Arizona man shocked when he finds unexpected, giant creature swimming in his pool
An Arizona man was surprised to find a giant Asian Water Monitor lizard swimming in his pool. The lizard, which is not native to the area, appeared to be friendly and eventually left after sunbathing. Experts believe it may have been a pet that escaped.
- ▪Eric Johnson discovered the lizard while doing yardwork in Peoria, Arizona.
- ▪Asian Water Monitors can grow up to seven feet long and weigh up to 90 pounds.
- ▪The lizard is not typically aggressive but can defend itself if threatened.
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US News Arizona man shocked when he finds unexpected, giant creature swimming in his pool By David Spector Published May 16, 2026, 9:50 p.m. ET Talk about a lounge lizard. An Asian Water Monitor lizard — the second largest in the world — shocked an Arizona man when it took an uninvited swim in his backyard pool. “It almost sounded like a baseball jumping in the pool,” Peoria homeowner Eric Johnson told Fox 10. Johnson said he was doing yardwork when he heard a giant splash, and turned to see a lizard doing laps his pool. “All the sudden it pops up, this giant lizard swimming across the pool. I didn’t know if it was venomous, if it was going to attack me,” he said. An Asian Water Monitor is the second largest species of lizard next to Kimono Dragons.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
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