With the alias of four-legged snake and round-nosed monitor, it is a member of the Varanidae family of Lacertiformes order. Its Latin scientific name is Varanus salvator, and the English name is Asian Water Monitor.        

It is one of the largest lizards in China. It is nearly 2 meters long and its tail occupies three fifths of the entire length. There are small scales all over the body. It has a long head, strong limbs, and a long snout with nostril near the end. Its tail is as flat as a ribbon and its four limbs are stout. It has a rather long tongue with deep forfication at the front tip. The scales on tail back form two rows of protuberance. Its back is black mixed with yellow stripes. Its belly is light yellow or gray, decorated with a few black strips. Its tail has horizontal lines alternating in black and yellow.

It settles down on riverbanks in mountainous areas, good at swimming and climbing bushy trees. It feeds on small mammals, fishes and frogs. It oviposits in caves or tree holes during June and July, littering 15 to 30 eggs each brood.

It is distributed in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong, Yunnan and Hainan provinces.