Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just was wondering from whoever owns them about there mentality, eating habits, whether or not they become docile?
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1.1 Children (Mattie & Trent)
1.0 Selayer Retic
2.0.1 Normal Ball
1.0 Ringer Ball Python
1.0 water python
1.0 Burm
1.0 Carplot Python
1.0 Rock
0.1 FWC
1.0 Mussy
1.0 Albino Burm
1.0 Colored ATB
1.0 Trinket
0.0.2 Candy Cane Corns
1.0 Shiba Inu
1.0 Hamster (daughter had to have it)

I happen to own a pair of black trees as well as a pair of Varanus boehmei. They are very high strung lizards and require a great deal of tight-fitting hides in their enclosure. In my opinion they should be housed in an enclosure no smaller than 3'x2'x6' (WxLxH).
If you are new to monitors I would not suggest keeping these as they are very difficult to maintain. They require a lot of braches for climbing. Also, it would be wise to attach cork tiles, wood lattice, or aquaculture netting to the sides of the enclosure in order to provide them with more usable surface area. I keep mine between 82-88F. Nightime temps may fall as low as 78F. Keep them humid, ideally between 75-85% at all times, frequent mistings may be required. Feeding for my collection consists of rodents, roaches and goliath hornworms. They should be fed on a daily basis. I would not be concerned about them becoming docile as they are not a monitor to be held anyway. If you want a monitor you can hold, I beg you not to get a beccarii. For some more information try visiting www.treemonitors.com. It is a very helpfull site where you should be able to find loads of information.

Cheers
Stephen

These are not for the beginer. Not because they require anything different then any other monitor, because they all require what V.b. mentioned. These monitors just to not have the reserves to withstand lots of mistakes like heavy bodied monitors can WITHSTAND. Keeping monitors is more about mistakes, even with the best of us.

From your question about "do they become docile" I take it you are not very experience with monitors. Please understand, very few people are, so don't feel bad.

If I were to recomend a group of monitors for beginers, it would be Argus and the gouldi complex for medium sized monitors and Ackies, V.acanthurus, from the smaller monitors.

Both of these types are strong, durable, and will teach you about all monitors. Both rarely bite, but of course all monitors can and do bite if given good reason.

Its my personal opinion, if your worried about getting bit. Then its not your time for monitors yet. The reason I say this is, while all reptiles can bite, monitors are inflict lots of pain and damage and with some species, a trip to the hospital. Maybe think of it along the lines of hot snakes. You need experience and training FIRST. Once you get that, then they can be very rewarding to keep and study(notice I did not say pets) Cheers

I second that recommendation....but i'm partial - those are the two species i keep. I wouldn't group house argus. They scrum w/ one another too much.

Really, I never had a problem with argus or the gouldi group and I do keep groups of them all the time. Hmmmmm Like 15 years now. Even groups of males.

Ok, old females hate new males. Old males hate young males, but all can be worked out. Cheers

i've had no luck with males being near one another w/ Argus. The winner of the pushing match chases and bites the loser if the loser can't get away-really away. you probably have gigantic outdoor caging vs. my 10 ft boxes perhaps? you've not had male/male skirmishes that got out of hand?

Thanks for the tips. I am not a newb to monitors just wanted to hear what others had to say about them, because I havent seen to much. Thanks anyways

Josh
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1.1 Children (Mattie & Trent)
1.0 Selayer Retic
2.0.1 Normal Ball
1.0 Ringer Ball Python
1.0 water python
1.0 Burm
1.0 Carplot Python
1.0 Rock
0.1 FWC
1.0 Mussy
1.0 Albino Burm
1.0 Colored ATB
1.0 Trinket
0.0.2 Candy Cane Corns
1.0 Shiba Inu
1.0 Hamster (daughter had to have it)

Two things, if you ask the questions you asked, your a newbie. Remember, all anyone here as to go by, is what you reveal. So, you act like a newbie you are one until proven otherwise. Saying your not is meaningless.

Second, what constitutes not being a newbie. Owning a monitor for 10 years still makes you a newbie consider the standards that are now routinely occurring.

In the distant past, it was good to get a monitor to feed and live a few years, that is not longer the case. Even kids are producing generations of monitors. That is the new standard. Cheers