# Frank (lizard)
**Frank** was an [Asian water monitor](https://www.edgepedia.org/asian-water-monitor) (*Varanus salvator*), a semi-aquatic lizard native to southern Asia.[4](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Varanus_salvator/) He was best known for playing Mrs. Kipling on the [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) series *[Jessie](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessie-2011-tv-series)* from 2011 to 2015, a role he reprised in the sequel series *Bunk'd*.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5169236/) Owned by Jay Brewer, Frank lived at The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley, California, where he was hatched.[1](https://orangecoast.com/news/this-sitcom-scene-stealer-is-a-fountain-valley-pet-shops-headliner/) At the zoo he was fed about 3 pounds of food per week, mostly raw chicken legs and breasts, plus rats and rabbits.[2](https://orangecoast.com/life-style/jay-brewer-lizard-lord/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species | Asian water monitor (*Varanus salvator*), a semi-aquatic lizard native to southern Asia[4](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Varanus_salvator/) |
| Best-known role | Mrs. Kipling on *Jessie* (active 2011–2015), a role reprised in the sequel series *Bunk'd*[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5169236/) |
| Owner and residence | Jay Brewer; The Reptile Zoo, Fountain Valley, California, where he was hatched[1](https://orangecoast.com/news/this-sitcom-scene-stealer-is-a-fountain-valley-pet-shops-headliner/) |
| Diet at the zoo | About 3 pounds of food per week, mostly raw chicken legs and breasts, plus rats and rabbits[2](https://orangecoast.com/life-style/jay-brewer-lizard-lord/) |
## Casting and role
Disney Channel contacted Jay Brewer in 2011 looking for a "big, tame lizard" for a new series. Brewer told *Orange Coast* magazine that the production needed something manageable because of the crew waiting on set, and that Frank had the best temperament of the available animals[2](https://orangecoast.com/life-style/jay-brewer-lizard-lord/).
On the show, the character was introduced as Mr. Kipling, Ravi Ross's pet monitor. In the first-season finale the lizard was revealed to be female when she laid a dozen eggs, and the name changed to Mrs. Kipling[1](https://orangecoast.com/news/this-sitcom-scene-stealer-is-a-fountain-valley-pet-shops-headliner/).
**Working with a live monitor on set.** Brewer described the practical side of the work: Frank was not trainable like a dog, so handlers encouraged him to move his mouth or walk in a direction, and editors shaped the footage afterward[2](https://orangecoast.com/life-style/jay-brewer-lizard-lord/). Actress [Christina Moore](https://www.edgepedia.org/christina-moore), who played Christina Ross, said the cast let Frank plenty of space during his scenes and that a stuffed lizard tail stood in for the real animal at other times[3](https://chipandco.com/talking-to-christina-ross-from-disneys-hit-tv-show-jessie-232108/). Because studio lighting kept the set cool, Frank had his own crew member with a heat lamp[2](https://orangecoast.com/life-style/jay-brewer-lizard-lord/).
## Life at The Reptile Zoo
Frank lived at Brewer's Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley, hatched at the associated Prehistoric Pets store, and was known to wander through the shop[1](https://orangecoast.com/news/this-sitcom-scene-stealer-is-a-fountain-valley-pet-shops-headliner/). Brewer fed him about twice a week, mostly raw chicken, with rats and rabbits also on the menu; the total came to roughly 3 pounds a week, a level Brewer said was kept below the 5 pounds Frank could eat in order to keep him thin and extend his lifespan[2](https://orangecoast.com/life-style/jay-brewer-lizard-lord/).
## Death
Frank died on October 23, 2021, at about 18 years of age.
## The species behind the role
The Asian water monitor, *Varanus salvator*, ranges from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indo-Australian islands, and is strongly associated with rivers and swamps[4](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Varanus_salvator/). It is reported to reach 3 meters in length, though most adults are 1.5 meters at most, and the species is an extreme carnivore that takes birds, eggs, small mammals, fish, and other prey[4](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Varanus_salvator/). Average captive lifespan recorded for the species is 10.6 years, which makes Frank's roughly 18 years a long life for a water monitor in care[4](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Varanus_salvator/) • [5](https://lizardist.com/monitor-lizards/lifespan/).
## References
1. [This Sitcom Scene-Stealer is a Fountain Valley Pet Shop's Headliner, Orange Coast (2014)](https://orangecoast.com/news/this-sitcom-scene-stealer-is-a-fountain-valley-pet-shops-headliner/)
2. [Jay Brewer, Lizard Lord, Orange Coast (2014)](https://orangecoast.com/life-style/jay-brewer-lizard-lord/)
3. [Talking to "Christina Ross" from Disney's Hit TV Show "Jessie", Chip and Company (2016)](https://chipandco.com/talking-to-christina-ross-from-disneys-hit-tv-show-jessie-232108/)
4. [Varanus salvator (Common Water Monitor), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Varanus_salvator/)
5. [Monitor Lizard Lifespan By Species, Lizardist](https://lizardist.com/monitor-lizards/lifespan/)
6. [Frank, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5169236/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Animals › Notable individual animals*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license