Are monitor lizards native to Arizona? Here's what we know about the reptile

After a large monitor lizard was recently liberated from a storm drain on the side of Loop 101 in Phoenix, people began to wonder what monitors are and whether they belong in Arizona.

A monitor lizard is any lizard in the genus Varanus or Lanthanotus and a part of the Varanidae family, according to britannica.com. About 50 species of Varanus are recognized in the subfamily Varaninae.

Archie, the lizard rescued from the Loop 101 freeway on Wednesday, is a Nile monitor lizard, which are typically large in size and not native to Arizona. Isabel Kostich, the lead conservation educator at the Phoenix Herpetological Society, said they are kept as pets in Arizona.

Archie was about 3 1/2 to 4 feet, which is typical for a Nile monitor lizard, she said.

"Some people were asking if it's native, if they need to worry about seeing those guys out," Kostich said. "If you do see something like that, it is not a native animal and you're gonna want to contact somebody to help them out."

Annie Goodykoontz is a reporter for The Arizona Republic. You can reach her at AGoodykoontz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What is a monitor lizard? Here's what we know about the reptile