Most people know of the animal named the Komodo Dragon, which is a very large species of monitor lizard found on several islands in Indonesia, including one called Komodo Island. They are so big that they can grow up to nine feet long and hunt birds, mammals and other prey. The Indonesian islands are very close to Singapore, and so it's no surprise that there are other species of monitor lizards here. The most common is the Asian water monitor.
The Asian water monitor is a few feet long and looks very much like a lizard. In the water, they almost look like crocodiles, because you can only see the tops of their heads and bodies. They have long tails and long tongues that flick out of their mouths.
At first, I was very startled because I saw a large creature lurking in the water right next to our group. When I looked again, I almost thought it was an alligator or crocodile of some kind, because it was much bigger than any lizard I had seen before. Once I realized what it was, I was captivated! I couldn't stop looking in awe at the huge lizard swimming just a few feet away from me. There was no wall or enclosure, so it felt super close.
