Water monitors are very opportunistic in their feeding, eating small mammals (like rats and monkeys), birds, reptiles,fish, insects and carrion.Large adults can also attack small deer.

The Water monitor Varanus salvator is a member of the monitor lizard family. They are large lizards growing up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) in length, but most adults are 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) long at most, and are close in size to the Komodo Dragon. Maximum weight of Varanus salvator can be over 75 kg, but most are half that size. Their body is muscular with a long powerful tail. Water monitors are perhaps the most common monitor lizards in Asia, and range from Sri Lanka, India, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and various islands of Indonesia living in tropical forested areas.