Reptile & Amphibian Forums

anyone own a timor monitor here, or have experience with them??
i would like to know how to handle them (im getting him in a few days--it's a captive bred baby)
i would like to know about some of their quirks
and anything special i need to do to make it feel at home
so..........any inside info on timor monitors would be freakin' stellar!!!!
so please reply
thanks a million!!!!
brandon

how to handle? don't. they don't like it, even a little bit. you have made the wrong choice if you wanted a handling animal. properly setup, you won't even SEE that animal in the cage, it will be hidden 98% of the time.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

i have heard otherwise about timors......they can be very friendly and active little buggers

does anyone heve experience with them????

They can be fun to watch and active in their cage, but are extreamly flighty and will probably hide while your a round for a while or their entire life. Getting one that you can hold is very rare, unless there sick. Other wise they are very pretty.

There are always exceptions, But The timor complex are not the type of monitor that tolerates being held. They are also not biters. They just do not like it.

They are also VERY shy, If they are out and they have suitable cover, they will nearly always hide. Most of the time, they wait until your not looking then slip away. And Yes, I have had many types and currently(something wrong with me) I have two types.

To be sure, they are one of the LEAST fun monitors to keep.

I often wonder why people keep monitors and I am sure there are lots and lots of different reasons. So people keep them as reminder of their natural habitat. Somewhere they have been or hope to go. Really you should not keep a living animal for this, take a dang picture or lots of pictures to remind you.

All in all, I think fun needs to happen in order for people to KEEP them for anything but the shortest period. If the monitors can add some joy to your life, then you are more likely to keep them and take good care of them. Unfortunately, this complex is not so fun, but more of a project. You know, just to see if you can do it. Then get rid of them. Most buy them like you and quickly get rid of them.

I started keeping and breeding monitors in 1991 and I still keep, breed and enjoy Spinytailed monitors(ackies) I have bred over 20 species and most are gone with the wind. Most are gone because they were not so fun. It really is that simple. Fun equals, just plain fun(something you laugh at) rewarding(something you feel you helped accomplish) rewarding(something that at least pays for its upkeep) rewarding(something thats pretty and you enjoy seeing it) rewarding(something that behaves and does all sorts of things in front of you) I guess I should have used the word "rewarding" instead of fun. But you get the idea.

By the way, you should require proof of captive hatching. As they are imported in numbers and are rarely captive hatched. So you decide which it is. Cheers

Cheese Head, [take it easy..I'm only playin]

I have kept a large group of Auffenbergi as well as Similis.
Similis are my second favorite species.
My Auffenbergi group would scramble at the first sign of humans.
This equaled ''no fun'' which is way I sold them, big dummy once I sold them and emptied their enclosure I found several clutches of eggs.

My Similis were [are] very bold and I have 1 left from my group.
AWESOME little beasts, here is a photo of the one I have left.
I would JUMP on an oppertunity to buy more.
Contrary to what has been stated my worst bite came from one of my Similis. I was not expecting it and when it happend I flinched so hard it set off my cyatica[spelling], it took three weeks to subside.

So in my experience ''Timors'' do not make the best captives, but Similis make for alot of fun.
Mike

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Mike's Monitors!

Nice pics ,Mike. It's sciatica if anyone cares.

I also have some experience with bitey Timor types.

I've had my Timor pair for about 5 years now, and although they are definately not the most personable creatures, they definately have personality. After about 2 years they got used to me enough to clean the inside of their cage without them bolting for cover (they'll usually just sit on their shelves and watch intently as I work, as long as I move slowly and don't make eye contact for too long...lol) They will also eat from my hands if I use the same approach, although not always. One thing I've noticed is that they keep a close eye on your hands. They've bred for the last 4 years (i have 2 in the incubator right now), and they (and the 1 1/2 yr old baby i still have) are an absolute pleasure to watch. There's intelligence in those eyes, i'm sure of it.

I have varanus timorensis do you want to ask some things about them mail me at info@kidareptilez.com