Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi ive had a few big lizards/snakes in the past
and i was looking to get into monitors. i noticed
that savanah/nile monitors are usally 100's of dollar's
cheaper. even comparing a full grown savanah to a baby
green tree monitor is there any thing i should know before
taking the cheap way.also any tips u could give me on
what monitors would be good for a person with experience with big reps but not with monitors.any help u could give would be greatly welcomed.
-joe

I don't have any experience with Niles, but I do with Savanahs and they are one of my favorite Lizards. They are full of personality and voracious eaters! Also a big plus is they are the smaller of the montior family, most topping off around 3 feet. They do require a lot of handling to keep them some what tame, but they are pretty hardy also. I feed mine mainly a diet of crickets, but he also get hardboiled eggs, gold fish and earth worms. Anyways, good luck with the coice, you won't be dissapointed if you pick a Sav.

>>Hi ive had a few big lizards/snakes in the past
>>and i was looking to get into monitors. i noticed
>>that savanah/nile monitors are usally 100's of dollar's
>>cheaper. even comparing a full grown savanah to a baby
>>green tree monitor is there any thing i should know before
>>taking the cheap way.also any tips u could give me on
>>what monitors would be good for a person with experience with big reps but not with monitors.any help u could give would be greatly welcomed.
>> -joe

They are cheaper because they are wild caught babys or farm hatched wild babies and imported by the gazillions.
I have never owned a Nile but have known several. They are now illegal in NY anyway. Nor do I have the room nor want.

As for which is better. A nile gets massive, powerful and generally dangerously aggressive (assertive if you wish). They are big enough to do you damage and if they are healthy and well cared for they generally don't hesitate to do so. I have met some that though raised by the same person the same way one was moderately trustworthy and the other psychotic.

A sav is the kinder, gentler, smaller version. I have three right now. One since hatchling and two hand me downs that were a foot plus when they came to me. They were not as used to me and therefore 'wilder'(hiss, thrash and stress) but over the last few years they are more trusting (and vica versa) and I can work around them and handle them with minimal stress to either of us.
Though if they feel it is dinner time and I am reaching around them I am more comfortable wearing gloves. I personally feel they can make a moderately good wild animal pet as long as you are willing to dedicate the time, money and space they require.
If you want something you can work around and touch now and then I would say that the savs are good. Though you must also think of the wc problems of physical issues like parasites and illness.
If money is not an issue and you really want something fun I would say go for Ackies. I have one, a handicapped little one (part of what my vet calls my freak show) who had a foot eaten by a sibling and I got cheaper and out of sympathy. Full of life, energy and just very cool to sit and watch operate.
When other projects allow I hope to get a trio of these.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Ive had *some* experience with both of these (having kept a Nile for the last 2 years and having spent quite a bit of time around a few different Savs).

For the most part, yeah, Niles are the bigger, badder lizard. They compete almost directly with Nile Crocs... you gotta be hardcore if youre the lizard that mucks with Crocs, lol

While both species can get BIG, Niles (because of that extra long, powerful tail) tend to get very long. This can make housing them difficult (any 6'+ lizard requires alot of space, an 8'+ requires A LOT).

Many people say that Niles are more openly aggressive than Savs- this I dont think Id agree on. Absolutely the meanest, most outright hateful animal Ive ever encountered was a 4 yr old Sav that was less than 30" long. He'd been kept in a 20 gal. aquarium his entire life with a filthy water bowl, a half log for hiding and a substrate of sand(though by the time we got there, it was mostly poop) and though fat in the belly, he was REALLY undersized and looked sickly.

My friend bought him from this kid, in hopes of at least giving him a larger home. Never have I seen an animal respond to humans in such a way- this animal hissed on the verge of roaring, I swear to God it was aiming its poop, and the look in its eyes was INTENSE.

My Nile is "assertive" for the most part, not liking to be picked up (I can touch him on the back and on the head or tail, but if i try to pick him up, WATCH OUT! hehe). If I do pick him up, he hisses and scratches and sometimes poops. But not like this Sav did. Even when my Nile fights hard to get away or is really upset, he dosnt act like this thing did.

The animal survived another 10 months or something, gained like 7-8" and then miraculously died.

It just goes to show that every monitor is different- they havedifferent personalities, they have had different experiences, and therefore different perspectives on their world.

Niles as a group, tend to be highly aggressive, but I think individuals can all be turned with time and trust- in the case of Niles, turned towards a calmer and more trusting animal.

If I were you, and I had expereience with reptiles(large and small) but not monitors directly, and had $$ to spend, Id prolly take a look at Ackies. They dont really get big, but in the room youd house a single Adult Nile you can prolly house a breeding group of Ackies (granted, the Acks would cost you about $900 vs the Nile at $20-30). There are tons of monitor species, find what fits you best.

Peach-throats also seem really cool, visually as well a behaviorally (i dont think thats a word...), but again, you need some $$.

Timors seem interesting, though from what I understand of them... well, to quote the person I heard about it from "I was told if I was doing things right, Id never see him... I never see him and food continually disappears, so Im taking that as a good sign".

Hello,
To respond to Nilekeepr with regards to the savannah monitor- the animal you describe is the exception... If you are downright set on a sav or Nile then go with the sav. It is going to be a smaller animal as an adult. You will still require a large cage- think room size- not aquarium size. I would of course suggest the Timor(cheap) or an ackie(still relatively cheap) or any of the small tree monitors, black trees, green trees, blue trees- they are all relatively cheap as monitors go, just not dirt cheap... All of the African and Asian species, whether it is the sav, the Nile, or the Timor or trees- will probably arrive to you dying of some unseen illness or parasites that you will have to pay a vet to fix... And yet the animal will still remain worse for wear for a long time as it rehabs. The ackie will be the only one captive bred and free from damages... So consider all of these aspects before you buy into the "Monitor Club"... Also, we have not even touched on what is required to keep these animals alive- the food- the electric, etc. Read over this whole forum, archives and all before you jump in - if you have not all ready... And remember, there are lots of other reptiles that are cheaper and easier, prettier and that will tolerate handling. Oh, and the pictures that you may have seen of people snuggling with Niles, Ornates or Savs, -those animals were all "dead", dying and ill... Live monitors respond to handling by running, scratching, whipping and biting if all else fails. If you are okay with all of this, then I wish you well with your choice and - Best to you- Mike

On a side note:

Mike, whats the captive breeding situation with peachies? has there been any luck?

Hello Nilekeepr,
I do not keep peachies at the moment. You must be refering to Mikes Monitors... I'm curious to know also- would like to see some US cbreds not just cborns this year... Best to you- Mike

hey thanks for the info everybody and by thw way space isnt a problem at all i have a large closet with nothing in it and i was looking to convert to a cage i believe its about 9' 1/2 x 5' would this be big enough for a large monitor and the price of the monitor dosent realy worry me but what would i be looking to spend at for a month for food
-joe

The truth about niles and savs.
They are cheap because they are shipped in my the thousands.
Most are stressed, dehyderated and near death.
Before purchasing either, find a "Qualified" vet that knows about monitors. Not a reptile vet either, these usually think you can probe to sex a monitor.
My opinion? Spend the extra money for a healthy CBB monitor.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

>>hey thanks for the info everybody and by thw way space isnt a problem at all i have a large closet with nothing in it and i was looking to convert to a cage i believe its about 9' 1/2 x 5' would this be big enough for a large monitor and the price of the monitor dosent realy worry me but what would i be looking to spend at for a month for food
>> -joe

9 X 5 floor footprint? IMO Enough for a Sav not for a Nile all it's life.

Food costs depends on what you feed. If you follow recommendations and go with bugs when little and rodents when grown you should think of the cost of a dozen and a half or so small rats(100gram animals) a month when a sav is grown. Mice work too but in obviously greater number. Growing babys really eat an equivalent since they are growing and eat eat eat. I almost would say my 3 savs eat as much as the thirty some small (6ft and under) snakes I keep over the same time period. But that is a guestimate as I don't keep count. Just throw food at them all the time. I raise my own roaches and rodents so costs vary.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny