Addo Elephant National Park
Eastern Cape · Year-round
5 places
Wildlife
Rock Monitor
Varanus albigularis
The rock monitor (Varanus albigularis), also called the leguaan, likkewaan or black-throated monitor, is a species of monitor lizard found in Central, East and southern Africa.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records1,370 records
Curve from 1,370 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Limpopo and beyond
Provinces where Rock Monitor is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,370 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Rock Monitor
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
From R 17,400a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Dulini Moya
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
From R 28,990a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 11,980a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
From R 10,670a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 17,500a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Singita Ebony Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Price on request
Rock Monitor recorded here
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,093a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp
Garden Route National Park
From R 287a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Singita Boulders Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Price on request
Rock Monitor recorded here
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 1,490a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Nyathi Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,901a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris
Mpumalanga
Price on request
Rock Monitor recorded here
Matyholweni Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,426a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Addo Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 461a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Izingwe Lodge
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Price on request
Rock Monitor recorded here
Weenen
Weenen Game Reserve
From R 130a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park: Mpila Camp
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
From R 1,420a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Inzalo Safari Lodge
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Price on request
Rock Monitor recorded here
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park: Hilltop Camp
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
From R 900a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Ndumo
Ndumo Game Reserve
From R 190a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Dulini River
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
From R 28,990a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
Dulini Leadwood
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
From R 28,990a night
Rock Monitor recorded here
More stays nearby
Whale Coast Ocean Villa
Voëlklip, Hermanus
From R 2,235a night
Schoone Oordt Country House
Swellendam
From R 4,355a night
The Midlands
Next stop
Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Rock Monitor
Hosts have recorded the Rock Monitor at stays in or beside Addo Elephant National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Kruger National Park.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addo Elephant | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here |
| Sabi Sand | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- The warm hours of the day. The Rock Monitor needs the sun's warmth before it moves.
- Cold mornings and nights. Tucked away until the day warms up.
Where to base yourself
Limpopo
Kruger · Welgevonden
LimpopoBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in LimpopoEastern Cape
Addo Elephant
Eastern CapeBig FiveSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Eastern CapeMpumalanga
Sabi Sand
MpumalangaBig FiveGuided drivesStays in MpumalangaKwaZulu-Natal
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · Ndumo · Weenen
KwaZulu-NatalBig FiveStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Varanus albigularis
Records
1,370
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Rock Monitor on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Rock Monitor in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Rock Monitor at stays in or beside Addo Elephant National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Welgevonden Game Reserve and Garden Route National Park and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Rock Monitor in South Africa?
The Rock Monitor is most recorded in Limpopo (30% of records), Mpumalanga (22% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (12% of records), based on 1,370 iNaturalist observations. 22 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Rock Monitor on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Rock Monitor?
The Rock Monitor is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Rock Monitor?
The rock monitor (Varanus albigularis), also called the leguaan, likkewaan or black-throated monitor, is a species of monitor lizard found in Central, East and southern Africa. It is the second-longest lizard found on the continent, and the heaviest bodied.