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Ok so I am looking for a new pet seeing how my Tarantula well most likely be dead now after laying her eggs and not eating for several months now. Anyways here is a couple questions I have for a monitor as a pet What species would be the smallest in full adult size? and how much attention would I need to give it per day? and last how much food would it go through a week?
thanks

also if anybody is interested in some red haired tarantula's let me know, I might be having lots of them soon.

I am by far not a monitor expert but if you are worried about monitor size I would question whether you want one since almost all get pretty large and I would tell you they need a lot more care than a tarantula. There food can be quite costly afterawhile not to mention the cageing since most if not all will eventually need a custom built cage and they themselves do not need much attention but the more you give them the more you up your chance you them and even though technically they do not need much time their care and all can be time consuming. You may want to question whether you want or are ready for one. Just some advice.
Tom

That's why I was asking. how fast do they typically grow at (inches/year or month) I have a ball python that grows at 6 inches/year ish. I know I will have to build a custom cage for that but I might be willing to trade a monitor for it seeing how its not very lively and its not doing much. This guy at my local pet store suggested that I get a monitor, he said they are much better than ball pythons and can be quite fun and lively

First off your full growen Ball can live in any medium to large vision cages. 2nd I suggest you do as much research on monitors as possible and then when you think you've done enough, do some more!!! Ackies, timors, sav. are the norm for novice. They all need a cage around 6X4X5 if not bigger. The bigger the better.
The need about 3 to 4 ft of dirt to borrow. lots of hides and things to climb on. For lighting its all about surf temp.
so you are going to need to purchase a temp gun. for sav its a basking spot around 125 to 150. Monitors requir lots of heat, fresh water, dirt and food. You'll have to spend about 1hr 30m a day taking care. About Food "about $30.00 a week if you are going to purchase food at a pet store. and that is when there babies. As for size is cage and food is done right you'll have a 3ft monitor in the 1st year "sav". They do most of their growing in the first 2 years. I suggest you get a bearded dragon first. This just a quick FYI, Please add to this anybody if i missed anything.

I have to agree there if all you have had is a ball python get something like a bearded dragon or smaller lizard. You seem to be getting something that will entertain you and you can play with and I mean monitors are fun and interesting but need alot of respect and care and you may get a monitor that wants nothing to do with you but tear your hand off. You going to just get rid of it? And i mean your just willing to give up your ball like that. I don't even know if you should have any animal I mean I dont know if everyone agrees but i would never give up any of my animals especially because i got bored with it you seem like the type of person that is the reason there are lots of animals in rescues. Do people agree? Also most pet stores i mean just normal ones don't know jack about the animals they sell. I will once again say a monitor is not for biginners and need lots of care and respect. Anyone want to add?

Its not that im willing to give up my ball python. i really like it. its just that I see other people with their monitors and I see myself having one also. And if it came down to either my ball or a new monitor i would most likely just stick with my ball for now. when i get my financially stable then I might get another pet like a monitor. the only reason I said I might trade my ball python for the monitor is if I had no other choice and wanted a monitor and no other pets. so i could devote my full attention to it and give it enough space. I don't think i could put two full 6X4X5 foot cages in my room. Its only a 15 foot by 14 foot room. (i rent from a house so i can't put them in any other room yet) But anyways I will take in consideration of a dragon, Ive always liked those also. so I might just start off with one of those if my tarantula dies after her nest hatches.
The reason I think monitors appealed to me soo much is that they reminded me soo much of my all time favorite reptile, the komodo dragon. I never knew that monitors existed until recently and they share a lot of similarities. But like I said earlier the bearded dragon has pretty much the same similarites as i am looked for in a lizard so. i guess i will stick to either my tarantula if it is alive after her babies hatch or i will keep some of her babies of my own or just get a bearded dragon, and work my way up to a monitor.
But it seams like a monitor has the same qualifications as a dog or a cat in the aspect of how much time you need for it and care you need. or am i wrong? If that is the case then I don't think i could handle a dog or a cat right now so I don't think I could handle a monitor. But on the other hand I did talk to a guy that had a monitor for sometime now and said what i needed to get and what i need for it and it seemed like it was the same for a ball python.

all that said I will just have to wait a few weeks and do a lot more research and see what happens with my current pets.

Research is always good. And yes time they require would be similar to a dog or a cat but not the same kind of welcome from them. I have a savannah who is around 2' and will lay on my arm and allow me to move him but still not a huge fan and most not going to lie can easliy just not want to be handled where most balls are very timid and bearded dragons are too. I think till you have more expierience time and money i would get the bearded. I think you are starting to see the picture which i will give you props for since a lot of people are stubborn and say you dont know what your talking about i want one end of story but seems like you are thinking logically and is a good thing. Nothing against your friend he may take excellent care of his monitor but from the sound he says its the same as the ball he may not just cause someone owns a monitor doesnt mean they are good owners or have a happy or well taken care of monitor.
Tom

Funny thing is now I have to research again for a beardy. I have before when I was getting my first pet, ended up getting a scorpion instead. but I know somewhat of beardies. Would you know if they eat the same far as aggressiveness towards their food? I have never seen a beardy eat before so I wouldn't know.

I also have a beardy and I feed him a variety of things from vegetables, wax worms, small horned worms and crickets. They are pretty agressive when eating but are also tame enough to that i have taught mine to eat right out of my finger tips so it depends on what you want to consider aggressive. Hope it helped.
Tom

Hi there!
If you don't have any lizard experience a bearded dragon might be best for you to begin with. There are small monitors that don't require huge cages, but before I touched base on them let me clarify something.

There is a big difference between bearded dragons & monitors. Most bearded dragons are handleable, making for more of a "pet." Most monitors are not handleable as in it being a tame "pet." Some are, some aren't. Most aren't. And it varies from one individual to another, within the same species. One red ackie may be somewhat handleable while another red ackie may not.

I personally feel that it's OK to want a tame monitor, one that you can hold frequently, as in a traditional "pet." However, you have to be prepared to accept it as the wild beast that it might very well be, never tame.

Ackies (varanus acanthurus) grow to about 24 inches.
Gilleni (varanus gilleni) grow to about 24 inches.
Caudolini (varaus caudolineatus) grow to about 12 inches.

Ackies are the most common. I haven't kept any of these species but they say that especially the gilleni & caudolinis are loaded with personality and are a blast to observe kept in groups.

Just make sure you do a lot research on monitors. You still won't be well prepared because monitors are a world apart from other reptiles.

Incidentally, komodo dragons ARE monitors. And yes, they are the king of kings. They are the reason I'm a monitor keeper.

Take care!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
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