Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok guys, help a girl out here.. I am a lizzard lover and have previous had a bearded dragon and a water dragon. For a short while I also took care of a Iguana and two rainbow boas (baby sitting) so I am not totally new on reptiles.

I've always been in love with monitors, esp the komodo but that one I can dream of, but I have not done a lot of reading on them YET, I am about too.

I finally convinced my husband to let me have one, I promised to choice one that would not eat the dog nor cat but..

So... what would you recomend as a good monitor, my goal is to buy a baby one and start proper socialisation so it is also used to the other family pets. Some people have said they can go testy due to the smell of furry animals, some say it is not a problem with proper socialisation and if you have them from young age. What is true?

Wich sort is a good beginner monitor? from what I've heard again some say that some sorts are more agressive and others that are less. I'd like someone that is a bit easier to begin with.

Any tips, pointers, ideas are welcome, this is a couple of month in front of me. I just want to plan out everything good.

So hit me with all info that you got
Thanks in advance..

Best advice is to start off small. Get an ackie or something. Bigger the monitor = bigger cage.

Just stick around the forums and read. Listen to peoples experiences. Listen to people who are successful and not newbs who read something on the internet. Also dont believe everything one person says and reject everything another says.

Cheers

Cage room is not an issue... thank god for having a house..
Temperament and behaviour is MORE important to me so I get one that suits with our lifestyle and since Ive heard a lot of diferent things about agression and preydrive level I figured I ask you pro's about it. I read the play thread amongst others and that is very interesting cause Ive heard people that could swear on their monitors playing..

meanwhile I know my bearded I had Douglas, he never played but he liked to hang around and get a scratch with the toothbrush, esp when changing skin. So they do calculate what they have use of, question is how long it streetches..

Im from Sweden so my english is not the best...
Ackie stands for??????? I saw the other thread about it and they did look cute..

Is it true though about the different temparemnts on diferent monitors??

"Ackie stands for??????? I saw the other thread about it and they did look cute"

Acanthurus monitors- Australian desert native, stays small, good temperment, social and relatively active.

Thats what you want right there- no questions. A pair or trio of ackies is, without a doubt, the best step into taking on the task on monitor keeping.

It may not seem it, but these guys (monitors) really ARE a handful- if you want what you say, its going to require alot of time. Monitors and furry mammals dont mix because, in most situations, a furry animal that isnt big enough to eat may well try to eat them. You can guess the reaction that creates. For that reason alone, I wouldnt suggest mixing your furry pets with your scaly ones- eventually, someone is likely to get hurt, and you dont want your little friends getting injured, right?

Your best bet is to start with an ackie or 2 and go SLOW- these are not bearded dragons or water dragons or iguanas or any of that stuff. This is a step up, and you need to realize that before making the commitment- these animals are intelligent predators, and crafty as hell; if you arent prepared to handle them, they could well prove more than a handful.

If you are prepared though, and willing to give them what they deserve, its an extremely rewarding experience. Just be sure that you are giving the animal the respect it deserves. This is not a dog, does not have the desires/requirements of that kind of animal, and should not be treated as though it does. Provide what IT NEEDS, not what YOU WANT.

It deserves to be treated as what it IS, rather than trying to make it fit your aspirations of what it SHOULD be... hope that makes sense. The most common problem I hear from people is that their animal is mean, which is something the apperantly didnt foresee- though it dosnt seem that surprising to me, all things considered. Understand that all animals have their own unique temperment, and while you may end up with a particularly 'friendly' animal... you may also end up with an overtly aggressive ball of teeth and claws... you need to be ready, whatever the case may be.

Hang around the forums for awhile, absorb what useful information you can get your hands on (I would search the archive for information regarding Ackies, as well as the forum bearing their name).

Hope I didnt muck that up too much and you can understand it. Good luck.

I agree with you.. and no I do not mix them.. I just wanted to make sure that the monitor does NOT go aggressive cause of the smell of furry animals period. Some people has told me they do and that as long as you have anything with furr on it is no use getting a monitor cause you will never be able to get them used to being handled cause the smell will irritate them one way or another.

A friend of mine had a step (desert?) monitor (not sure of correct english name) and that one was very tame, well handled and a lot of fun. He crawled around and was very socialable. Basked next to the couch under his lamp, came up to get a treat etc. My friend also that it had taken a lot of handeling and time to get him like that so I do not hold any wishes that it is gonna be like when I got my grown bearded that it is tame like that.

The thing is, a proper prepared/kept cage/tank is a very beautifull addition to any home. I love the lizards period cause they are beautifull creatures and I can sit and look at them for hours I love to make nice habitats where they can enjoy themselves as much as they now do. To lead a good lizard life.

My old iguana for ex had a big climbing corner with basking spots and shadowed spots together with a big tank and she was very happy indeed.

Is monitors diferent? they dont like interaction? cause my colleuges did. It liked getting petted even is that uncommon??

As far as the fur-animal-scent thing goes, I have not noticed the scent causing my monitor to get aggressive. I can't imagine it being an issue if you keep them seperated. If I have my monitor out, my fuzzy animals go in another room. I figure its better to stress the monitor out as little as possible.

Its strange, because nile keepr says they are fun and rewarding but he doesn't speak like he is having fun. He just talks about all the problems and negatives. I have a blast with mine and can't wait to have some more pairs.

Give the monitors time to acclimate to their enclosure, don't force handling on them. Once they are comfortable, they will come to you, and its awesome when they finally do. Nice reward after all the hard work and patience.

Be prepared though. They are smart! Definately the smartest lizard I have dealt with by a long shot. If there is a way to escape, your monitor will find it. Guaranteed. And then it will find another way. haha

I agree with you.. and no I do not mix them.. I just wanted to make sure that the monitor does NOT go aggressive cause of the smell of furry animals period. Some people has told me they do and that as long as you have anything with furr on it is no use getting a monitor cause you will never be able to get them used to being handled cause the smell will irritate them one way or another.

Just give your monitor lots of space, and lots of options. Hot spots, cold spots, places to hide, dry spots, moist spots..etc. And be prepared to feed him a ton. There is no other reptile anywhere near as cool.

Oops, how did that 5th paragraph get in there? Just ignore that one! This forum should really let you edit posts. Shame on them.

"He just talks about all the problems and negatives. I have a blast with mine and can't wait to have some more pairs.

Give the monitors time to acclimate to their enclosure, don't force handling on them. Once they are comfortable, they will come to you, and its awesome when they finally do. Nice reward after all the hard work and patience. "

The reality of the situation is that, when buying an animal, most people ONLY focus on the GOOD things about them- the idea of having a large, 'tame' reptilian presence in your home, the idea of showing it off to your friends and loved ones, the idea of actually forming a relationship with an animal most people would fear.

Many simply IGNORE the negative possibilities- an aggressive animal (there are many; and despite what many people claim, this is not an all or nothing thing- some are more willing to interact with humans than others, and no amount of forced handling will change that), extreme requirements (lots of food, large homes), etc.

As such, I feel responsible to remind some keepers (especially those that claim to want a 'tame' monitor) to remember that just because you see one on TV, or youve encountered a monitor that is a certain way, DONT expect them all to be that way.

I love my animal and the time i get to interact with her is golden in my opinion- but i have no false thoughts about this animal; she has a mouth, with quite a few teeth in it, and CAN bite if she so chooses. Remember, this is an animal- it may not even be out of aggression that it bites you (see 'play bites').

These animals are wonderful... I just dont want to see anymore people jumping head first into the pool, only to realize this is the deep end and they are in way over their heads.

Best to start at the shallow (safe) end of the pool, and slowly work your way down to that deep water area.

"These animals are wonderful... I just dont want to see anymore people jumping head first into the pool, only to realize this is the deep end and they are in way over their heads. "

haha. Well if they are jumping in the pool head first, its probably better they do it in the deep end. If it was the shallow end, they would end up with at least a headache, maybe some redish water and quite possibly a trip to the hospital.

"haha. Well if they are jumping in the pool head first, its probably better they do it in the deep end. If it was the shallow end, they would end up with at least a headache, maybe some redish water and quite possibly a trip to the hospital."

hehe, well, i think the idea is to not jump in head first; unless youve been in the water before, and know how deep it gets.

Still, same thing you described could happen if you jump into the "deep end" of monitor keeping- trips to hospital become emergencies and the water gets redder the deeper you go.

I think both of us jumped in the deep end considering you started with a nile and myself with a water monitor. As far as I know, both of us are doing well, with no drowning or trips to the hospital yet. Surely others can achieve the same as long as they have the ability to adjust and desire to keep learning.

"I think both of us jumped in the deep end considering you started with a nile and myself with a water monitor. As far as I know, both of us are doing well, with no drowning or trips to the hospital yet. Surely others can achieve the same as long as they have the ability to adjust and desire to keep learning."

Well, this is true to an extent (at least in my case).

My animal is healthy (appears), active (loudly so at this point), and growing (faster than I can feed her). All the same, quite a few issues have come up, including:

-most of all, the fact that I kept this animal in a 50-gal. aquarium for the first 2 years of its life (and God bless this KS forum for changing that)

-more escape attempts than i can begin to count; resulting in this animal being everywhere from the bathtub to behind the fridge to in the basement to in the window frame etc. etc. etc.

-an early stage of extreme aggression after the move from california; which I attribute to an overall fear/stress response to such a massive environmental change (san diego ca. vs. pittsburgh pa)

-a move in the very close future, because my animal has outgrown the space my landlord is willing to give it

Basically, I feel as though Im just managing to keep my head above water- granted, I have pretty high standards as for what I consider "optimum" care and I find it very difficult for me to maintain said standards in my current home.

Im also starting to worry myself about the amount of "interaction" im having with this animal- I think im starting to get complacent. My animal showed me this last night. I went into the cage to change the water, and she did what she normally does- came over, climbed up on my arm and looked me in the face. No worries there, Im ok with that. Problem is, she then decided "Well, he seems to be cool with me on him.... lets see how far i can push this..." and climbed even further up my arm, to the point of her being draped across my shoulders (tail hanging down one arm, head on the opposite shoulder). Please note- while my animal and I have a very friendly relationship, I am NOT used to her doing something that "trusting" and quite frankly, it freaked me right the hell out.

For one thing, IT HURT. ALOT! Shes got big honkin claws and I was only wearing a T-shirt: my upper arm and shoulder looks like it was mauled by a tiger, and she managed to shred the one side of the shirt pretty well.

Then she sat there for about 15 minutes while I changed out the water (claws clamped securely into my back the entire time), but seemed to get very nervous if I moved away from the cage (puffed up slightly, curled tail, DUG in with those claws) and with her right there at eye level... well, im sure you can imagine what a scared 3' Nile could do to you if given a free shot at your face.

From a reptile lovers standpoint, that was just freaking awesome. But from a safety standpoint, it really worries me.

I find myself in an abnormal situation- I actually want LESS interaction with my animal; Im fine with the level of interaction we were at (little contact) and honestly have safety concerns with getting much closer without SOME kind of protection- which if you have a freaking lizard on your shoulders (keep in mind, this is basically BEHIND you, but with free access to your vulnerable bits; eyes, ears, nose, etc) you are kinda limited as far as protecting yourself.

I dont have a problem as far as her biting me on the hand or something- I can deal with that. But I like having ears and eyes that function properly, ya know?

If I had the option, I would DEFINITELY have taken an Ackie over a Nile for first monitor- mainly because Niles are just poor captives.

To quote Daniel Bennet:
"There are few lizards less suited to life in captivity than the Nile monitor. Buffrenil (1992) considered that, when fighting for its life, a Nile monitor was a more dangerous adversary than a crocodile of a similar size. Their care presents particular problems on account of the lizards' enormous size and lively dispositions. Very few of the people who buy brightly-coloured baby Nile monitors can be aware that, within a couple of years, their purchase will have turned into an enormous, ferocious carnivore, quite capable of breaking the family cat's neck with a single snap and swallowing it whole."

I agree with that fullheartedly, and simply want to make sure others do the same when picking their starter monitor.

I DO NOT feel that people put enough emphasis on the ability these animals have to injure us; and while its all nice and good to think you can interact with them and have no fear- thats just NOT the case. To use the comparison Buffrenil uses above, would you hand feed a crocodile? How about letting it take a piece of meat from your mouth? Would you try to hold it in your lap, or contain it in your home?

For the most part, the answer to those questions in regards to a Nile crocodile are no, GOD no, no and no. Yet people think its possible, nay, SENSIBLE, to attempt such a thing with a monitor; becaue their overall size is smaller.

I say a bite is a bite is a bite- if it messes you up, dosnt matter if it was a monitor, a croc, a dog, or a parrot. You still got it bit.

Sorry if that sounded defensive or something.

Was just trying to make a point; think I rambled off abit about my own crap.

are a bit nuts.. but I like that in people..
and I agree with nilekeeper on the fact of doing proper reserach.. That is why I am here..

I want to read up and learn more about the animal I love so much, I wrote in another post that all animals is not meant for all people. I know my limitations and I do not want to get an animal for later give up.

On the other hand I have wrestled aggressive pitbulls and broken up more than one fight.. (I am a dogbehaviourist in the bottom and train dog with aggressive issues) and honestly I'd belive a pitbull bites worse than a monitor..

HOWEVER there is so much to look into, what they need, space, cost, time, vacations etc. To plan for all that I need to know the sort and the animal better to see that it truly fits my lifestyle and that I can adapt around it so that the animal always have it good.. Hence I am greatfull for all info

Glad to help! lol

I suppose after all those posts, you have a slight idea but anyways, ill give a go :-P

I own a Blackthroat monitor (varanus Albigularis). These are quite tricky although they are in the best, first "giants" category. This meaning, they usually are quite easy to CALM DOWN and to handle after a while BUT they do get huge...mines 1,50 meters and they do grow to about 1 meter more.
Like you heard correctly, monitors temper varies on each individual. I had 2 of them, both were 2 months old when i got them 4 years ago. The male (one i have now) was really mean and a son of a [bleep] to the least, while the female was all calmed and nice and an angel! Except , she only lasted half a year...U_U sigh *** A nice and calm monitor at first doesnt mean it is healthy, have that checked up**
Sweden huh? well i guess if you kept all those animals before, i dont need to instruct you on heating stuff...:-P
Food will be meat. PERIOD. no vegetables, fruits, dry food, ice cream (yes, ive seen a person giving his this), etc...plain MEAT. From crickets to rabbits depending on type and size.

Anyways, this much said: if you want a handable monitor and easy to care>>>> Ackies (V. Acanthurus) are best.
BUT if you want something bigger and still handable>>> Bosc/ Savanna Monitor (V. Exanthematicus). Be careful not to confuse these with dogs, later on.

Ah well, said enough... the 2 monitors mentioned above are desert type, so not THAT much is needed in decorating the enclosure. Once you had experience with these, you can move on if you feel up to it.
Cheers,
-----
2.0.0 Cats (Garfield, Oddie)
2.2.0 RES (Bowser, Angela, Leo, April)
1.0.0 Varanus Albigularis (Godzilla)
1.0.0 Zonosaurus Quadrilineatus (Yago)
1.0.0 Python Regius (Kaa)
0.0.1 Morelia Spilota Variegata (Giovanni)
Sheriyar Bokhari

Thank you for a long answer.. I do appreciate that..

I am looking more into the acke acky?! And I am gonna see if I can meet a couple to really see if it is my type of lizard.

I know from experience and working with dogs that some animals are not ment for all people. I still admire them though and the once Ive meet Ive been in love with. However I always do proper reserach before I get it so I know it is within my capacity to proper care for the animal. The only thing that bothers me that you cant say for sure about the tempers..

Thank you again

I have had a few monitors. I think that the savanna is a great first monitor they can get around 4 feet but most stay around 2. they are from arid areas so you do not have to worry much about water. These also tame pretty well with work. If you want one the will stay smaller you could go with a red or yellow ackie.

I have owned several monitors, worked for a reptile wholesaler/importer, work at reptile show, and work at a veterinarian's clinic. I like the brown roughneck monitors as far as temperment. Black roughneck monitors are great as well, but they are larger. The Ackies monitor is a smaller Australian monitor that is slightly finicky but quite nice. I like the reds, myself. I like large monitors like the crocodile monitor, but I have the room and tools necessary for such an investment.
The roughneck monitors are quite handleable. When they came straight from Indonesia, they could be handled. They would hiss and scratch, but you would too after sweveral days in a bag, in a box without food or water. I am not a big fan of savannah monitors because all of mine tried to remove my fingers one bone at a time. Another good lizard pet is the tegu. I like the reds, blues, and whites for their temperments. I have scars from bites from gold tegus...

I have had a savannah monitor for almost 6 years now.
I got her when she was a year old and she was the meanest thing ever but a lot of daily contact earned her trust and now shes like my dog... I think it depends on the indivual animal, and since you want to get one young it will be a lot easier to make it social. Shes about 2 1/2 feet long so shes not too big but if she gets anywhere near my chihuahua and shes not in her cage, she'll freak, but if shes in her cage and the dog comes near it shes really interested and they're the best of friends... it must be a security thing but I think they're a great first monitor. Good luck.

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