Monitor Lizard in Rawai.

[Jimi007]

I was just watching some news in my bedroom and my dog started going off! I went out to see a rather large Monitor Lizard in my front yard here in Rawai, it was really quick! Never seen one here before! Anyone seen one around Soi Cokmakham before? I've seen plenty of cobras and other snakes here, but this was my first encounter with a monitor lizard! Kind of a scary beast!

[NomadJoe]

My GF claims to have seen one cross the road near the small bridge near the Tesseban office a couple weeks ago. Could very well have swam up the klong towards you. Probably an escaped/released pet, but they are native to this area. I see them on the beaches around Phi Phi sometimes. Is that the actual picture of it?

Edit: Nevermind, I see that is a stock photo now.

Edited July 12, 2014 by NomadJoe

[stevenl]

I saw one about a month ago or so in Rawai, but really don't recall where.

[madmitch]

I have seen a few in Kata.

Unfortunately the only one I have seen in Rawai was dead, chopped up and on sale at the Sunday morning market.

[bubblegum]

Seen one last year in Soi Samakkea 3 and also near the Wat Rawai but that one was being bbqed

[macahoom]

About six years ago, when I lived in Rawai, we had a family of them living in our garden.

They really are quite repulsive looking creatures.

We also have them in our garden now, in Paclok. (East of Heroines' Monument.)

[NomadJoe]

The GF just took a look at your photo and said "not same" but then picked out this photo as what she saw, which is same.

[cornishcarlos]

We had them living in our roof space when we lived in Phuket...

Kinda freaky hearing them scuttling around at night !!

[Jimi007]

The GF just took a look at your photo and said "not same" but then picked out this photo as what she saw, which is same.

it all happened so quickly, I didn't have time to take an actual photo of the one in my yard so I used a generic one from the internet. This thing was really fast! I could see my neighbors small dog or cat getting eaten by this guy.

[KarenBravo]

Had one in my garden (Chalong) during rainy season last year. Have seen them periodically over the years.

Not as common as they once were due to the huge increase in population and the instant "hunt" by Thais as soon as they are spotted.

[Old Croc]

Had a good sized one living on a wall in my backyard when I rented in Patong. Have previously posted pics.

I've seen a couple of smaller ones here in Chalong. Our cat took one on, and they settled for a bloody draw after she sank in her fangs and then copped a tail whack. She has killed small cobras previously.

The other one spotted was chased down the street by an army of locals, cornered near our wall, dispatched, and carted away in triumph towards the dinner table.

[Jimi007]

I just talked to my old Thai landlord about this and all he said was arroy mak! No wonder we so rarely see one!

[LivinginKata]

Coincidentaly just a few minutes ago here in Kata, we had a bit of excitment persuading one to leave. First time I have seen such a large lizard here in Phuket.

Hiding behind a washing machine. Boy it took off very fast when poked with a very long pole.

Look at the size of the claws ... (click on image to enlarge)

[Jimi007]

LIK, maybe they're out looking for new homes with all the cleanup on the beaches? Odd we both saw one at our houses when we'd never seen one around our different areas of Phuket in all these years, eh?

[LivinginKata]

Yery very strange. Another reptile to keep a sharp look-out for when walking along the pathways. The Cobras are bad enough, green tree snakes not so scarey, now monitor lizards.

[nedkellylives]

Dog killed one about 18 inches long in the yard today, she's to quick for me to stop her

See plenty in the klong/drain near our house when there is water in it, thats where it came from

Saw one at least 2 metres long swimming in the surf at Nai harn beach last monsoon season

i thought it was a crocodile before it came out of the surf and onto the beach, biggest one i

have seen anywhere

[keestha]

I believe there are 2 different species, what is just called monitor lizard (land animal), and the water monitor lizard which is found in and around creeks.

Edited July 12, 2014 by keestha

[nedkellylives]

I believe there are 2 different species, what is just called monitor lizard (land animal), and the water monitor lizard which is found in and around creeks.

They can all swim the one we saw at Nai Harn beach was swimming in the

monsoon season surf, it was to rough for people to go into the water

It got washed up on the beach and headed straight back out to sea

Even the Komodo dragon which is the largest of the species swims between islands

Edited July 12, 2014 by nedkellylives

[cooked]

There is at least one in the khlong near Dusit zoo in Bangkok. I have seen it twice, about 150 cm long.

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[grumpyoldman]

Have a good sized one in my hood, seems to like the big pond at a neighbors about three houses down. Lady across the streeet has dogs and the lizard likes to come in her yard and get the dogs all riled up.

Also, Nai Yang last November, on the way out to The Imperial Adamas Resort saw one cross the road that was Kimodo Dragon size, huge.

I think they are cool, hopefully eating lots of rodents.

[96tehtarp]

I opened the door at 3AM the other day to get some fresh air. All four of our terrified cats raced inside. I wondered what was up.

We had a 1 meter long river monitor in the courtyard.

I killed it.

The neighbors ate it the next day. I had a taste. It wasn't my thing. Very pungent odor.

Cobra is more palatable.

[JetsetBkk]

I saw one years ago in my soi and also on Koh Sirey.

There are one or two - and probably a lot more - on Khao Toh-Sae (Monkey Hill) Phuket Town:

[Peterocket]

Have 2 that live in the lake outside my house which I see daily. Also a few regulars in the pedalo lake in paklok.

I like them....some of the last bits of wildlife we get to see in Phuket.

[amyb]

Generally see one this time of year around Yanui Beach ... some friends living in Cape Panwa have had one come around to visit as of late as well.

[JetsetBkk]

Have 2 that live in the lake outside my house which I see daily. Also a few regulars in the pedalo lake in paklok.

I like them....some of the last bits of wildlife we get to see in Phuket.

Try Soi Bangla.

[Paulzed]

I had a bung arab like that at myhouse liked to sleep on the water tank. I shot it in the head with my ging didn't even flinch

[Peterocket]

Have 2 that live in the lake outside my house which I see daily. Also a few regulars in the pedalo lake in paklok.

I like them....some of the last bits of wildlife we get to see in Phuket.

Try Soi Bangla.

Are you referring to the little monkeys with big eyes or the girls?

[NomadJoe]

I had a bung arab like that at myhouse liked to sleep on the water tank. I shot it in the head with my ging didn't even flinch

What is a "bung arab" and a "ging."? You make your signature highly ironic.

[NomadJoe]

Same as Jimi, I had just the dogs going nuts outside. I went outside just in time to see 2m monitor lizard slithered into the small pond behind the house then ran across the road into the klong. They certainly are fast! I don't recall ever seeing one in the wild in Phuket before. What a magnificent creature. A living dinosaur.

I opened the door at 3AM the other day to get some fresh air. All four of our terrified cats raced inside. I wondered what was up.

We had a 1 meter long river monitor in the courtyard.

I killed it.

...

It's abhorrent to think someone would want to kill one of these. Shame on you. You disgust me.

[Guest]

I have had those quite a lot next to my home. All have been totally harmless. Monitors eat snails, which is quite nice. I read somewhere that monitors keep the snakes away. Not sure if it's true, but I have not really seen cobras etc for some time now.

This is my current visitor. I call it Yellowhead. Took the photo couple of days ago.

I was quite amazed how well and fast these fellows can climb to the trees. Also to multiply.

Sometimes they like to pose to the camera