Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Where are all the big water monitors? I've been looking high and low for over 4 months for a big water monitor, like 6 feet and up, and can't find anything anywhere. Going by how many babies are sold, either they do not get that big, or they all end up dying. What's the story here?

They die. Cheers

starting with a high quality baby, in 4 months you would have already been halfway to your size goal, and before you even knew it, all the way there.

Frank is right. it is sad, and really eats at me, but it is the give and take of the reptile hobby. we sell dozens of Waters each year (low triple digits) while tens of thousands are brought in. like many reptiles, a huge percentage of those don't make it past one year, and certainly not three.

you can only do the very best you can, offer the highest quality baby that you can, priced to appeal to the serious passionate hobbyist committed to providing a good life to the animal.

i hate to think of what happens to the thousands of impulse purchased $75 Water Monitor that is bought with zero planning and foresight.

a bit of a tangent there, but i wanted to confirm FR's eloquently simple post, and provide my additional thoughts.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Robyn,
Are you saying that a properly taken care of water monitor should be half-grown at 4 months?

if well kept, they have phenomenal growth rats. 3 ft in length in four months? sure. that is not a mature MASS, but just the length, definitely. we tell folks to expect their Water and Blackthroat babies to get 4 ft in a single year. and really, even beyond that : )
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

A few comments. First, both FR and Robyn are correct in stating most die before having the opportunity to attain the "legendary" sizes. I suspect salvators rank behind only savannahs and niles in being considered a disposable monitor. Second, that said, there are large water monitors out there and there are even pictures. Some of the keepers of larger water monitors do not post here much, if at all; some used to post here and quit this particular forum and others may never have posted here. Third, here is a picture of a salvator I hatched in March of 2002. This picture was taken in March of 2006. He is close to, if not over, 6 feet. I have not measured him in a long time since he does not usually sit still or straight long enough to measure. I have several others in the 4-5 foot range.

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^x^ Bloodbat ^x^
Monitors, monitors everywhere
and all the food they ate.
Monitors, monitors everywhere,
their parents loved to mate.

Thanks. How old are the others at 4-5 feet. I think you seem to agree with me that water size is exaggerated. A 4 foot monitor is really not that big. Also, how are the temperaments on your waters? Do you have any that have become dog tame?

Exaggerated? Come on now. You cannot exaggerate any monitor that can and does exceed 7,8,9,10 feet. The keepers who do have the very big salvators, often have dedicated alot of personal time to raise them.

regards,

-john
www.cybersalvator.com

No, I definitely do not think size is overrated. Water monitors do get that large. The reality is that some do not, and that is often related to the way they are kept. I will even admit that if I kept some if mine differently, they could be larger. Maybe not every water monitor will be a 8-10 foot behemoth, but a well kept water monitor should be a large animal in most cases.

I would also disagree that a 4 foot monitor is not that big or whatever term you used. A 4 foot monitor can be an incredibly challenging animal to manage, which is why most people end up dumping them before they reach that size or killing them through neglect when they become a challenge. A 5 and 6 foot monitor is quite the challenge to manage, even a calm and tolerant one. Simply put: they are heavy, large, have sharp claws, generally do not like being held or feeling like they are going to fall (read: being held and they dig in those sharp claws to prevent falling), and even when only curious can cause injuries.

No, I have never seen a dog tame monitor; I do, however, have two dogs for my "dog tame" needs. I have seen calm and tolerant monitors, including water monitors. However, what I see more often are water monitors that do not much care for being held, interacted with, or "played with."

One of my 4 footers is the same age as the 6 footer and is female. Another is female and 3 years or so. Another is a female of unknown age, as it was one of the above mentioned "dumped" when it was too much to handle by the owner.

If you want a water monitor, start with a baby and grow it up yourself. Adults usually come with a lot of baggage that is often unpleasant.
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^x^ Bloodbat ^x^
Monitors, monitors everywhere
and all the food they ate.
Monitors, monitors everywhere,
their parents loved to mate.

Sometimes they live. And when they do, they grow and do so very quickly. they require more $, time, energy, food, space, than most other reptile keepers care to provide.

Here is my 7 foot male, with a 6 footer. they fought over a dark sleeping area. for an idea of how big he is, standing up, the 7 footer is 3 feet tall and weighs 42 lbs. he is only 4.5 years old and could grow FEET more.

-john

john you've always got some of the best pictures.. haha how many sulfurs do u have in total.?i have a young female.

3 sulfurs, 1 male, 1 female (cody), 1 unknown. send me an email thru cybersalvator.com

regards,

-john

that looks more like the Lambada- the forbidden dance!

i'm just sayin...
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Each time you display these adult monitors, uneducated folks rush to the nearest pet shop and buy a water monitor, farther contributing to the mass importation and captive genocide. Haven’t any of you learn something from these forums?

You don’t remember The fresh man? Or Cold stone? Heck even the Return of the Jedi contributed to the marketing of large monitors.

Do you remember the fellow on this board wanting to keep and breed 50 croc monitors, of course it’s our fault for having displayed and portrayed them as majestic lizards, well at least I for one feel stupid for advertising croc’s in the past. I never imagined peoples wanting to keep such specialised monitors, much less in numbers.

Hears something that correlates with why large captive monitors seems to vanish in thin air. These last 15 years iv sold only a few dozen pairs to private keepers, yet to this day none have produced a single egg. I imagine most of these monitors are dead, but those still alive are living stagnant life’s. Every pair iv donated or sold, was to peoples intending to breed them, my condition was first pick of the first clutch, to this day that’s (O) nada monitors, yep still waiting for my due.

No commitment, no devotion, no common sense are the only reasons for such failures.
Oh I must have offended a few keepers? What do I care!
Be responsible or don’t keep monitors.

Almost every water monitor I have raised has hit 6 foot even my cumingi. The only exception has been my togians. If you would of raised one for 4 months you'd be halfway to seeing a 6 footer, if you support it well enough. Sadly most of them end up living short lives and never reach their potential.

It is odd that you say you cannot find one though cause I know of plenty.