How Do You Differentiate a Komodo Dragon From an Asian Water Monitor?
They’re two giant lizards, but actually have several key differences!
I decided to try something different for the new year: content I don’t normally publish or even see on Medium. Instead of boring content about new year’s resolutions or complaining about algorithms, why not tap into something you LOVE? One of my greatest loves after toads is gigantic monitor lizards!
As one of Twitter’s resident herpetology enthusiasts with some giant reptile husbandry experience, I get asked lots of questions about those big puppy lizards I love sharing. One of the most common questions is, “How do you tell the difference between a Komodo dragon and an Asian water monitor? What IS the difference?”
For starters, they’re both giant lizards from the same taxonomical family, the varanidae family. Most of the genera under varanidae have gone extinct, except for the varanus genus. This is why lizards in this family are also known as varanids and why you see “varanus” in the scientific names of giant lizards.
