Ed,

Our main area of experience is limited to V. jobiensis, but the following housing methods continue to work well for us.

In direct answer to your question, I feel that caging with a height that is equal to the length is desirable, but you will have to toy with basking temperatures and ascertain that the branches are meticulously placed in order to allow the monitors to adequately thermoregulate (which may mean placing some of them almost directly under the basking light). Caging with both ample height and length are ideal. These are extremely inquisitive, active monitors and will utilize every bit of cage space offered. It is very important that the cagescape allow the monitor to feel secure, though, and I suggest "packing" the cage with many branches, logs, cork bark, artificial greenery, etc. Open space is not relished by this species. We have also added a network of PVC piping underneath the substrate that the monitors can "squeeze" into for the added feeling of security. (Like many, we practice the 24 hour day/night cycle with these animals, and so this is also where they retreat when they have decided that it is "night".) They utilize this feature regularly in addition to residing in some of the burrows that they have created on their own.

With any monitor species, it is generally assumed that "bigger is better" when it pertains to housing, but I firmly believe that it is through providing a multitude of hide areas and an extremely varied heat gradient that these animals have been enabled to thrive in our care (not that I would ever recommend cramming these monitors, who can easily reach four feet in length, into a small enclosure). Jobiensis also have a penchant for high humidity, so choose a cage and substrate that will best meet your animal's needs.

Well, I'm getting a bit off track, but I do hope you've found this information to be of some use to you. I firmly believe that you will thoroughly enjoy ANY species in the Indicus Complex should you decide to purchase one (or two, or a trio) in the future. They are a joy to work with and are absolutely stunning to behold.

Have a nice evening.

Jennifer Webb
Jungle Gems Exotics
www.JungleGemsExotics.com

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