Varanus albigularis
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The rock monitor (Varanus albigularis) is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, where, on average, it is the largest lizard found on the continent. It is called leguaan or likkewaan in some areas.
First described by François Marie Daudin in 1802, V. albigularis had been classified as a subspecies of V. exanthematicus, but has since been declared a distinct species based on differences in hemipenal morphology. The generic name Varanus is derived from the Arabic word waral ورل (English: "monitor"). The specific name albigularis comes from a compound of two Latin words, albus (meaning "white") and gula ("throat").
Subspecies of V. albigularis are: Varanus albigularis is on average the most massive lizard in Africa, as adult males average about 6 to 8 kg (13 to 18 lb) and females weigh from 3.2 to 5 kg (7.1 to 11.0 lb). Large mature males can attain weights of 15 to... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 9 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
No species of the same family or order lives in Tsavo East National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Monitor sighting in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 7 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and April
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Monitor in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September, the lowest month.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rock Monitor sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Rock Monitor sightings, Tsavo East National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, about 40%) and Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rock Monitor is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tsavo East National Park (36 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
