Reptile & Amphibian Forums

SHOULD I PROVIDE A SWIMMING AREA/POOL IN AN ENCLOSURE FOR SALVATOR OR NILE? I'M IN THE PLANNING STAGE. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE BUILT TO SWIM.

I'm sure you'll get more qualified advice than mine, but my Nile always uses the restroom in his water so I have to change it in the morning before work and in the afternoon after work. That being the case what ever you choose for you water make sure it's easy to clean.
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Green Igg 1.1.0
Beardie 1.0.0
Green Tree Frogs 0.0.2
Green Anole 1.0.0
Leopard Gecko 0.1.0
American Toad 0.0.1
Ball Python 0.0.1
Nile Monitor 0.0.1
Yellow Belly Slider 0.0.1

Hi, no disrespect, but why do you want to get either a V. niloticus or V. salvator? I ask, because you want to know if they need a pool, they are semi aquatic! Have you owned a varanid of any species before?

THATS A GOOD QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW WHY I LIKE THEM SO MUCH, IT STARTED IN 1991. I SAW A BABY NILE IN A PET SHOP, BOUGHT HIM AND KEPT HIM FOR OVER 10 YAERS. HE WAS VERY CALM BUT SHY. HE NEVER TRIED TO BITE.
I KEPT HIM IN A ROOM SIZE ENCLOSURE WITH A HEATED POND. THE POND WAS FILTERED AND THATS WHERE HE WENT TO THE BATHROOM. IT WAS EASY TO KEEP CLEAN WITH WATER CHANGES.
I REALLY LOVED THAT GUY. I'D BE HAPPY WITH A SMALLER MONITOR IF IT WAS SEMI AQUTIC. I AM BIASED TOWARDS SALVATOR FROM READING ROBERT SPRACKLANDS BOOK "GIANT LIZARDS".
NILE IS WHAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH...

WHAT MONITOR WOULD YOU RECOMMEND...SEMI AQUATIC ONLY PLEASE

Hi again, a word about Sprackland`s "Giant Lizards" book; probably one of the most inaccurate volumes on monitor lizards I`ve ever read, please do NOT base your husbandry on his recomendations!!
You say you had a Nile monitor for 10 years, but in your first post, you asked if they needed a pool!? It seems you have absolutely no idea about these animals, let alone 10 yrs experience??

LET ME CLEAR UP ANY CONFUSION ABOUT MY FIRST POST. MY QUESTION ABOUT WATER MONITORS NEEDING A SWIMMING AREA STEMED FROM AN ARTICLE IN REPTILES MAG IN 3/03 BY ROBYN MARKLAND @ PROEXOTICS THAT STATED "WATER MONITORS DO NOT NEED A LARGE POOL OF WATER TO SWIM IN".
THAT ARTICLE IS ON PROEXOTICS WEB SITE IF YOU THINK I MADE THAT UP ALSO. I DON'T FIND YOUR REPLIES HELPFUL...
IS THERE ANYONE WHO HAS CONSTRUCTIVE THOUGHTS OR EXPERIENCE ON SWIMING AREAS FOR WATER MONITORS? I READ ALOT ABOUT SOIL SUBSTRATE FOR BURROWING BUT NOTHING ABOUT POOLS.

AS FOR MR/MS MURRINDINDI...I'M BEGINNING TO WONDER ABOUT YOUR LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE. YOUR NOT NICE.

Common sense needs to be used here.

Who has given a captive water monitor(an adult) a place to SWIM?

Many call a tank the monitor can lay in, a place to swim. Actually to SWIM, means to be able to go a distance using your body movements. So to swim, means you need a body of water, say, 30feet long.(for an adult)

About Mur being mean, hahahahahahaha its nice to see others get called names.

Murrindindi not nice, are you serious, sport??? I`m a great person, if I didn`t want to help you, I wouldn`t have responded! You CLEARLY stated the following; [Quote] : "Do I need to provide a pool for a Nile or Water monitor, they look like they are built to swim" [Enquote]. If you kept a Nile monitor for 10 years (as you said), SURELY you knew those species would need some water to at least soak in?
There`s absolutely no shame in being a beginner, but at least be honest about the fact!
My adviise is YES, both species need a place to soak in, but as FR said, (at least for the adults), "swimming" would require an enormous body of water, so just a bowl/pond large enough for them to completely submerge their whole body and tail in is fine (they can and do obviously curl around, so not necessary to have it too long/large)...
I hope that helps, and I hope also, you no longer think I`m "not nice" or unhelpful. Any more questions, just ask!!
And I agree with FR; it must feel absolutely great seeing someone else being told they`re not a nice person (just as so many say he isn`t)!!
I don`t believe that of him for a moment, he gives some of the most fantastic information on keeping varanids PROPERLY in captivity I`ve ever seen, it takes a GREAT person to go to the length he does to try and help others..... (Shhhh)...

It does test your tolerance at times. The more a person resists, the worse it gets.

Also, at times, you have to test them. Like, put up or shut up. As these forums stay around, the new envaders, adapt to keep up with the times.

Its common now for someone to ask newbie questions and say they have bred the beans out of monitors, but when asked to show it, they soon disappear.

oh well, keep at it, maybe we will actually help a monitor. And thanks for you helping.

I'M GOING TO REPHRASE MY ORIGINAL QUESTION AND ADD A FEW.

#1-IF ONE HAD THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE A SWIMING AREA (8'x12' FOR EXAMPLE) WOULD IF BE OF SIGNIFICANT BENIFIT FOR A NILE OR WATER MONITOR. AN INDOOR KOI POND BASICALLY? I KNOW THEY CAN GET BY WITH A PLASTIC TUB...BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM IDEAL. EVEN HUMANS LIKE TO SWIM NOW AND THEN.

#2-DO ANY OF YOU HAVE SUCH A SET UP? PLEASE COMMENT IF SO.

MY OLD SET UP WAS A PREFORMED GARDEN POND...160 GAL(I THINK). I USED A FLUVAL CANISTER FILTER. I WORKED WELL BUT I HAD ONE PROBLEM-THE FILTER WOULD QUICKLY CLOG UP WITH RODENT FUR. THIS LEADS TO MY THIED QUESTION.

#3-DO MONITORS NEED FUR IN THEIR DIET? I THINK I'VE SEEN HAIRLESS FROZEN RODENTS FOR SALE...OR, COULD I REMOVE THE SKIN OF FT RODENTS.

Yes, I built ponds for several species, one mertens, which are truely water monitors, and for V.s.cumingi. The golden phillipine water monitor. Plus I built ponds for elephants, manatees, crocs, primates, and much much more. Oh, bears too. Oh and seals, hmmmmmmmmm I have to think, Tigers and lions, leopards, bears,

The reality is, the pond becomes a full time job. As you have already experienced. You become a pond keeper, with reptiles on the side.

Monitors are enough work, plenty of work, so to add something thats more work then the monitor itself seems a little silly.

And its most likely a main reason, people do not keep them once they are adults. At least not for long.

Your analogy about people sometimes wanting to swim, does not work with animals. Their lifes is not about want. Or not about like either.

Salvators have no real adaptions for water, they "know" how to secure prey around/in water, and they know how to escape from predators using water. Everything else is done out of water.

They can live long productice healthy lives without swimming water. And in fact, in most cases a much healthier life. The reason is, its not very healthy to swim in crap water, which is most commonly the case in captivity.

My advice would be, find a species that does great without swimming water, you and the captive will be much happier.

Hi again NATZOO,
FR has answered the question on size of water container, I agree with him, although it would be great to actually see them "swim" in the true sense, not necessary....
I use a pond that holds around 35 gallons (not filled to the top), and it`s one metre diameter (39inches), and a Fluval exterior filter to help keep it clean. For the larger waste products, just use a small net to remove them, that should help. The pipe can get clogged up now and again, but easy to unclog. I`m not sure what you meant about the fur clogging yours (which fur)?
I`ve ALWAYS fed a rodent based diet, never had that problem, and they almost always use the pond as a toilet.
The fur on the rodent/s is just "roughage", no need to feed non-furred, I think perhaps your animal wasn`t digesting properly, and maybe the conditions you offered weren`t optimum? (No offense, just wondering)..
Can I ask when you plan to get the monitor, and have you already got the enclosure, if yes, what size, and how`s it set up internally?

THANKS FOR THOSE REPLIES...
I DON'T PLAN ON GETTING ONE ANY TIME SOON. I STILL HAVEN'T PICKED A SPECIES. I WANT ONE THAT IS WELL SUITED TO CAPTIVITY.
MY IDEA WAS TO CHOOSE THE SPECIES AND THEN BUILD AN IDEAL ENCLOUSURE.
AS FAR AS THE FUR ISSUE GOES, MY NILE WAS PASSING IT IN HIS FECES. DO YOU THINK THERE WAS A DIGESTIVE PROBLEM?

NATZOO,
as I said, I don`t quite understand what you mean when you say the fur clogged up the filter (unless it was a very small filter)? If you`re just saying you saw bits of fur (as in indivuidual strands floating in the pool), they don`t necessarily digest everything (teeth, claws etc), those will be passed in the faeces, so maybe that`s why you saw bits of fur in the water?
You haven`t said what conditions the monitor was kept in (optimum), if yes, what were they?