The Indonesian island of Komodo is home to the largest lizard on earth … the Komodo Dragon. This huge member of the monitor lizard family has some close cousins right here in the Kruger National Park. They are smaller, but certainly no less impressive … the Nile and Rock Monitor lizards, locally known as leguaan or likkewaan.

The Nile Monitor has a fearsome reputation and is reputed to be more dangerous, when threatened, than a crocodile of a similar size. Powerful jaws, large claws and a long, whip like tail, are its weapons. They can attain up to 2.4 meters in length and weigh up to 15 Kg. As their name suggests, they are well adapted to aquatic life and eat fish, frogs, snails, small mammals and carrion … and even take a chance with a meal of crocodile eggs!  A beautifully marked lizard and generally minds its own business in the Restcamps, where they are commonly seen.

The Rock Monitor is generally shorter in length, slower moving and much stouter in appearance, but can attain 2 meters. They live on land, preferring dryer areas,  rarely going into water, and use their rock like colouring for camouflage. They are opportunistic feeders, being fond of tortoises and invertebrates, such as millipedes (nearly 25% of their diet), beetles and molluscs … and won’t turn their noses up at eggs either. An interesting experiment in 1999, at the San Diego Zoo, showed that these monitor lizards are intelligent … they can count … being able to distinguish between the number of snails they were being fed. These slow moving reptiles will leave you alone, and make for great photographs.  D.L.