As one of the largest lizards in the world, the Asian water monitor can be a formidable foe. Most adults average 4-6 feet in length.
They use their long whip-like tails, powerful claws, and mouthful of serrated teeth to both attack prey and to defend themselves.
Is an Asian water monitor dangerous? The Asian water monitor is not lethally dangerous, but it can certainly injure you. Their docile nature makes attacks on humans very rare. They will only attack in order to defend themselves. The main weapon of the Asian water monitor is a whip-like tail which can injure you, but is not fatal, and a bite which contains a very mild venom. Both can cause lacerations requiring stitches.
In the wild these lizards can be found near heavily vegetated, watery areas in Southern China.
They’re not afraid to live near populated human areas either, and have been known to live in agricultural areas or cities that have a canal system such as Sri Lanka.
Asian Water Monitor Defense
Size and intimidation are the first things these lizards use.
When defending itself, the Asian water monitor will puff itself up, stand taller and open its mouth to hiss.
It’s a warning!
They are saying I am tough and will hurt you if you don’t leave me alone! They’ll even follow up this bravado with a nasty tail whip, or bite.
It will definitely hurt if this happens, but in this does not necessarily make the Asian water monitor dangerous.
Asian water monitor fact!
The largest Asian water monitor ever officially recorded was 10.5 feet long.
While certainly large, most of these lizards measure a few feet in length with males being larger than female. They rarely grow larger than 8-9 feet.
Having stout bodies, these lizards typically weigh close to 50 pounds, with larger ones reaching weights of 100 pounds or more.
Their tail is the primary weapon used in defense.
As with most lizards, the tail of the Asian water monitor makes up about half of its total body length. It is broad and powerful at the base, and narrows down to a tip at the end.
These lizards will attempt to keep the side of their bodies towards unwanted animals or people in order to deliver a quick and powerful slap with their tail.
With a tail like a hard leather whip, this slap HURTS! It is often enough to dissuade most things from trying to get too close.
If the tail doesn’t work, then the monitor will defend itself with a mouth full of serrated teeth.
These slashing teeth can easily tear through skin, severing tendons and ripping open blood vessels. This is typically a last resort though, generally reserved for when a person or animal actually grabs on to the lizard.
Asian water monitor fact #2!
Another line of defense is their ability to climb trees.
Asian water monitors are great tree climbers, and will climb a tree to avoid predators. If the predator follows them up a tree, they have also been known to jump out of the tree into a body of water.
They are excellent swimmers as well.
Asian Water Monitor Aggression Level
As I said earlier, these lizards have a fairly mild disposition.
They aren’t overly timid, and won’t attack if left alone. Asian water monitors aren’t typically afraid of people however, and won’t scurry off at the sight of you.
In the wild these lizards can often be found lying in a sunny spot, soaking up the warmth from the sun. They usually don’t mind your presence as long as you don’t get too close.
If you see them raise up or start to swish their tail however, back away. These are signs that the Asian water monitor is agitated and doesn’t want you to come any closer.
Are Asian Water Monitors Dangerous As Pets?
Lots of reptile owners desire a large lizard, and these guys fit the bill!
As a pet owner however, handling is sometimes unavoidable, such as when you have to clean the enclosure. You can expect to get tail whipped at the very least on occasion if you handle your pet often.
Are Asian water monitors dangerous as pets? Asian water monitors are not dangerous as pets if you are experienced, though there have been several reported instances of owners being bitten by their lizard. They are generally calm and docile, but don’t always want to be handled. Despite not being dangerous overall, Asian water monitors can certainly be a challenge!
You should also know that when these lizards bite, they have a tendency to not let go.
There is a TV show in the U.S. called Kings of Pain where two guys test the bites and stings of various insects, reptiles and marine life.
In one episode they prompt a water monitor to bite them, and the lizard held on for nearly 20 minutes! There was considerable damage from the bite too.
Of course not handling your lizard may mean they don’t become accustomed to you, and they may not tolerate you touching them at all. Cleaning the enclosure should not be a battle every time!
Learn your reptiles body language, and respect its warning signs and you should be fine.
If you would like to know more about these lizards as pets, read our care guide for the Asian water monitor.
Have Asian Water Monitors Attacked Humans In The Wild?
To my knowledge there have been no reported attacks in the wild that weren’t provoked.
All reported attacks have involved someone getting too close to the lizard and getting tail whipped, or trying to touch or catch one resulting in a bite.
There are however, reports of these lizards eating dead bodies.
Asian water monitors are much like the Komodo dragon in that they eat carrion.
They have an excellent sense of smell which can lead them straight to a dead body and an easy feast. This includes the dead bodies of humans. Yuck!
Are Asian Water Monitors Venomous?
Yes, Asian water monitors are venomous. It is widely believed that most, if not all, monitor lizards are venomous. Until 2009 it was thought that snakes and two species of lizards were the only venomous reptiles. With the discovery of Komodo dragon venom, many more species are now being studied and analyzed for this.
Prior to these new revelations, it was always believed that the mouths of monitor lizards harbored extremely toxic and dangerous bacteria.
We are now finding that this is not the case. In fact the bacteria found in the mouths of most lizards is no more dangerous than the bacteria found in the mouths of other predators.
You can learn more about this in our Komodo dragon article.
Conclusion
The Asian water monitor is a large and powerful reptile, but overall it is not dangerous.
It has the capability of causing painful injuries, but is not very aggressive and will usually leave you alone as long as you leave it alone.
As a pet, Asian water monitors don’t have a demeanor as calm as something like a bearded dragon, but they aren’t as bad as a Nile monitor either.
They can’t be tamed, but they can get used to human handling over time.