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My previous lack of interest for lizards has left me ignorant when it come to species ID. This is probably an easy one.
About 2 meters in length, found near water in the midlands KZN

Sry for not seeng it in a Sanpark

It's a water monitor (Varanus niloticus).

Thanks!

We saw this one inside Satara camp…we have actually seen him in the same spot on two different visits….inside the hollow of the dead tree between bungalows #167 & 166.



Talking about these bungalows, here is a tip: Behind # 167 & 168 there is a big tree that is used by Fruit Bats…almost every time we visited Satara we found them sleeping in this tree…..they however get skittish when they notice you are looking at them (not as “tame” as the ones at Skukuza) and will fly off when people start to give them to much attention and make noise.

I have seen lots of these little guys, most at Lower Sabie.

If you want to see loads of water monitors - go for a walk along the river boundary at the malelane sun hotel - its a long walk and allows you close up views of many animal species ( saw 20 monitors , white tailed mongoose , hippos , buffalo , crocodiles - also saw leopard tracks on the wrong side of the fence! )

Much cheaper then a morning walk too!

On a recent visit to Kruger watched two water monitors mating. When a third arrived he/she was not very welcome, neither to the mating pair nor the birds.

Yup! "Likkewane" are famous for stealing eggs out of brids nests, that's probably the reason why the birds didn't give it a good great welcoming

Nile monitor, Water leguaan.
(Varanus niloticus)

Some snippets from this page:

The Nile monitor is the largest lizard in Africa and also one of the most widespread. It is known from all parts of Africa except desert regions (Mertens 1942, Luxmoore et al 1988). More than a hundred years ago Nile monitors were reported to live in Palestine (Tristram 1888).

Nile monitors are found almost wherever there are permanent bodies of water. They are absent from deserts but present in most other habitats, from grasslands and desert fringes to rainforests, where they are found along rivers, swamps, pools, lakes and seashores. They will readily inhabit human settlements and cultivations where they are not persecuted. Barbour & Loveridge (1928) record them as high as 2000m above sea level.

Nile monitors are most often seen basking on rocks and branches or in the water. Adults can easily outrun people over short distances, even over open ground and will almost invariably make for water when pursued. They retreat to burrows and abandoned termite mounds at night, but in warm weather they may remain outside, sleeping on branches or half submerged in water.

During the dry season in tropical Africa and in the cooler months in temperate regions activity is reduced or suspended (Cowles 1930, Cisse 1971). Juveniles are better at climbing than adults, but even large Nile monitors will climb readily.

Large female Nile monitors can lay enormous clutches of eggs. According to Loveridge (1934) up to 60 eggs are produced in a single clutch.

For more information click the link in the top of this post.

One of the best places in the park to see the monitors is from the bridge over the Olifants river near Balule. In May I always found 2 or 3 on the trees next to the bridge (between 8-10 am).

Beautiful pics Impisi08 but the trees are gone now so that the monitors must have an other place to go.

Thanks Nico.



That is disappointing to hear. Were the trees removed by parkservice or washed away?

The trees were washed away but there will be new trees coming in future, for sure.

Seen on the Phabeni road about 3 km from the gate on the 17th June 2007

This likkewaan casually strolled through the Lower Sabie camp.