Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does any one have any solid experience with these. I need as much info on them as I can get; husbandry, food, anything. I am having trouble getting my pair to eat. Thanks

Are you 100% positive they are not eating? Sometimes they may eat, but just not in our presence.

Anywho, you might want to provide a lot more information about the animals. Are they new? If so, have you been handling/stressing them out? Explain their setup in detail. Basking Temp? What are the temps on the warm and cool side of the cage? What substrate are you using? How is the humidity? What types of hides have you provided? What are you trying to feed them? etc....

Then we may be able to offer some better help.

They are new. they are 2.5 years old, so they have obviously been eating. I have them in a 150 gal terrerium, basking temp is 100, cool side of cage is about 80, they are on cypress mulch(which i don't know if this is good for them), they have a half log hide, and a fairly large fake tree to hide. The humidity is not very high. I have seen the smaller one eat some egg, and it also killed 2 mice, eating one of them, and then regurging it. I have also tried ground turkey, and crickets. Any help is great, any info I come accross is not very detailed. I know they were stressed when they arrived, but I try not to interact with them too much, because I know the species is shy. I really appreciate any info regarding this wonderful species of monitor!

Okay. Just so you know, I don't keep Melinus, but I think lots of this information will still apply to you.

You say it is a terrarium, does it have a screen top? If so, cover it with something. That, in conjunction with your heat lamp will wipe out any chance of you keeping humidity in. I just remove the screens and use wood to cover, but just covering it with something should work okay. Get the humidity up! Its important they are not dehydrated.

Try to get your basking spot a little higher...like 130 degrees. You can do that by raising the level of the substrate. I would also try to get the cool side of the cage to be cooler than 80(mid or low 70s). Using a lower wattage bulb(45w) or multiple bulbs will allow you to build a basking spot close to the bulb and heat that specific area instead of the entire cage. Offering your monitors a large range of temps and humidity will allow them to choose what they prefer. They are smart and know what they need.

Cypress mulch is not ideal but it's not the worst. Regular dirt works great. Some people cover the dirt with leaf litter, but I have not tried that. I have also tried the sand/topsoil mix and to me it seems that the dirt got the most usage. The idea is to use a substrate that will hold a burrow. Cypress mulch doesn't do that.

As far as hides, logs don't do much. Allow them to completely hide from everything. A dark, very tight place they can squeeze into. Build a stack with random pieces of wood they can wedge themselves into and not be seen. They love love love to hide.

I have a feeling it is regurgitating because it is stressed. Don't touch them. Cover the cage with a towel if you need to. Let them get situated before adding yourself into the equation. Open the cage just to feed them, clean and humidify.

See if they will eat when you leave the room. I had a monitor that would regurgitate when I was around but would eat when I left. I think he hated me. haha.

I would recommend feeding whole prey items such as mice/rats...etc. Crickets are fine too(I recommend supplementing insects) but my monitor stopped eating those after a couple months old. Eggs and ground turkey are less ideal.

See if any of that helps. Good luck, dude.

And post some pics of your wonderful species! After they are eating and no longer stressed of course.

I have successfully kept this species for near 15 years.
You don't mention anything about water. This species is highly aquatic. The need a large water basin.

thanks, all the info really helps. I will make adjustments and see if I get different results.

your husbandry specs in general stink, but the basic problem is that the animals are too cold.

monitor husbandry is basically the same across the board, especially between Indo species. follow our Water Monitor caresheet and article at our site and you will see better results.

best of luck.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Thanks Robyn. I really don't want husbandry practices that "stink", and take a lot of pride in my animals. I am really into pythons, especially GTP's, so I am not super experienced with varanus. I went to your site, and found great info. I have made some adjustments, and they pair seem to be a lot less lethargic!! They love the water and added substrate. Is dirt really the best substrate? I noticed that the smaller of the 2 killed and ate a mouse, and regurged it again. Maybe they are stilled stressed. Anyways, thanks to everyone, any more info is welcomed.

your husbandry is very common for new monitor keepers, or folks that keep snakes.

it will take a few days of good solid basking temps to get your animals back on track, digestively and otherwise.

they will burrow in a good soil. cypress would be a second choice. and like many Indo species, a good soil base with leaf litter cover may get you the best results of all.

these are not an outgoing species. they are skittish, shy, and not looking to be handled.

best of luck.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Not that Im heavily experienced with Yellows; but Ill offer 2 cents if I may.

First, judging by the size of yellow monitors, I would presume they are at least partially arboreal. That being the case, they may be in preference of dappled sunlight- if you can figure out a way to recreate that; they may well appreciate it.

Second- yes, soil IS the best substrate. Combined with leaf litter (something thats in heavy supply as fall comes knockin) it creates a wonderful habitat, allowing for the creation of microclimates. Depending on the freshness of the leaves, it can also help increase humidity within the cage.

Third, with especially flightly animals that are stressed; the main concern SHOULD be getting them back to 100%. To do this, use a blanket or some such and cover the areas of the cage they can see out of- this limits their stress induced by seeing you and the overall stress of realizing they are in a cage- yes, they DO understand the concept of confinement and many (most) seek to escape said confinement as much often as possible. For their sake, HEAVILY limit your presence- only be in their presence when adding/removing water, food or poo.

For now, you arent worrying about trust- that can be established when the animals are healthy and eatting regularly. Right now, your only mission is to get those animals eatting and active; then you can start introducing yourself.

Lastly, keep an eye on humidity- dehydration can cause a lapse in appetite. It would certainly attribute to the situation if heat levels were also not 100%.