By Payton Tholstrup

Images courtesy of Cursti Sorell

The Clay Center Zoo recently welcomed a new addition – an Asian Water Monitor named Willie.

Asian Water Monitors are native to Southeast Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India, and can be found in the mangrove swamps. They have durable, scaly skin covering their entire body; this acts as a defense mechanism. Other characteristics include a long neck and snout, sharp claws, a long and muscular tail, and serrated, saw-like teeth.

Willie is about 8 years old and formerly lived at a pet store that is now under new management. It was decided it would be in Willie’s best interest to be rehomed. The new managers felt he needed a bigger enclosure and someone who could give him adequate care.

Cursti Sorell, Assistant Curator and Zookeeper at the Clay Center Zoo, said that Willie is about four feet long, but that Asian Water Monitors can grow to be 8-10 feet long.

After the Komodo Dragon and the Crocodile Monitor, the Asian Water Monitor is the third-largest lizard in the world. They can weigh as much as 150 pounds when they reach maturity.

“He may be done growing, but he also might get bigger,” said Sorell. She added that Willie is currently a little underweight, so they are supplementing his diet with beef and chicken as well.

In the wild, Asian Water Monitors mainly eat crocodile eggs and fish. “He likes the beef and chicken if there is no skin on it. He’s a spoiled little lizard!”

Willie lives with the African Spurred Tortoises at the Clay Center Zoo. “He has grown up around tortoises his whole life, so he just sees them as one of his own.”

Sorell said it’s common for visitors to mistake Willie for a Komodo Dragon. “It’s very understandable. They do share some similar characteristics, and they’re related. Both are in the same family and genus, but water monitors are much smaller and more slender.”

Willie is a friendly lizard and has even been trained to walk on a harness. Sorell said, “He enjoys going for walks, much like a puppy does. However, that being said, it’s still not a good idea to put fingers in or near his enclosure! Water monitors do have very sharp teeth!”