Common Water Monitor

Varanus salvator

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassSquamata
FamilyVaranidae (Monitor Lizards)
GenusVaranus (Monitor Lizards)
SpeciesVaranus salvator (Common Water Monitor)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Komodo National Park

1 Verified sightings at Komodo National Park From 2019 to 2026

1,101 Verified sightings across all 23 parks From 2019 to 2026

🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Common Water Monitor

The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. It is widely considered to be the second-largest lizard species, after the Komodo dragon. It is distributed from eastern and northeastern India and Bangladesh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, through southern China and Hainan Island in the east to Mainland Southeast Asia and the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Lombok, the Riau Archipelago, and Sulawesi. It is one of the most widespread monitor lizards.

The Asian water monitor has a natural affinity towards water, inhabiting the surroundings of lakes, rivers, ponds, swamps, and various riparian habitats, including sewers, city parks, and urban waterways. It is an excellent swimmer and hunts fish, frogs, invertebrates, water birds, and other aquatic and amphibious prey.

Due to its apparently large, stable population, it is currently listed as Least Concern on to the IUCN Red List. The generic name Varanus is derived from the Arabic waral (ورل), which translates as "monitor". The specific name is the Latin word for "saviour", denoting a possible religious connotation. Stellio salvator was... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Komodo National Park

EN Endemic

Varanus komodoensis

Daily sighting probability >90% · Very likely

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	~70%
2	Bako National Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	~70%
3	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary	🇲🇾 Malaysia	~70%
4	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	~50%
5	Danum Valley Conservation Area	🇲🇾 Malaysia	~50%
6	Khao Sok National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	~50%
7	Sinharaja Forest Reserve	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~50%
8	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	~40%
9	Sepilok	🇲🇾 Malaysia	~40%
10	Gunung Leuser National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~40%
11	Way Kambas National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~40%
12	Tanjung Puting National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~40%
13	Minneriya National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~40%
14	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~40%
15	Tangkoko Nature Reserve	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~40%
16	Khao Luang National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	~30%
17	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	~30%
18	Taman Negara National Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	~30%
19	Kerinci Seblat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~20%
20	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~20%
21	Cat Tien National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	~20%
22	Kinabalu Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	~10%
23	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data

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