Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys.

First post, longtime lurker.

Okay, so I work at a shop that specializes in reptiles. I'm the Varanid girl, I guess. I keep monitors and have awesome luck with them overall, but I don't mess with the Niles very much.

But here's the thing.

We recently got in four young Niles, tiny little guys maaaaybe five or six inches long. Well, we put them in a good sized tank together, and we kept an eye on them. They were all eating good and whatnot, and everyone was of good body condition. No loose skin, no exposed hips, bright eyes, etc.

I didn't work for about a week, and yesterday when I came in and fed out the monitors, I noticed the smallest of the trio still at the shop [we sold one] was looking kinda' puny.

I gave them their crickets, and sat back and watched, and I noticed the little guy, while he was eating, wasn't eating quite as much as the others.

Today I seperated him out from the others. He's got a hide, good basking log, sizable water dish, etc. Ambient temps are about 86.7 degrees, cool end is about 76.5. Basking area, when I got it with the temp gun right after setting up before leaving the shop for the day, was around 105. I'm sure that'll go up to around 120 or so, since he's right behind the leopard lizard enclosure and on the same lights, pretty much, and the leopard's basking area runs about 121.4. I put cardboard over the side of the tank that faces out [he's behind two other cages where no one can mess with him] so now he can't see all the action going on around him. He ate a few crickets for me, and I have tomorrow off but I'm stopping by to check on him. I think one of the staffers is gonna' try and give him a teeny, tiny pinkie mouse and see if he takes it.

I'm thinking stress is causing most of our[my] problems with him.

Buuut. Since I'm only seventeen and don't have the experience of most of the others here, I was hoping I could get some input here as to what else I might be able to do for the little guy.

He's a cutie and I'd hate to lose him.

I am glad you are trying to provide the best for the Niles.
These guys can be tricky while little. Yours sound recently hatched. Niles do succomb to more stress than most monitors.
They are wired differently and are much more flighty and nervous.
You can only image what shipping must be like for them!
Little Niles are very susseptible to RI's and digestive tract infections. Be sure he isn't gaping (breathing with mouth open)
or sneezing lots. Also make sure the nostrils are clean and that they are not crusty or have fluid dripping out. Those are
all symptoms of respiritory infections.
If you haven't already noticed, Niles (even hatchlings) can be very aggressive toward each other. I had 3 hatchlings in an 8' x 3' x 3' enclosure and after 2 days I saw the disputes and aggressive actions toward each other. This can be very stressful
to whoever the low man on the totem pole is.
You did the right thing by separating him. Try not to handle him too much until his appetite picks up again. Your temps sound
good for hatchlings. You could bump the basking spot up to 130
as they get bigger.
Good luck!
E

Hey, thanks for the input.

We were talking about him in the main forum, and he's doing a lot better. I worked today, and watched him chase a cricket who didn't want to be caught, poop, swim a bit, eat a few crickets, and then tunnel under his substrate to snooze.

The other two still together are doing fine. They tend to keep on opposite ends of their enclosure.

I think my little charge was just the odd guy out in the group after we sold one of them.