NEED TO KNOW
- Arizona man Eric Johnson found a giant lizard swimming in his backyard pool
- Experts later said the reptile was likely an Asian water monitor — the second-largest lizard species in the world after the Komodo dragon
- Wildlife experts believe the massive lizard was likely an escaped pet, noting that Asian water monitors are not native to Arizona and can grow longer than seven feet
A man in Arizona was in shock when he discovered a giant lizard in his backyard.
Peoria resident Eric Johnson was doing yardwork when he suddenly heard a loud splash coming from his swimming pool, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
“It almost sounded like a baseball jumping in the pool,” Johnson told the outlet, adding that was when he saw the creature.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Eric Johnson/Facebook
“I didn’t know if it was venomous, if it was going to attack me,” Johnson said. “I figured it was some type of, you know, half-land, half-water animal because he looked pretty comfortable.”
After climbing out of the pool, the lizard relaxed in the sun while Johnson snapped photos from a safe distance.
“So it seemed like it was sweet and friendly and it kind of just lay there, but I wasn’t trying to go test that theory, you know,” said Johnson.
He told FOX 10 that after about 20 minutes, the reptile climbed a tree and eventually left his yard on its own.
“He looked happy swimming in the pool,” Johnson added.
The unexpected visitor was later identified by experts as what they believe to be an Asian water monitor — one of the largest lizard species in the world.
“The second-largest species of lizard in the world, after the Komodo Dragon,” Alex Roszkowski, director of operations at the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, told FOX 10.
Roszkowski added that Johnson’s decision to keep his distance from the animal was the right move, explaining that while Asian water monitors are not typically aggressive, they can defend themselves if threatened.
“They’re not gonna try to actively attack somebody necessarily, but if they feel cornered or threatened in some way, they do have very sharp teeth, and very sharp claws so they can and will defend themselves,” said Roszkowski, per the outlet.
According to the expert, the reptile was likely someone’s escaped pet, as Asian water monitors are not native to Arizona.
Asian water monitors are native to South and Southeast Asia, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“This is definitely somebody’s pet who got out,” Roszkowski said.
The expert believes the lizard was young, but explained that the species can grow to more than seven feet long.
