The Economic Times

Not a crocodile or alligator: Massive 10-feet-long lizards, world's second largest, roam in India's Sundarbans

IAS officer Sanjay Kumar highlighted the Asian water monitor and Bengal monitor thriving in the Sundarbans. The Asian water monitor, the world's second-largest lizard after the Komodo dragon, can grow up to 10 feet and is an excellent swimmer that feeds on fish, crabs and carrion. The Bengal monitor is widely found across the Indian subcontinent. Both reptiles play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.