Hangin' out with my buddy on a sunny day
Come on, we all have a that friend that really is half dragon and a bit scary, but still nice to hang out with on a hot day.
This couple really did not much out of the day. The Turtle kept his toes in the water, and as I was walking by several times, the large Water Monitor only changed the position of his snout. Something smelly, but not interesting enough to do something else.
Opportunistic and wide spread
The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is a large varanid lizard native to Southeast and South Asia. It is common from the coastal eastern India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Mainland SEA, southern China and Indonesia.
The monitors is highly opportunistic when choosing habitats, and it is semiaquatic. Meaning they are able to live near or in human habitats were there easy access to large water sources. Like Bangkok in Thailand, were I have seen several of theses varanids near the many rivers and channels in that city. Not very large ones, but maybe just under a meter length including their tails.
Moving and smelling the air, crossing the giraffe compound in Dusit Zoo. This one appx 80 cm long.
These animals reach breeding maturity when they are about 40 cm long and a weight of 1 kilo for males, and 50 cm for females. They normally grows up to 2 meter, but there are one specimen in Sri Lanka which reached 3,21 meter. The weight is a moderate appx 20 kg. But the max weight is over 50 kilo.
Their size and weight is second only to the Komodo Dragon lizards.
They are top-level predators, only natural enemies are crocodiles and humans. They eat a huge variation of food, from fish and rodents to human garbage and domesticated cats and dogs. They are not considered a direct danger for humans, but they may bite if cornered. Varanid bites are filled with oral bacterias that can lead to serious infections. And some of the variants may have venom glands.
Edible and skinned
It is an edible animal, hunted and served as a delicious source of protein in several South East Asian cuisines and in India. Globally, their skins are traded in millions for different type of leatherware products. It is not considered threaten. But habitats are threaten by loss and fragmentation.
No idea of a possible future as shoes and handbags.
The Red eared slider Terrapin turtle are not native to South East Asia at all, it origins in North America in Southeast around Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico. It is consider one of the worst invasive species in the world, being spread as a pet release or escapees. They are spread all over the Eurasian continent, from Scotland and Russia to South east Asia, the Pacific and Zealandia.