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One of the largest lizards in the world, it is
widely distributed across South and Southeast
Asia. It inhabits a variety of environments,
including rivers, swamps, mangrove forests,
lakes, canals, and even urban waterways, where
it is an excellent swimmer and climber. An
opportunistic carnivore and scavenger, it
feeds on fish, crabs, birds, eggs, small
mammals, reptiles, carrion, and human food
waste. Females lay their eggs in burrows,
termite mounds, or rotting vegetation,
where the warmth generated by decomposition
helps incubate the eggs. Water Monitors are
usually shy and play an important ecological
role by helping to control prey populations
and remove carrion from the environment.
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