Monitor lizard - it almost got me!

[paddyjenkins]

The biggest monitor lizards I've personally seen have been 2 meters or even longer. In Lumpini I've seen ones about 1.5 meters long. But I've also seen sea water swimming varieties that were even larger, obviously not in Bangkok. The biggest I ever saw was still partially under water as it had only half clambered up onto a big rock but its head and shoulders were far larger than those of a grown man. I've also seen them hunting and they can be frighteningly fast. What's really scary is they can actually climb and run quickly too. I've never heard of them attacking a human, but I'd still be very careful of one getting too close, just in case one decided to make me the first ever human victim.

Edited December 4, 2014 by paddyjenkins

[JetsetBkk]

One at the top of Monkey Hill (Khao Toh-Sae) in Phuket Town:

[JetsetBkk]

Another one - same one? - same place, 4 years later...

[JacChang]

All I know is...

When they are in my garden, they run quickly.

When they are trying to cross the road, they take all the time they have, while we sit in the car and wait.

[sunshine51]

they all look rather small on the pics you posted here

once i was playing ping pong with a friend and tought i saw a crockodile, but its was "only" a giant monitor lizard

now that was scary, as it was near the pool area of the sports club

maidee...I'm currently in Burma on a job at the moment, however...when I return home

& have another encounter with Walter/Walette I'll be sure to grab a couple pix so you can

see just what a 2 meter water monitor looks like up close. Perhaps I'll have the missus

take the shots with me in the frame. I'm 6'2" BTW & not afraid of interacting with the big

lizard.

[sunshine51]

(snip)

I have a tendency to feed Walter/Wallette

(/snip)

That seems a little callous! Did you name it's offspring "matching beltte" and "footte-wear"?

FTB...a long time ago I knew a young French lass named Mallette (pronounced Mah-Lett)

not as in Mallet aka a type of hammer. Hence Wallette. Just FYI OK.

[Guest]

Here is picture of my neighbour, Yellowhead. I tried to offer to her and her baby eggs, but they never took those. I would be nice to have a guardian lizard next to the house.

Btw. For people who are interested either to see some nice nature photographs or posting them for others to see, TV photo forum have a great amount of nature images over here http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/371722-nature/