Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi guys,

I have plenty of experience with smaller tegus/monitors, but we just got a 6-7 ft Ornate Nile Monitor into our rescue. Normally we try to network homes for larger monitors without bringing them into the rescue, but this was a critical time situation, so now it's with us here at our rescue. Currently it's in a temporary 4x4 ft cage, but I know it needs something bigger permanently. The former owner spent countless hours socializing this monitor. He is so friendly we are considering making him a permanent resident so he can come out to some of our educational outreach events. However, I would value some experienced advice to help us put his setup together.

I've read Ornate Niles are native to the Nile River banks in Africa, and spend a great deal of time soaking/swimming. Aside from some room to stretch/bask/soak, does anyone have more specific housing suggestions that we should consider? Also, can anyone reccomend some specific sites/publications about keeping larger monitors?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Jesse Rothacker
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary
www.forgottenfriend.org

check out the Water caresheet at our site, that would serve as a simple basis for your Nile care. if you don't have them already, i would consider the Savannah Monitor book by Ravi and Bennett a MUST HAVE for a detailed breakdown of current monitor husbandry. it absolutely applies to your Nile monitor. also get a copy of the Faust Nile Monitor book. all are available at our site.

while you are there, check out the FAQ and Monitor Pro Pack.

as for housing, i would suggest looking into the galvanized metal troughs as a base of your cage, and build up from them. you don't need flowing water or large pond features in your setup, but you do need a moist substrate, and something the animal is not going to be able to dig/walk through. the metal troughs are unbeatable in this regard, and very economical. best of luck!
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Hi,
You got yourself a sweetheart, in my opinion, because my Nessie was about as large as this one you have. The only difference is, we chose not to "house" our large monitor; instead we gave him free roam of the house - our home was his cage. He slept under our bed, went outside through our doggie door in the bedroom, came back in through the doggie door by the end of the day and went to his "cave" under our bed. We gave him daily baths in the bathtub, fed him in the kitchen (along with the other cats and dogs we had), and took him with us on weekend trips. Sadly, he died in Feb. 2003, from an airborne virus that also wiped out six other monitor lizards during a three week period.

We presently have a 4' ornate (named Nessie in honor of our previous one) that was left from our clutch we hatched on Nov. 1, 2000, and a 3' Argus we bought in California before we moved to North Carolina in January, 2005. We keep Nessie in the large 3X3 incubator that she was hatched in, give her daily baths in the bathtub, feed her live rats (we are breeding them), and when weather allows, let her roam outside in our .25 acre fenced backyard. The Argus stays in a 4X3 wooden enclosure that sits on top of the incubator and on sunny days, we release the Argus in an outside enclosure (made from 4 glass doors screwed together).

We have observed that the larger these monitors get, the more docile and less flighty they become. When they get over 4', they won't climb trees or objects because they know that they could fall down (I guess) and get hurt. We also concluded they are "creatures of habit" meaning they do the same thing repeatedly, like when they disappear under something, that's where you'll find them the next time they disappear.

I could go on and on about the pleasure I had, and am still having, in raising a large ornate monitor, but I want to get this message posted. Please feel free to email me with any further concerns you may have.

Nessie's Mom

Nessie, my Ornate Monitor

You keep a four foot nile in a 3 x 3 cage and a 3 foot argus in 4 x 3 cage? Wow it must suck to effectivly live in a coffin and be allowed to move when "weather permits".

No offense, but what are you thinking? You must understand, these animals spend the majority of their lives underground(in), and only come out when weather combined with need permits.

I hope you also understand that nearly all cages are more like a burrow then like being outside of the burrow/hide and loose.

Monitors understand, they are in something(cage) and the cage is in something else(a room) and that room is inside something else(house or building) and that none of these are outside.

I have indoor, outdoor and combinations of both, types of cages. The monitors clearly know they are in a cage when the cage is outdoors.

That people decorate a cage, like the country of origin, while not understanding it more like a burrow, is odd to me.

The reality is, cages are burrows/crevices/hides, they are just really poor ones.

Nessies mom has kept monitors in indoor cages, in outdoor cages, loose in the house and with the ability to use all of them anytime they wanted(choice). hmmmmmmm pretty cool if you ask me. Unfortunately she now lives in a place that has a winter, we ain't in SoCal no more. hahahahahahahaha her monitors are going to spend more time in burrows(cages) I hope she adjusts to this successfully. Just something to think about, Cheers and good luck

Thank you for your support of my "caging" my monitors - you're right - I have yet to take my lizards out in the snow - and I'm not about to! Yes, it is very, VERY, cold here in comparison to So. Cal., but their enclosures are in a heated room (off the laundry room) with heat lamps on them 8 hrs., at least daily, and the ambulant room temp varies between 66 - 74 degrees.

However, in the year we've been out here, our ornate, Nessie, has escaped out of our half acre backyard a few times; having been found by us on all occasions except one. On that one occasion, three Durham police cars delivered her home to us after apprehending her in the apartment complex 1/2 mile behind us. Good thing she had her name and address on an ID tag attached to the harness she wears 24/7. Those cops had a blast taking cellphone pics of their "apprehended misguided youth" who scared the apartment dwellers enough to call the cops for removal. They thought it was an alligator!hahahahaha

Again, thanks for your words of knowledge. You Rock!

Sincerely,
Nessie's Mom

P.S. They still like cheese! LOL
Nessie, my ornate monitor

Here are pics of Nessie and me, Nessie with her ID tag, and a pic of our outdoor enclosure. Nessie's Mom

Here's the 3' Argus sunning himself in the outdoor enclosure on Nov. 11, 2006. - Nessie's Mom

Mind me if I am just not thinking right here but what keeps the monitors in this outdoor cage from climbing out? It looks like the top is open. I guess if there nails are cut they could not climb out but I would think if they got warm enough they would do a back flip out of it (maybe with a stylish "tail grab" on the way out. or, if nothing else, just dig there way out.

Thanks!

Kevin