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I was curious as to the drinking habits of captive monitors.I know that our crappy cages can't duplicate their environment or conditions even slightly.My blackthroat drinks about twice a week for about a minute since I lowered her humidity to try to fix the shedding problem and tail loss.My water monitor can't be monitored since she is in or under water a lot and flicks her tongue as she swims.In the wild,is it prefect conditions or just NO access to water to drink if they wanted it?I just figured in captivity they have more access to things like heat,food ,water and choose what they want(good or bad).Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

I am at a loss for words, OK, I'am not, hahahahahaha. Drinking is like all other outward actions, its an indicator. Its always an indicator. Its not always about right or wrong, but instead, degrees of right and wrong.

To be exposed to constant dehydration, is just one more captive stress. Remember, in nature, they have behaviors to control this. In fact, their life is all about controlling hydration and calories.

In captivity, many expose them to dehydration as a matter of practice. As in, thats just the way it is. In my opinion, thats a "real" reason so many fail.

So many people talk about things like this is ideal and that is ideal or the best, etc, etc. I tend to wonder about those terms and those people. I find that its a day to day job of maintaining suitable, muchless idea. Of course, I have had some idea days. But most of the time, I am working to barely attain suitable. Or in a sense, just trying to avoid stressful.

So to think about how much or how little a monitor should drink is odd. All that depends or many things and it changes day to day.

My job as a keeper is to not allow adverse stressful conditions, and cronic dehydration is both adverse and stressful.

This is actually a very hard subject to talk about. Cheers

Thanks for the info.You can tell I have too much time on my hands.I work nights so I spend most of the day monitoring my monitors

Same from one cage to another. Sobeks cage is adjusted from 4-5 bulbs in 2 locations from temperature differences, yet theres a huge difference in humidity readings from one spot to another. The inside of her burrow is around 90% plus (Ill get a reading some time) and in the low 70s (sometimes in the 60s), around the lower area of her cage it is in the mid to upper 70s and 70% plus humidity. The upper areas are in the low to mid 80s with around 45-60% humidity. On and in the immediate area of her basking spot it is from 29-38% humidity. She goes underground and stays for a few days (Im not there all of the time to tell), then shes out for a few days or so in various areas at various times.
My male BT, now goes under for a few days, then comes up when he wants to.
The flavi-argus is out alot, hes under to sleep, then active when awake, near the basking area.
The ackies roam around from under to out, depends when they need to.
They have water dishes, mostly I never see them drink, in fact most I cant remember when the last time, but Im not always there.
My beardie has never had a water dish, but my pinesanke likes to be damp.

I think many people think if some humidity is good, then more is better. The problem is, in my field work, snakes, gilas, monitors do not seek high humidity. They seek a relative humidity thats neutral, like 50%. Something that allows them not lose water from dehydration, and something not wet.

If most reptiles get wet in nature, they seek ways to dry off. Even watersnakes and water monitors. I think most monitors perfer a medium hunidity in their burrows or hides.

I have mentioned this many times, the key to understanding their needs is to understand dry and humid. That is what they perfer. Cheers

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