Reptile & Amphibian Forums

in the same enclosure...would that be a bad idea? I would like to get another and was wondering if they are solitary or wouldn't mind sharing an enclosure, or if this is possible at all. Hm.

Would you have to start them out from birth to make this possible?

Hm.

If your cage is big enough and have multiple basking spots you can keep two in there...providing they all are also well fed, making sure the other one doesn't steal the one's food. Why do you want to get two? I think one monitor is already a handful for an average keeper. You need to make everything double the size for two so they each can burrow in there own corners and do whatever without stressing the other one out.

double the fun!

the enclosure is about 5x5 its big enough...now....until they each reach full size, then its another story.

really it was just an idea that crossed my mind. the reptile show here in saint louis is coming up next week and i'm not leavin empty handed, so i'd thought i would throw it out there and see how possible it is.

thanks!
-dan

what i really want is an ackie but i am not certain anyone there will have those available. : (

Ackies are probably your best choice. Most people learn the hard way when getting their first large monitor. They really need large space to thrive and this is very difficult to accomadate and gets very expensive. Ackies will stay small, even as adults, so you have plenty of room for two or even a trio. I know they are not the most low priced monitors, but large monitors will have to be fed so much that the cost will be much more than what you originally paid for your Ackies. The set-up for a large monitor cost a lot more than a set up for a trio of adult Ackies. There are a lot of reputable Ackies breeders out there...check it out on line. I know Pro Exotics have some good Ackies, so check them out before you make a mistake of buying a Savannah monitor or a Nile.

You make a valid point about space & size of the monitor in relation to keeping more than one.

> > > "...so check them out before you make a mistake of buying a Savannah monitor or a Nile."

Just for clarity, not to argue, given the context of your post, it might be a mistake to get another savannah or nile monitor if the person doesn't have enough cage space. However, just because savs & niles are cheap & exploited doesn't lessen the quality of the species. Slap a $300 price tag on 'em, reduce availability, and watch 'em gain respect.

Besides, there are several other species that are respectfully recognized that requaire more space than a savannah monitor or nile monitor.

I just wanted to keep it in perspective, Paradon, that's all.

Later!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Whats wrong with buying a sav or a nile?

So much negativity.

No, they're not "solitary" animals. It's been reported that in the wild they can be found close to one another but not quite as a colony. They rarely share burrows. Daniel Bennett's book "The Savannah Monitor Lizard" has a lot of useful information about their habits in the wild & captivity and every sav owner should have it.

You can keep them in the same enclosure as long as the two are compatible, as long as they get along. TIt's the same as with just about any animal, it's best to start out with young ones that are close in size. But that's not to say that two adults won't get along, it's just that the odds are higher & there is more at risk (injury/death).

It's like this: If you were to get another sav the same size as yours, you should have all intentions & capabilities to keep that sav in it's own, seperate, enclosure, just in case the two don't get along. This is true regardless of how big your enclosure is.

I don't know what the odds of them getting along are, but I've only tried it once and it's working out so far. I put a 3ft sav in with a 2 1/2ft sav and they get along. I'm pretty sure the 2 1/2-footer is a male, the 3-footer was sold to me as a female but the jury is still out on that one as it's unproven, yet. They've been together for about 3 months now.

Paradon made a good point about monitor size (species), cage size, in relation to group keeping. If you're thinking of having more than one monitor for the enjoyment of watching how they act in groups, now's the tme to consider whether or not you really want to stick with savannah monitors or go with a different species. We've only got so much available space so we need to use it wisely.

If you like savannahs, go for it. Make the leap & don't look back. Just keep in mind that when introducing anything other than neonates or young juveniles that's there's always a chance the two won't get along and may need to be kept in seperate enclosures.

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

cool, thanks alot!

>>in the same enclosure...would that be a bad idea? I would like to get another and was wondering if they are solitary or wouldn't mind sharing an enclosure, or if this is possible at all. Hm.
>>
>>Would you have to start them out from birth to make this possible?
>>
>>Hm.

My limited experience.....
I have had a couple customers try this and maybe they were not as careful but they have had monitors tear each other up, lost tail parts....not good.

I have three savs, all males, together. They are nearly all the same size and I feed to the most timid or he would suffer. The dominant foodaholic hogs food if I am not mindful of him. Having a LARGE basking spot is more work. I would NOT recommend just tossing in a baby with another bigger one. All mine are beyond mouth sized when introduced. I think that is why I don't have any issues with the animals fighting. Ideally, I would like to start a true group and raise several all together.
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Sonya

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