Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is my first time posting here, My name is Luc Cauthorn.

I want to get a green tree monitor pair for my display cage. It is a nice cage, probably 4x5x4 (Width-Length-Height). It has two heat pads on one side of the cage with a heat lamp directly above them. It also has two long lights that hang above the entire enclosure and two small red lights for night viewing.

The cage was originally built for our Iran Dessert Monitors. They are now in a indoor-outdoor enclosure, so I now have an empty cage!

I want something that is going to be able to pay for all the energy it takes to maintain the cage. I have always liked green tree monitors, but I don't know very much on keeping and breeding them.

Any helpful links and ideas will be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Luc Cauhtorn

Hi Luc,

Let me tell you first, I have never kept this species. There is a forums search option that should allow you to find a good deal of information from a select few people who are working with them, with good results.

What I can tell you is that I know all of the tree varanids grow to 3.5-4 ft long. For an active lizard, your cage may work only for a yearling. If I were going to start with this lizard I would try somting along the lines of 8 long,3 deep, and 8 tall as a minimum.

Your cage will likely not work well with one adult, let alone two.

Goodluck,
Mike.

"8 long,3 deep, and 8 tall as a minimum."

Wow! Really? I imagine he could do fine with the enclosure he's got, although for trees, I would probably opt for more height.

Yes, as a minimum, I would use a 8x3x8. Thats a standard 8ft trough with a custom top. After all, he did say a pair didn't he?

Don't get me wrong, a pair is 2. That doesnt mean he will have 1.1 but usually that is what people mean when they say a pair, that they want a sexed pair. Usually people want a sexed pair for reproduction.

I would seriously reconsider putting two active, probably wild caught, four foot lizards in a five foot cage. Unless you have the experiance to keep them in such conditions (I certainly don't), you will simply stress them out more than they already are (wild caught typical of high stress) then your starting in a hole.

Keep in mind thats similar to a pair of water monitors (7ft) in a 8 3/4 ft cage.

I would re-state what I said earlier, if you want to put that display case AS-IS toward good use, get some dwarfs.

Goodluck,
Mike.

"Keep in mind thats similar to a pair of water monitors (7ft) in a 8 3/4 ft cage."

How is that even remotely close to the same thing? hahaha

If thats the only thing you are having a hard time with in my last post, then let me make another analogy.

Length of enclosure he wants to use = 5ft.
Length of lizard = 4ft.

That means the lizard is 80% of the length of the cage.

Now lets look at ackies, and assume 2ft for their length.
If 2ft were 80% of the total cage, that is keeping a pair of ackies in a cage that is 2.5 feet long.

Is it clear now?

Mike.

I see what you mean...but this is a slender species and quite a bit of the length is tail. If you do a Snout to vent measurement it is a decent size cage...Maybe not quite tall enough.
I plan on getting 1.1.

The comparison to a water monitor is a bit over the edge though.

OK does anybody know where I can read up on this amazing species? Breeding info is a !

Thanks!
Luc Cauthorn

Luc,

Just do a search of the forums. In the search box type "prasinus". Even kordensis and beccarii, double check my spelling though ahahaha.

A nice amount of stuff comes up when I typed prasinus under 2007, you have 5 years or so of archieves to look through and sort out the bs. I am not aware of a one stop shop for the information you want, maybe someone else can give some insight.

Goodluck,
Mike.

For size reference concerning tree monitors, here is a black tree I took in and rehomed. It had a horrible mouth rub. I believe she was about 3 feet long. Tree monitors are tiny compared to other monitors of the same length.


This male ackie has a larger body

3 Foot Male Dumeril

3 Foot Female Dumeril

-----
Ed

Hi,

I know a few people keeping prasinus, and I have never seen one over 3 feet long, they are the smallest of the treemonitors, but the rest won't even come close to the 4 feet eather. Most wont pass the 3.5 feet. And 2/3 is tail, so they are actually about the size of a bearded dragon. I think if you design the cage well it is big enough for a pair.

Jasper

I have a 1.1 pair of blue trees in a 3x3x6 (lXwXh) cage they do fine althoigh i plan on building a new cage soon (5X5X8) I've always felt bigger is better. But to start with one in the cage you have should be fine for a while the most important thing with any tree monitor is the 4 h's hight, hiding, humitity, and hands off. If you set up the cage right you'll only see them at feeding time. and for feeding small meals are best i largest item mine get are the rare hopper I feed probially 90% inverts.

How would you describe thier feeding behavior?

Do they just come out, because they are on a schedule or when you present food, they show up then?

Thanks,
Mike.

for the inverts i just throw them in and the monitors forrage for them on their own for the mice i have a set feeding station where i place them and the monitors come and feed when they are ready. but the motion of the inverts and smell of the mice get them pretty active. Misting them gets them up and moving also.

Thanks for all the advice. The 4 H's...got it.

Should I use real plants... what type of substrate? Should it be heavily decorated?

Does anybody have a pic?

Thanks!

Luc Cauthorn

Another dwarf species (Ackies), for you could easily house a pair in that enclosure.

Mike.

Also any luck getting eggs? Do you cool yours down?

Yes I have tons of pics...They are cooling right now. I am planning on getting a few eggs this season. I have three adults and I believe they are 2.1. PM me if you want pics

About the Greens; I think That my enclosure will work fine for them. I had my three IDM's in there and they are about 4 feet log! Think about it as the tail making up most of the length. for that matter does anyone know the tail to vent length?

Thanks!
Luc Cauthorn

Luc,

If you do plan to use you're current setup, keep us posted on your results, if breeding is indeed your goal. Post some pictures too when you obtain your prasinus pair.

Thanks,
Mike.

Will do.

Take care,

Luc Cauthorn

Here is a test round for the pic