Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have watched you all for sometime about how you respond to various people on husbandry and caging. Some things I agree with some I don't, but have respect for you all and your opinions. I would like to see pics of your enclosures and some discription of how you maintain them for your specific animals.

I think this would be of great help to many people; providing a visual to your words. Often translation is misinterpreted in words as you all well know.

First, I have to say, why would I or we care(if we are the experts) if you agree or not? You should really think about that.

Its nothing against you, but "if" we are experts, then we must have success(it appears your talking about husbandry). So if we have success, and you called us experts, why would we care what you think(agree or not)

About success and enclosures. I can keep monitors healthy in many kinds of cages. I can breed them in many kinds of cages. I keep them in many kinds of cages. In fact, I do not think of a cage as a "X species" cage. I think of cages as task orientated. Like raise up cages, or holding cage, or nesting cage, or a colony cage, etc. Or even a winter cage or summer cage.

With that in mind, I do not see how a picture of an enclosure is of any help, unless its an enclosure thats lacking some needed component. Afterall, any cage that includes whats needed by the monitor can be used successfully. Which means, its what you put in the cage that becomes what is important.

Whats important in a cage depends on many things. It really depends on what goal is. What the heck do you want the cage to do.

My cages range from ten gallon fish tanks, to indoor/outdoor cages, up to very large outdoor cages, and everything inbetween. Any individual monitor may be held in all of them at some stage of its life. Cheers

You seem to put yourself out there as an expert is why I you were suggested. Thanks for presenting a more focus point about the cages.

You stated that it's what is in the cage and what it is for that is important and that's what I'm looking for.

There seems to be questions about basic care which what I would like addressed.

What is your set up like for daily care of a(your) monitor lizard?

Visualization is a powerful tool.

I have about 150 monitors(several species), eggs, hatchlings, etc. which makes it hard to answer your question.

When you ask experts, they are experts because they have lots of monitors, lots of experience over a long period. You could never be an expert with one or ten monitors, it would ten several lifetimes to actually understand monitors with such low numbers.

Your better off asking someone with your type of experience. You know, keeping a single(?) indivudial monitor. I do not have that experience.

If you really want help, then ask specific questions. Like what species, what numbers, whats YOUR goals, etc. The answers you seek have to come from asking the right questions, good luck Cheers

My noob-ness is coming out of lurk mode to reply.
It sound like what you are asking is for these guys to Write a book with lots of pretty pictures.
A picture can be interpreted many different ways where as text is text. Trust me a lot of people will only look at pictures, instead of asking questions. Asking questions will get you answers. Looking at pictures will allow you to assume you know what you are doing.

Ash

I could show you pictures of some down right purdy cages.
But what I have found out, it doesn't matter what the cage looks like.
The lizards living in them could care less.
It's what's in the cage and what the lizards use.
Hell, the ugliest cage I ever built, using a bunch of scrap wood and plexiglass, was the only cage I ever dug eggs from.
That was the cage and occupants, that taught me the most about these amazing critters.
Then, I learned, just how fragile the eggs can be.
No Frank, I didn't listen and didn't put a lock on the door to keep me and everyone else in the house from mucking with them.
If I ever get eggs again, I am locking the door and mailing the key to Frank and hope he mails it back to me in 6 months.
Or, maybe give it to my teenage daughter, she loses everything.hahaha

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

we have pics at our site, in the caresheet, FAQ and gallery sections. there are finished pics, construction pics, random pics, really quite a few pics.

it is good for visualization, i agree, but it is not usually applicable to a straight hobbyist setup. we have different goals and needs than many hobbyist, so our approach is often different.

the basics are consistent- hide spots, basking, temps, etc.

you probably get the BEST info from a first hand conversation, and seeing things in person, so i would suggest everyone pester Frank for a hands on tour.

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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

I went through your photos and you have one of a trough, but it didn't show me much about it's workings (heat source, water,how it meets the needs of the animal).

I think you need to search a little longer, I found quite a few in the two minutes I just looked.

Click Me

Click Me #2

Click Me #3

They have many enclosure photos and how they function, you just gotta look awhile.

Thought I saw them all. Thanks for additions.

Yeah, I think ProExotics is a great sight for cage ideas and their FAQ has helped me tons as far as understanding basic principles of reptile keeping.

Of mine, and a passion, that is I have a natural talent dealing with, and caring for animals, maybe we understand each other. Ive made many many mistakes over many years, that helps alot. When I came to this website, and a few others I picked at, picked on, and got picked back at by FR and many other keepers, over time an understanding was reached. I did what FR suggested, try things for yourself.
When I first got into this the internewt was nowhere near an option to me for many years. I did try anything and everything, after all when I first was keeping monitors the books were a death sentence waiting to kill your lizard (like many are today yet).
Pictures of my cages are on this site, and Im sure somewhere there may be some in photobucket, well I think there may be some there.
Ive been reducing my collection over time and spending more and more time and effort on my other hobbys and my furry critters. Heck Ive even had a male ackie thats an escape artist, Ive made some changes and after 5 escapes over 3 months, each time he is out ranges from 3 days up to 1.5 weeks nefore he gets sloppy and I get him back. Amazing with all of the escapes on my cold basement floor and under a wall, hes in perfect beautiful fat shape every time I find him. Recently I disposed of more ackie eggs again.
Other than my beardie cage I have 3 total cages in the basement. Even a good friend of mine (Blaize's owner) reduced his collection to 3 ornate uros, Blaize, and one other uro.
Depends on the species you have, and whats important to them, as well the individual animal. Ive done things over years, I make changes among choices of options until I see what that animal wants.
If you look over the website here you might find many many pictures of mine.

Thanks for being down to earth in your comments. Letters with a name are not impressive,but experience is. I've been doing this hobby for 14 years and have had to learn through many trial an error methods myself. I've discovered there is no real magical formulas just some basic principles and common sense when comes to caring for reptiles.

Thanks again.
Link

Is this supposed to be an instructional video on how to get your face and fingers bitten off by a nile monitor? I've got some waters here that I'd really love to see you try that one with. You should try a few more filmings of that stunt. Eventually you'll get yourself a you tube classic that will be right up there with the guy who got himself in the face with the ricochet from his own 50 caliber rifle.

I was looking for a pic of an enclosure and brief explanation of why it works for that reptile.

Pretty doesn't impress only success. Frankly, simple works best in my experience. Can that be shown or am I asking too much?

This is a set up for my Croc monitor. It's a 9 X 12 room heated to 80+ degrees via house furnace. Climbing branches and basking branch with 150watt uv heat lamp overhead approx. 2ft above. Below is an unheated filtered pool water system for swimming and drinking. One thing this does lack is a dirt box for her to dig in, but that is in coming.

the basking spot isn't nearly HOT ENOUGH!!!!!TC

How do you know? How hot does she need to be? She does get her required heating needs met. How do I know? I have spend time observing what she does in any given day. I can tell what she does at what time of day. I know all her little quirks. I provide as much heat as on a hot blazing day every day and let her decide what is best for her.

Spend some time observing your reptile and tell me how much time they actually spend under a heat lamp or by a heat source and under what condition and let me know what you discover. I don't mean to sound sarcastic I'm curious with what you come up with.

self explainatory if you use commen sense. You have a 150 watt bulb 2' above the basking spot. Refer yourself to an earlier post by me on baby water monitor down on this same page where I give temp data gathered with a temp gun on basking lizards. .....TOM CRUTCHFIELD

I have spent over 40 years observing herps in captivity and in the wild to answer your question....TC

to anyone who has even slightly tinkered with temps using floods/lamps.

there is no way that basking spot is even near where it needs to be

That basking spot surface tempature is around 140 dregees and is big enough to heat a whole, adult croc?
Sorry, I aint buyin it.
And there is a major item missing from the room/cage.
Ever hear about humidity?
Forced air from a furnace will dry out a room, and fast.

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