Water monitor
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[Photo] Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) picture taken in Dierenpart Emmen, Netherlands, September 3 2005. Photo by Taka.

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The Water monitor Varanus salvator is a member of the monitor lizard family. They are large lizards growing up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) in length, but most adults are 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) long at most, and come second in size only to the Komodo Dragon. Their body is muscular with a long powerful tail. Water monitors are perhaps the most ubiquitous monitor lizards in Asia, and range from Sri Lanka, India, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and various islands of Malaysia. They live in tropical forested areas.

Water monitors are very opportunistic in their feeding eating small mammals, birds, fish, insects and carrion.

Races
The species has several geographic races:

adamanensis: Andaman Islands; Type locality: Port Blair, Andaman Islands.
bivittatus: Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Ombai (Alor), Wetar and some neighbouring islands within the Sunda arch, Indonesia; Type locality: Java (designated by Mertens 1959).
cumingi: Mindanao, Philippines; Type locality: Mindanao, Philippines.
komaini: Thailand. Type locality: Amphoe La-ngu, Satun Prov., Thailand, and Thai-Malaysian border area.
marmoratus: Islands of Luzon, Palawan, Calamian and Sulu archipelago, Philippines; Type locality: (restricted by Mertens 1942 to) San Mateo near Manila, Philippines.
nuchalis: Philippines (Cebu, Ticao, Negros, Panay and Masbate, Philippines); Type locality: Philippines.
salvator: entire range of the species with the exception of the Andaman Islands; Type locality: America (in error); emended to "Ceylon" (= Sri Lanka) by Mertens (1959).
togianus: Togian Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia; Type locality: "Togian-Inseln (Timotto)" [Indonesia]

Behavior
Water monitors are aggressive even though they can be tamed in captivity. They use both their tail and jaw when fighting. They are excellent swimmers using their raised fin located on their tails to steer through fresh and salt water.
They lay 15-30 eggs.

Conservation
In Hong Kong, it is a protected species under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170..

Water monitor in Culture
In Thailand, the word water monitor or actually local word '???????????????' (hia) is used as an insulting word for bad and evil things including a bad person. Its name is also considered a word bringing a bad luck, so some people prefer to call them '???????????????????????????????????????' which means 'silver and gold' in Thai to avoid the jinx.

A water monitor portrayed a Komodo Dragon in the 1990 movie, The Freshman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_monitor

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