---
title: "Common Water Monitor"
description: "Varanus salvator — Rettili. The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/common-water-monitor
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Common Water Monitor

> Varanus salvator — Rettili. The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia.

- Scientific name: *Varanus salvator*
- Category: `reptiles` (Rettili)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Laghi e fiumi)
- iNaturalist observations: 28779
- Wikidata: [Q655616](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q655616)
- iNaturalist taxon: [114891](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/114891)

## Names

- en: Common Water Monitor
- de: Bindenwaran
- es: Monitor de agua
- fr: Varan malais
- nl: Watervaraan
- pt: Varano-malaio
- pl: Waran paskowany

## Countries with the most observations

TH (8006), SG (7880), MY (5061), ID (3085), LK (1382), IN (386), BN (127), BD (42), MM (38), VN (37), CN (28), KH (19)

## Summary

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…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_water_monitor

## Photo

![Common Water Monitor](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/common-water-monitor/medium.jpg)

Photo: Marius Burger · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/241969228

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/common-water-monitor?lang=it` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).