Common Water Monitor
Common Water MonitorCommon Water MonitorCommon Water MonitorCommon Water Monitor

Common Water Monitor

Varanus salvator

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Tangkoko Nature Reserve
27 Verified sightings at Tangkoko Nature Reserve From 2019 to 2026
1,101 Verified sightings across all 23 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 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 →

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Water Monitor in Tangkoko Nature Reserve?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Water Monitor sighting in Tangkoko Nature Reserve, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Water Monitor in Tangkoko Nature Reserve?

May has the highest sighting rate for Common Water Monitor in Tangkoko Nature Reserve in our monthly data.

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