Klang River monitor lizards and otter

On a few occasions I've seen monitor lizards in the Klang river at Brickfields, near the Tun Sambanthan monorail station. Normally I don't have my camera with me. On one occasion I did, but the river had been in flood and flowing very fast and the monitor lizards were also fast. So it was not easy to take photos.

The first photo is a small (young) monitor lizard floating on a pile of vegetation. The 2nd photo shows a larger one swimming away from the camera -

The other day as I was crossing the pedestrian bridge from the station to Kuen Cheng school I spotted an otter by the river. It was not on the bank, but on an area of earth exposed by the river. Once again I didn't have a camera. The otter looked quite big and also quite dark. It must have seen me watching as it dived into the water and I didn't see it again.

I've no idea which species it was. It was only the second time I've seen an otter in the wild in Asia. The first time was in the river at Krabi town, in south Thailand.
[photos taken at Melaka animal safari]

Someone else has blogged about the Klang River otters, see the blog.

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission

Tioman monitor lizards

Monitor lizards are taking over Tioman! In Dec 2010 there were far more lizards than tourists. They are everywhere, on the roads, by the chalets, in streams, on the beach. Obviously there is an abundance of food for them and they are thriving, and are relatively unconcerned by the presence of humans.

They come in all sizes. In fact they are specifically mentioned on Wikipedia. I wonder if they suffer from inbreeding as I can't imagine them walking very far to find a mate.

beach monitor getting a suntan

Jurassic beach ! One enjoys a swim !

Looking for food
Strolling along -

peek a boo

unconcerned by my presence

A fatty !

The last one I saw, as I was leaving for the airport.

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission

Monitor lizard v kingfisher

My peace and quiet at home was disturbed by the alarm call of a bird. I looked out and saw a white-throated kingfisher shrieking at something. It's not the first time I've heard this, as these birds are quite common around my condo, and are very noisy when they give an alarm call.

I then noticed the kingfisher dive-bombing something by the condo wall. It looked like a snake so I hurried to get my binoculars. By the time I had got them, I could see a medium sized monitor lizard walking across the grass. It disappeared and the bird went quiet so I stopped watching.

Some minutes later the alarm calls started again and this time I could see the bird dive-bombing the tree. I guessed the monitor had climbed the tree but could see nothing. It was only after some time that I could see the lizard when the wind blew the covering branches out of the way. By this time the lizard was by a fork in the tree.

I assumed the lizard was climbing to reach a nest. However it stayed where it was for the next hour, so maybe it had already eaten and was digesting its lunch. The kingfisher meanwhile gave out alarm calls and still dive-bombed the lizard - at one stage it got so close I saw the lizard flinch. After a couple of attacks the bird flew off, then returned about 20 minutes later and repeated the process. Then it flew off again for another 20 minutes or so before attacking again.

After about an hour I noticed the bird sitting next to its mate or friend. I don't know if the males and females of this species are the same colour or different, but these two birds were the same. Whilst one attacked the lizard, the other just watched.

It was only after an hour that the lizard suddenly turned round and ran down the tree and ran off across the grass into the woods, with the kingfishere repeatedly trying to attack it.

The white-throated kingfisher is quite a big bird and has a very long powerful beak. I don't know who was the winner of this battle.

The birds are quite attractive with brown caps, a white bib, chocolate waistcoat, shoulders and flank, pink beak and blue wings and tail.

The photos are lousy as I don't have a good camera.

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One week later, the bird was screaming again, and dive-bombing the ground. I assumed the monitor lizard was back, though I couldn't see it through the trees.