Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Wow, it's been about 7 years or so since I've posted anything on these forums.

Anyways, I first started out with monitors (I had 3 at one point) about 11 years ago, and they definitely have a varying degree of personalities. I switched over to Tegu's about 9 years ago and have never looked back to the monitor world. I do love the look of monitors, but Tegu's are a dream to keep and have as pets.

Recently I've been looking at Black Throat monitors, reading about their temperament. I have seen many videos, blog posts, forum posts about how well they calm down, especially as adults, but I need a comparative analysis.

Currently, I can take my 3 Tegu's out in my yard without leashes (and haven't since they were a year old or younger) and I have no fear of them getting spooked and suddenly running away. And before you ask, yes, I am always outside watching them. I have a pretty big yard, and they are quite good about not trying to go outside the boundaries I set for them (the creek and a field that is next to my yard and under my porch). When they are finished with their exercise, they will climb the steps to the porch and wait by the door) My oldest Tegu is 9, 8, then 4. Even when they are out in the house, they do not destroy anything and are super docile (although my oldest sometimes likes to try to get in the trash because he smells banana peels)

Ok, now that I have set the standard for what I'm looking like in personality, do Black Throats become like this, or should I stick with Tegu's? I'm aware that each monitor will have it's own personality, but I love my experience with the personality of my Tegu's (3 out of 3 are awesome), so will I be able to expect this type of experience? And I'm also aware it will not be like this when they are juveniles, I'm talking about as they become adults.

Thanks!

Brandon

I cant answer your question exactly, and hopefully some experts will chyme in, but I can shed a little light on the subject. I have never personally owned a black throat, but have worked with several black throats a few of my friends own. They have had great luck taming them down. Now if they are so tame they can sit outside all day then come back to the front door, I dont know about that. They dont let them outside just roaming around to often, and when they do they are very closely watched. If they were to wonder off it would be bad for the monitor and the reptile community if someone found it in their yard. I have a savannah that was really nasty when young, then without even trying to tame him down it just happened. I can leave his cage door open (making sure the room is secure) and let him walk around freely, and he will get back in his cage when he is done. He is so tame in the house. but the second his feet touch the grass, he thinks hes free and acts like a wild sav, trying to run away and even try to bite sometimes.

So will it be tame, there is a good chance, but you should always be prepared to get one that wont tame down. I would not go into it assuming the monitor will be tame. To many people do that then sell them when they cant handle them.

Like you said its all about the individual. I have seen niles that are puppy dog tame and monitors that usually tame down well that are little demons. So could you end up with a black throat that is as tame as your tegus, yes. You could also end up with a huge angry monster on your hands. You should be prepared for either.

You probly already knew this, but figured it was worth saying.

My friend has a black throat that is mean as hell. It will attempt to bite the crap out of you if you put your hand in the cage and will attempt to attack you through the glass door if you happen to stand too close. But he had a Savannah, that acted more like a bearded dragon. He sold it to someone to get the money to buy his black throat.

Good reply

I'm sorry what happened the other day! You catch me on a really bad day which I won't even go into on the board. You were right! I don't have that much experience with monitors.

I have had both and currently have a pair of arg. B&W's. Its my opinion that the tegus are by far a more rewarding pet. My blackthroats were "dumpy and lazy". They were gentle until they got the scent of the outdoors. Even though they were cbb raised adults, as soon as they hit the outdoors they turned into hell on wheels. This is just my opinion and experience. In my opinion stick with the tegus. if you have to have another lizard...get another tegu! you will love him and your other tegus will too!

Dumb!?!?! You have had a very different experience with monitors than I have. I have had plenty of experience with a ton of reptiles and I have seen nothing as intelligent as any of my monitors. I have never worked with tegus so Im not saying mointors they are smarter than tegus as I do not know. But the only "dumb and lazy" monitors I have dealt with were monitors not properly kept.

calm down firecracker...Dumpy and lazy....not dumb and lazy. blackthroats are quite the "lounge lizard" when it comes to monitors.Even in excellent health. I personally have kept several. And I personally have kept tegus and many other monitors. I am qualified to voice my opinion...peace

Apparently your not qualified, as Albigs are not lounge lizards if kept properly.

All monitors can be kept undermetabolizied. That is, not allowed or supported to reach full operating temps. When this happens, they are not very active.

When they can and do reach full operating temps, they are as active as any other species of monitor.

The same goes for tegus, in nature, they are hell on wheels. They are fast and agile. But in captivity when kept in suboptimum temps, they are slow and lethargic.

Which is not to say, either species cannot be friendly, they can and do get used to people, and find ways to use them for their own good.

So no, you seen only qualified to give opinions on albigs that were not allowed to be active. Sorry

Frank brings up an excellent point. We have several ionides...in their indoor exhibits, they are fairly easy going despite having access to temps that reach 150. But, put those same lizards in natural sun for about 30 minutes and you've got hell on claws...a transformation I find quite appealing as you get to see the animals' true personalities. Frank, do you see this with your monitors that are kept outdoors?

Rob Carmichael, Wildlife Discovery Center

>>Apparently your not qualified, as Albigs are not lounge lizards if kept properly.
>>
>> All monitors can be kept undermetabolizied. That is, not allowed or supported to reach full operating temps. When this happens, they are not very active.
>>
>> When they can and do reach full operating temps, they are as active as any other species of monitor.
>>
>> The same goes for tegus, in nature, they are hell on wheels. They are fast and agile. But in captivity when kept in suboptimum temps, they are slow and lethargic.
>>
>> Which is not to say, either species cannot be friendly, they can and do get used to people, and find ways to use them for their own good.
>>
>> So no, you seen only qualified to give opinions on albigs that were not allowed to be active. Sorry
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

This behavior we looked at and wondered what caused it.

Most attribute the sun for that behavior. I cannot say thats true.

We find it has to do with sight, or line of sight. If they can see out, they somehow relate that to being able to get out and get very aggressive.

We do have cages that are top open, and in these cages the monitors get full sun, but cannot see out, and here, they do not become aggressive, or go wild, type of behavior.

Because we have indoor(only), outdoor, and indoor/outdoor cages, we do get to test behavior.

The big misconception is, people are fooled, but not the animals. When indoors, monitors behave in a captured type of way. They are captured, stuck in a box and cannot get out. That box is in a room, which is in other rooms, and is not out.

People will let them loose in a house and somehow believe the monitors think they are free, the monitors know they are still inside something.

If you let a fully operating(full heat) outside, thats when you test its actual attitude. Some that really are Ok with their keepers will investigate everything, dig up everything and climb everything, they do not sit around doing nothing. Others despite behaving very tame inside, will go wild and only try to find an escape. Running, climbing, or down a hole. Again, they do not sit.

Calm down firecracker? Not sure where you get off talking to me like that. I just said I have had a very different experience with monitors than you have. I have not experienced much along the lines of dumpy either. All my monitors, even an adult savannah which are notoriously "lazy" in captivity, are very active.d

Im gona stop this right here. obviously we both took offense to each others comments. I didnt sign up here to have a "battle of the wits" With someone who has the same intrests as me. Take it easy bud.....ps your a [bleep]ing retard.

Its just a matter of how the monitors were kept.

If you keep them below their required metabolism, they are slow, and lethargic, and they do not grow fast or reproduce.

What I try to get across is, these animals show be able to attain like events normally in captivity. That is, to hatch, grow up, reproduce, get old then pass.

If they do not do this then something is wrong with their husbandry. Its not about breeding them, its about them being able to breed.

Think of it this way, if your dog physically could not reproduce, you would be fined or arrested for animal cruelty. or horse, or cat.

But because its a lizard, you allow to keep them well below what is normal to them.

If you were ever lucky enough to see a blackthroat in nature, you would play heck trying to catch it. They are fast.

What you were seeing is NOT NORMAL.

And its not about us, its about the poor animal in the BOX.

wow, and I thought I did everything right. I mean, I bought the big cage (20 gallon), kept it on a steady diet of egg whites, provided the best substrate I could find from the yard, and even upgraded to the 60 watt incandescent bulb! You are right guess I dont know what I am doing! or talking about.......I am so glad I joined this forum....the 107 eggs from the 4 varanid species I have in the bator are probably all duds...I give up!!!! Think I will go back to building model cars.

why do you think a 29 gallon cage is a big cage? I posted to someone else earlier on this that I wouldn't keep pygmy leaf chameleons in a tank that small and most of them can balance on the end of your finger at adult size and they are suited very well to tank culture unlike other chameleons.
20 gallon tanks are fine for small snakes and leopard geckos and not much else most serious fish keepers will only use them for breeder tanks or feeder tanks and that's about it.
Worst case scenario I would consider putting a hatchling monitor that someone gave me unexpectedly in a 20 gallon for a day or two tops until I straightened around better quarters for it.
BTW why would you only feed it egg whites? When I feed eggs to my monitors I feed them whole shell and all. That is how they eat them in the wild, or at least I always thought so. Perhaps there is some new fad diet out there in the monitor world where they only eat the egg whites? Are monitors worried about too much cholesterol or something these days?

my post bout this was all sarcasm. nothing else. apparently the peeps I was aiming this too have the "holier than thou" mentality. Just gettin these guys a lil riled up. lol. Giving them more ammunition to embarress themselves some more.

aside from being extremely ticked off and insulted I am gonna try to compose myself. Lets get something straight. You dont know me or how I keep my animals. You people have made very ignorant assumptions, based on very, very, limited information. This whole thing started with twat10 or twillis12, whatever his name is. It all started because he cannot tell the diffrence between the words DUMPY and DUMB...he misread something and attacked me! And I am standing by what I say! compared to other varanids (and tegus) Black throats are lazy! never once did I say my reptiles were lethargic! Never once did I say I dont like blackthroats. Fact being (aside from trying to catch one in the wild...that was ignorant) They simply are NOT as active as other monitors.This poor dude that started the thread is probably wondering WTF. You have all gone way off the topic! bunch of snob noses!.....

Lets see pics of your successful monitors, you know, what they must do to have the eggs you say you have.

Also, your reply was a little odd, you mention a 20gal tank, as a sign of something good or a good effort. Then mention eggs from four species.

Those two statements oppose eachother.

So for every pic you post of a species breeding nesting, eggs, babies, I will post two. Just so you do not feel put out.

I will even post pics of albigs, not blackthroats, but whitethroats. Thanks

heres a news flash gordon, its called sarcasm! "Look at me ! look at me!Im better than you"....."i will post two pictures for your every one" Because Im a reptile god".......

you suck

I am no reptile or any kind of god, I am a reptile keeper. The question is, what are you?

If you were any kind of keeper, you would know its not about being a god or anything like that, its all about hard work. You do the work, and you can reap the rewards if you make the right decisions.

So what are you going to say next? Please try and come up with something new to laugh at, I mean, your so old hat.

Why are you trying to talk so much [bleep] about me. All I did was have a different experience. And sorry I misread a word, must mean Im an idiot.

I wasn't talking to you, so you calm down, hahahahahahahaha

Hi there.

It sounds to me like you sort of have answered your own question. You love your tegus and perhaps they are the best match for you.

Our blackthroats are every bit of monitor-- and all of what they should be. They seek out what they need (food, heat, etc.) and will retreat immediately into their burrow if they so choose. They are spunky, and fast. This is not to say there are not blackthroats that are more doscile in their demeanor and/or those that through time with you- mesh this behavior with a learned acceptance of your presence. But, this may also lead to other questions, like: perhaps their options are not best and so forth. Also, we seem to forget often that all animals are individuals. That is really important.

Nonetheless, you seem to be well suited to your tegus and perhaps that is what is best. I will say: if you venture to get a blackthroat.. don't have expectations of temperment. Enjoy what you get and do your best to offer all the animal needs. You may find yourself liking this difference- and will reap personal enjoyment from both "worlds", so to speak.

I'll also add that current care you likely offer your tegus would not suffice for a monitor. So, that is something to consider too.. if you want or are willing to make the adjustments suited for a monitor.

Hope it is helpful.

I wish this was face book, I'd cklick the lil thumb and "like this"

no, your blackthroats wont be like what you are experiencing with your tegus. However a black would give you something to enjoy while the other guys are hibernating.