Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was just curious about some costs, I am a keeper of burms, most over 16 foot(rescues)I also have a large caiman, as well as other critters. I was interested in taking on a water from a dealer I know in SC( was an educational animal) he is about five foot. Currently i have an 8'x4'x4' boa master enclosure empty and feel this would be ok for a little while. What is a typical feeding schedule for a water this size? what would be the best variety of foods to offer? most important how much and how often? Thanks for all your help. Jason

Well, you have to keep in mind that Varanids (monitors) have much faster metablisms then other reptiles. They eat often and they eat a lot. A full-sized monitor will need a varied diet consisting of quail, rats, ground turkey, crawfish, etc. Cost depends on your sources and the appetite of the animal, but expect a big meal about every other days with snacks in-between for the average monitor.