# The second largest monitor lizard?



## dragonblade71 (Feb 10, 2011)

I have two old Australian wildlife documentaries which claim that the Perentie (Varanus giganteus) is the second largest monitor lizard in the world, behind the Komodo Dragon. Though according to a recent issue of National Geographic magazine, that notable distinction goes to some kind of Asian monitor (can't recall the common name or scientific name.) Does anyone here know which source is true?


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## TreeGuy (Feb 10, 2011)

I'd trust the most recent authority.
Chances are the asian one wasn't even known when the old docs came out


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## skippy (Feb 10, 2011)

varanus salvator is the 2nd largest iirc. the perentie may get as long or even a little longer but the water monitor has it beat, hands down, in mass. 

for length though, varanus salvadorii takes the cake i think.


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## Bigboy (Feb 12, 2011)

It all has to do with whether they are talking about length or mass.


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## Jmugleston (Feb 12, 2011)

V. komodoensis on average is the largest in terms of length and mass.

Depending on whether you're talking length or mass (as mentioned above) the second place spot could go to V. salvator (water monitor), V. giganteus (Perentie), or V. salvadorii.

It will also depend if you're considered the average adult size, or the extreme outliers. The locality can also change the ranking as not all water monitor subspecies have the same adult size.


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## micheldied (Feb 17, 2011)

I'm pretty sure V. Salvator are the largest Monitor lizard of the Komodo.


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## Jmugleston (Feb 17, 2011)

micheldied said:


> I'm pretty sure V. Salvator are the largest Monitor lizard of the Komodo.


Nope. V. komodoensis is the largest on average. V. salvator get large, and the longest is up there (I have the length somewhere), but the average mass of V. komodoensis and the average adult length surpass that of V. salvator.


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## micheldied (Feb 17, 2011)

Jmugleston said:


> Nope. V. komodoensis is the largest on average. V. salvator get large, and the longest is up there (I have the length somewhere), but the average mass of V. komodoensis and the average adult length surpass that of V. salvator.


Oh snap, I meant "second largest"! My bad.


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## LeilaNami (Mar 1, 2011)

Jmugleston said:


> Nope. V. komodoensis is the largest on average. V. salvator get large, and the longest is up there (I have the length somewhere), but the average mass of V. komodoensis and the average adult length surpass that of V. salvator.


V. salvator get up to 9 feet :drool:


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## Jmugleston (Mar 1, 2011)

LeilaNami said:


> V. salvator get up to 9 feet :drool:


Only certain subspecies/localities do. Most won't ever get near that length.


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## LeilaNami (Mar 1, 2011)

Jmugleston said:


> Only certain subspecies/localities do. Most won't ever get near that length.


I know  Most of them get around 6 but the point is some _]can_. I have thing for big lizards.


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## loxoscelesfear (Mar 1, 2011)

i had a nat geo t-shirt w/ a western diamond back rattler on it.  shirt read  "largest rattlesnake in north america." wrong!  eastern is the largest rattler.  nat geo do not always get their facts straight.


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## Dreadz (Mar 1, 2011)

V. salvator (Asian Water Monitor) is the second largest monitor with records of males getting 9'+ and weighing in at over 100lbs, but most will never get that big only around 6' and 50lbs. I own a juvinal V. salvator that is only around 2' right now, had it for around 6months and got him as a small baby. The V. giganteus (perenti) is Australias largest monitor and can get 8'+ and can weigh over 40lbs. There is also V. salvadorii (Crocodile Monitor) which can get 9'+ and maybe even larger but has nowhere near the body mass of V. salvator or V. komodoensis because they are an arboreal monitor.


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