Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm just trying to be sure of something. If the people who are selling monitors in the classifieds don't say that their lizards are captive bred, I'm assuming they are NOT, no matter how nice looking the young pictured are. Comments? Thanks.

That is probaly correct. But a lot of them that do claim to be captive bred are really not either.

You can be almost positive that all Australian monitors are captive bred here in the US, as it is almost impossible to import them into the US.

What to look out for are Savannahs, Niles, Blackthroats & Whites, most indo monitors (Salvator, Indicus, doreanus, jobensis, prasinus or other true "tree monitors", etc..). They are almost NEVER produced here in the US, much less available in the private market.

While there are exceptions, there is one really good way to weed out the b.s. Just ask for mating, laying and hatching pictures. If anyone spends the time to feed, incubate, and hatch any of these monitors, they would have taken pics of those things. If you get back, "I have to ask the person who produced them, "I don't have any, but you can trust me", or anything that beats around the bush, it usually is a bunch of made up crap. These are very rarely produced monitors in the States and anyone with any sucess with them would have documented it.

Otherwise, look to very, and I mean VERY reputible breeders and if they have a rep of producing, then you can usually be safe there too.

Hope this helps a little.

-Jeff

I wonder about the many melinus that are advertised for sale.

I'm not sure on Melinus. Last I heard was that Bushmaster Reptiles were exporting most of the melinus. If you go to their site, they do have pics of a breeding center, but I have no idea on if the produce Melinus or where they come from. That was a couple years ago so not sure if the info would be up to date now if they do.

If that is the species you are interested in, you might try e-mailing them as ask if they are working with Melinus and if they produce them or get them by another method.

-Jeff

CBB monitors or CB claimed monitors are just WC being sold by dishonest dealers who are either trying to get higher prices or to sell them faster.
A few times over the years I questioned over 100 dealers on the actual status of their CB or CBB monitors, most said they were, most insulted or threatened me outright for asking for proof, some never responded after being asked very nicely for proof, and one lied outright and emailed me pictures of Frank Retes outdoor cages in the desert and claimed they were his in Florida, little did he know that I had already seen the same pictures with FRs watermark a few times, worse yet this was a bigger name dealer on these classifieds.
Its always best to ask the breeders themselves, very few ever sell them to dealers or stores. Proexotics buys CBB monitors and on occasion sells their own.

I do have a melinus. A very nice one in fact. I'm glad to know that the vast majority of monitors are not captive bred from the standpoint that I can pick more carefully. It's sad though. It seems that too many dealers are selling whatever comes their way no matter what it is and what condition it is in. Does anybody know about the gentleman who is selling the baby Dumeril's? He seems legitimate. Thanks.

There might be a second soon with Dums.
If Benn Aller is who you refer to, yes he has bred them several times.
Just think if bosc and nile monitors were sold for their CBB prices of around $200 plus each we might start seeing CBB examples popping up, sad but true, the price seems to effect these animals as a majority of owners buy cheap "disposable" monitors, therefore when they die from lack of proper care they dont feel so bad. Yet when you try to tell these people that the price they spend on the monitor will be the lowest price they will deal with in keeping it properly. Next they try to prove that wrong with aquariums and screen tops. Also convenient human foods or dogfoods, catfoods, etc.
If these people did their research, set up a proper cage, made sure they were ready then got their monitor, and held out for great examples the bad examples wouldnt sell from the petstores, then the petstores would stop trying to sell walking skeletons.

I think it is Ben Aller.