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Friends had one come virtually up to them at Afsaal day after Christmas 06.

Personally, I am confused. Have seen monitors in KNP a few times. Now I'm having trouble distinguishing between water and rock monitors. Usually they disappear quickly so I ID them by where I see them.

Saw this one at a low water bridge so obviously (?) must be a water monitor:


But then last Sunday, saw the one below far from water and to me, it looks the same as the one in the pic above. I suppose it could have been near water as the bush is full of water at present, but it was snoozing in a tree... do water monitors do that?

I have only known rock monitors to do that.

At Satara camp Dec 06-Jan07

Summer 2000



(Pic courtesy of J Myburgh)

Can someone please tell me if these monitors eat bats or their babies? I saw one on the bat house at Letaba and wondered if he'd found a way to get to them. I don't see that listed as a food source on this thread, so probably just sunning? Thanks.

They will eat anything. They are not choosy at all! Small birds, lizards, insects and yes ... if the opportunity is there ... bats and other small mammals!

They can climb extremely well. I have seen one running up in to a tree when we frightened it, while walking in the bush. They have long and strong nails.

We have one that feeds on the tree squirrels that sleep in our roof every now and then Most aggressive guy I've met, lashing his tail madly and hissing when we got out the car and noticed him up in the ceiling!

They also use thanatosis(Playing dead) to get predators to move along, I have a photo of one that I had to remove from a guests bedroom at a lodge...When I put it down, it just limped over onto its back and lay there....After a bout 10 mintues, once I had moved off a bit(watching it while sitting on a chair), it shot up and walked off as if nothing had happened

As Imberbe mentioned, I have often seen Martial Eagles, as well as Wahlbergs eagles feasting on these lizards..The larger lizards take the Martials for a ride through the bush, making the eagle appear to be surfing some times.... and I have heard that it is a common prey of the leopard!! A great video on 50/50 showed a leopard stalk a Water monitor a long the Sabie River I think, and successfully hunt it!

WOW! thanks so much...you guys and gals are such treasure chests of information. Wish I had waited around longer and seen if I could get a photo of this thievery....do they hunt at night also, or would the sedentary daytime nature of the bats prove more profitable? I never cease to be amazed at what you all have to teach!

AFRICAT, Rock Monitors, being reptiles are cold blooded, and need the suns heat to be active. I have never seen any on the move at night, mostly tucked away between rocks, in tree holes etc etc. They then appear first light in the morning, where often in the Kruger park you see their heads peeping out of tree and rock crevices where they will slowly start warming up, and moving off further to hunt

I think the sleeping bats during the day, and the daytime hunting anticts of the monitors just add up well for an easy meal

…and they can climb up against brick walls!
We are having a bit of a problem at our Marloth house with these lizards getting into the house….I do not mind the mess they leave (never thought they had such big poo, and it smells very bad ) ….I’m also not scared of them…I just feel sorry for them because once inside it seems the beams in the roof are too slippery and they fall down …. Luckily it seems the specific spot that is bad for them, is right above our bed….so they make the fall (and leave some of that poo on the bed )…. but are then stuck inside the house till we visit again

This was the first one we found in the house and it was luckily not there for too long because we, at that stage, visited every weekend. When the SO caught it, it was exhausted but still had a lot of fight in it…and it is really amazing the strength they have in those bodies!! …on this photo you can also see those strong nails.

Larger View

After this first one we sealed every possible place they can come in…including the top of the thatch roof…and we were very surprised to again find another one on our last visited. Shame, this one did not look good when we found it…it was very thin and weak…did not even put up a fight when the SO picked it up….we don’t know how long its been inside the house because our previous visit was more than a month before. We placed it next to our waterhole where it immediately started drinking water and did so for almost 20 min….after that it had new energy it was able to move into the bush looking its “old self” again.
How long can these lizards stay without food and water?

Jumbo I had one in my room in Marloth too, on more then one occasion!! When you catch them fresh and early, they really put up a crazy fight!!!! Not to sure how long they can survive, but being cold blooded animals, im sure quite a while with out food. Water im not so sure about!

@RJ…then you also know about that poo!!
I believe their problem is the water….even in a place like Kruger, one normally also see them close to water.
I think if we know we are not going to the house for a long time, I should just place a bowl of water in our bedroom…in the event that one comes in again…it will brake my hart if I have to find one there that died.

They aught to be able to scavenge enough insects inside your house to survive ... with water ... a colony is possible!

Jumbo I believe I do So does the wall, floor and my Bed!!! I think leaving a bowl of water when you leave is a good idea, not to sure how long it will last before evaporating in the heat though?! But definately worth a try! Maybe even using a few 2litre bottles with a slow leak in each to keep the water constantly coming, like they do on some lawn/gardens.

Well, if they will keep the snakes away and I can get some “lizard nappies” somewhere, they are most welcome to stay. They should maybe just stop the freefalling exercises onto the bed…think my SO and I will both have a hart attack when this happens while we are sleeping on that bed....can you just imagine!!

If they eat other lizards, do they also eat snakes?

@RJ…thanks for the tip…will try it! ….I think one gets water bowls for dogs that work on that principle?