When you’re visiting Thailand for the first time or South East Asia in general, you most likely are not aware of which animals should you expect all around. In some cases it will come a bit of surprise to see some weird animal such as Monitor Lizard crossing the street or walking by near you. In those cases, it’s good to know what to expect from them.
Should you run away or just keep walking?
I had such a situation on the first day of my arrival in Bangkok. I was chilling on the terrace in my hotel overlooking the city canal.
Sides of the canal were covered with banana and palm trees, brown wooden buildings and little street food stalls. Typically nice Asian view.
First meeting with a Monitor Lizard
I watched big fish jumping in and out of the water, some furry animal that can be described as a “squirrel & beaver love child” swimming across the canal.
Then suddenly something freaked me out big time. I noticed an average-sized alligator crossing the canal and instantly thought – how will I walk the streets now, knowing that there are alligators living by my hotel terrace?!?
I wouldn’t want to walk in the dark, meet one coming towards me and then having to run in circles to escape him. It’s too hot to run in Bangkok!
Later I googled this situation and it turned out that I was just exaggerating it all in my head.
It wasn’t an alligator. That was an animal called a Monitor Lizard!
It’s a type of huge lizard that looks basically like a dinosaur. There are more than 70 different species of these animals. Some live on the ground, some in the water. They vary in sizes from small mouse to an elephant.
My newly met friend was approximately 2 meters long water lizard that lived in our canal area with 2 other friends, as I learned later. These lizards usually live in the jungle. However, in Thailand you can also spot them inhabited areas such as the centre of Bangkok.
Can Monitor Lizards attack people?
They usually are pretty peaceful and as most animals are not looking for contact with humans. Monitor Lizards normally don’t attack humans unless they feel endangered from their presence.
They sometimes like to steal chicken and small livestock from farmers or feed of fish and crocodile eggs. They are very fast swimmers so they can easily steal food or eggs from other sea creatures and run away.
And they definitely swim much faster than you!
Monitor Lizards spotting
More Monitor Lizards can be spotted on Thai islands, especially Koh Samui from where I’m writing right now. We’ve seen already 2 of them here and apparently are pretty lucky.
Turns out that lizard spotting is an existing attraction over here in Thailand, also in other parts of South East Asia and Africa.
So next time when you are in Thailand, don’t freak out if you see a dinosaur-like animal approaching you. Just appreciate it’s uniqueness and let him walk away.
Enjoy the magnificent wildlife of Thailand and check out our other Thailand adventures here.
8 comments
I have seen photos of these and they look scary to me. I would probably walk in a different direction if I would see one in Thailand. I cannot imagine how they steal chickens.
However, you mentioned that they are harmless if they do not feel threatened. I will keep this in mind.
Okay. I am petrified of Lizards. Like absolutely, surely, totally. And my first encounter with a monitor lizard was in the desert of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. I shrieked and screamed and my guide had a hearty laugh. I scrolled down your pics really quick 😛 Then the more I travelled in India, the more often I saw them. In Bharatpur, Ranthambore and several other places 🙂
Stunning creature the monitor lizard. Funny enough I have never seen one on Samui while I lived there, maybe you stay more inland. Great positive article about the little dino, no need to be afraid at all.
Oh wow! These are seriously imposing, and I think I would go out of my way to cross paths with one (I really don’t like reptiles in general, so this is not surprising!). We have alligators in ponds and such around my hometown, but they’re pretty reclusive–I would be terrified if they were out and about like these monitor lizards!
I live on a golf course in Bangkok and regularly see monitor lizards, sometimes absolutely huge ones. They normally have a routine and will do the same thing everyday, there is a huge one that walks across a hole on the golf course everyday at around 5 pm (when I’m walking the dog!). There’s is another huge monitor lizard that is always in a tree, you’d love an evening at the golf course! Unfortunately they run away if you get to close, what you do need to be careful of are the snakes in Thailand!
OMG!! Thank you so much for this information. I would have totally freaked if I was caught unaware. LOL!! They are super creepy looking to me LOL but my kids would think it is the greatest thing in the world to spot one!! We have not been to Thailand, yet, but hope to get to this lovely place soon! Thank you for the information!
Weird fact…some people eat parts of the monitor lizard for medicinal purposes…
Monitor Lizard looks like a scary one but you said that they don’t attack, so relieved. They really look like dinosaurs. Monitor Lizard crossing you on the hotel terrace is like a movie scene. I would have ran away from there, frankly speaking.
What!?! I’ve never heard of a monitor lizard and I think I would freak out if I encountered one in real life! I’d also Google it immediately! That’s kind of cool that lizard spotting is an activity over there. Sounds a lot more interesting than bird watching 🙂