experience with locals, when I found a huge monitor lizard in my rubbertree plantation and they caught it and brought it to the temple, where more of them live in the forest.

They have even changed the name to "Silver and Blue", to avoid calling the name "Hia"....

Monitor lizards are big and eat rodents, fish (even catfish), but also small crocodiles, eggs and carrion.

Not sure what they eat but I know the Thais eat them. They are on the menu at a rural restaurant near me. A Thai friend of mine told me when Thai people see them they are fighting, saying "It's mine I saw it first."

Just for fun: ask the locals if they eat "Hia" and watch their faces.........

They've just declared a cull on them around here at a whopping 50B a head. I can understand that as they are becoming plague like now. A year ago I'd see the odd one or two, now they are all over the place. They actually let them be for a year as they thought they might affect the rodent population but someone boobed there.....

The canals are now chock full of hunting Cambodians and Burmese.

Bullocks. All monitor lizards are protected in Thailand!

"Protection" means sweet FA here. Tigers, Cobras, Pythons, along with many other species are all 'protected" here but that doesn't stop them ending up on the dinner table/menu. You could always try telling the fish farm owners around here who are funding the cull.

You gave the impression of an official measure to kill monitor lizards, and even get paid 50 baht for each.......

Now comes out you mean an illegal hunt, financed by crooked fish farm owners!!! That's not the same, it's called poaching, a criminal act.

Don't mess with the circle of life... if the lizard was meant to eat the cat then let it because if you prevent it then the next day that cat will be hit by a car on the side of the road and the lizard that could have had a meal will now starve

We call this kind of lizard in Thai "Hia" which is the word is used to name calling to bad people as "Hia".

My dog just chased one out of the yard that had to be about 4.5-5 feet long. Scared the hell out of me.

My dog just chased one out of the yard that had to be about 4.5-5 feet long. Scared the hell out of me.

They can be twice that size

The lizard may or may not... but a snake ate my cat 5 or so years back in Bang Bon!

Yes extremely dangerous ~~~ approach with caution!

TBWG

They've just declared a cull on them around here at a whopping 50B a head. I can understand that as they are becoming plague like now. A year ago I'd see the odd one or two, now they are all over the place. They actually let them be for a year as they thought they might affect the rodent population but someone boobed there.....

The canals are now chock full of hunting Cambodians and Burmese.

Bullocks. All monitor lizards are protected in Thailand!

Bullocks? really?

monitor lizards eat cats if they can catch and kill them.

many a rural thai will eat monitor lizards if they can catch and kill them.

Wrong.

Thai name for them is hia (เหี้ย), which means bad person and is an insult, hence the fear for them, they certainly don't kill them and eeat them. It was my first "respectful" experience with locals, when I found a huge monitor lizard in my rubbertree plantation and they caught it and brought it to the temple, where more of them live in the forest.

They have even changed the name to "Silver and Blue", to avoid calling the name "Hia"....

Monitor lizards are big and eat rodents, fish (even catfish), but also small crocodiles, eggs and carrion.

Thanks,,,, I will correct my photo title to "Hia". "Nam tua" is Peanut sauce I am told. Is this correct?

monitor lizards eat cats if they can catch and kill them.

many a rural thai will eat monitor lizards if they can catch and kill them.

Wrong.

Thai name for them is hia (เหี้ย), which means bad person and is an insult, hence the fear for them, they certainly don't kill them and eeat them. It was my first "respectful" experience with locals, when I found a huge monitor lizard in my rubbertree plantation and they caught it and brought it to the temple, where more of them live in the forest.

They have even changed the name to "Silver and Blue", to avoid calling the name "Hia"....

Monitor lizards are big and eat rodents, fish (even catfish), but also small crocodiles, eggs and carrion.

Thanks,,,, I will correct my photo title to "Hia". "Nam tua" is Peanut sauce I am told. Is this correct?

tua ngoen tua thong - one silver one gold

In old days when monitors stole chicken from the ground floor of Isan houses (people live on the first floor) they called them "tua gin gai" chicken-eater

And yes, nam tua is peanut or bean sauce, like in "pad gai nam tua" - chicken curry with peanut or bean sauce

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monitor lizards eat cats if they can catch and kill them.

many a rural thai will eat monitor lizards if they can catch and kill them.

Wrong.

Thai name for them is hia (เหี้ย), which means bad person and is an insult, hence the fear for them, they certainly don't kill them and eeat them. It was my first "respectful" experience with locals, when I found a huge monitor lizard in my rubbertree plantation and they caught it and brought it to the temple, where more of them live in the forest.

They have even changed the name to "Silver and Blue", to avoid calling the name "Hia"....

Monitor lizards are big and eat rodents, fish (even catfish), but also small crocodiles, eggs and carrion.

Not sure what they eat but I know the Thais eat them. They are on the menu at a rural restaurant near me. A Thai friend of mine told me when Thai people see them they are fighting, saying "It's mine I saw it first."

Just for fun: ask the locals if they eat "Hia" and watch their faces.........

Had neighbours from the north and they said they would eat them back home in the village. When dad was visiting, he would take a great interest in our local monitors and often comment that they would make a good meal. They're not eaten in the parts of the north-east I'm familiar with though.