Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, i Have a 6long by 4 high by 2.5 foot deep cage. I am looking at either a peach throat ,blue tailed or mangrove monitor. what are there attitudes like? which is better overall to keep? if any one has some good info id be willing to listen. what other types of monitors could go in tht size of a cage?

Sounds like youre new to monitors, so I would advise that you dont even contemplate the indo species, and stick to the "tried n true". Animals that are readily attained as CBB, and are realitively fool proof at maintaining.

I suggest that you save up some money and buy a group of monitors that dont get huge. How about a trio of ackies?

Its sad to see a solitary animal, just waste away, never to fulfill its purpose to survive, grow & reproduce.

now u made me feel bad im getting 1 ackie

Solitary? hmm there are alot of them kept as pets. If given enough stimulants to the enviroment they can still enjoy life, and make for a good pet.

What about your rescue croc? he is alone is he depressed? maybe you need to send him someplace to get some action. haha

Just because alot of people do it, doesnt make it less sad. How many people kept "negros" as slaves back in the day? That never made it ok.

I dont know how you can even compare Crocky to this situation. He never got the chance to grow up around other animals, and has ALWAYS been solitary(not to mention the blatant abuse). Very sad indeed.

Haha well I wont comment on your apples to oranges.

But on crocky I was told he was housed with a female. So he was indeed not always alone. Do you know if croc's live together in the wild? have you been out there climbing around with them? Can you speak to them?

If you have one as a pet alone and it is interacting with you, gets along, lives it's life. Is it then not a good pet and has lived? Or is it's only sole purpose to be a breeder? What about those that are proven not to be good breeders? What about the ones that have reproductive problems? They are now fixed should they be killed?

Does Huey have a partner? do all of your monitors live in groups?? Do you know what your talking about at all??

Contridicting oneself is not a sign of intelligence you know.

Hewey isnt alone. Hes got a cagemate, and youve SEEN the pics of them! One of the pics on in the gallery right this moment! Lol!

As far as the croc monitor bahaviour topic goes. No, I have no idea what their social habits are! Youre picking out a single thing to [bleep] about. My point of the WHOLE thread was to discourage the lad from buying indo monitors! That was my POINT!
All of my animals(except some rescues) are living in pairs or groups. Really though, thats not the point. When I post here, I do it with a personal adgenda... to get people to be more conservation minded, hence the suggestion of buying CBB.

Comprende, mi amigo?

p.s. Not sure why youve avoided my inquiring about the order, but it would be nice if you COMMUNICATE your intentions to me!

p.s.s. you should be nicer to me, you hurt my poor feelings

Yeah there you go you got it now.

You post your personal agenda. You try to push your personal beliefs.

That is MY POINT, the whole POINT, and nothing but my POINT.

So help you not.

Call me hahahahaahahaha

Fine! Ill give you a ring in a bit. Youre a sh1thead!

Varanus Flavirufus will fit.

>>Hey, i Have a 6long by 4 high by 2.5 foot deep cage. I am looking at either a peach throat ,blue tailed or mangrove monitor. what are there attitudes like? which is better overall to keep? if any one has some good info id be willing to listen. what other types of monitors could go in tht size of a cage?

But if you disregard the sound advice of the others and decide to go ahead and get one of the three. I suggest you go with a peachthroat.

You need to decide on the monitor of choice on your own.

We can supply examples of what we have or what may fit your needs or the cage you have.

But when it comes down to it you are the one living with it not us. So you need to step up to the plate and make that decision all on your own.

Thx for *your info* all i really wanted to know what your experiences were with them. say is yours tame or is it mean how big is yours,etc i was only asking in retrospect of your past experiences. why would you not reccomend getting a smaller monitor and not a larger? how come peach throats are better? I have read all that i can find on these animals not many books actually tell you very good info so far the best all around info ive found on individual species is the monitor spot. you guys know of good books? or websites i would greatly appreciate it. i currently have 4 leopard geckos i have cared for savanah monitors in the past and have had no troubles.I appologize if i am rude but i just thought you weren't hearing my question.

You're not paying attention.No one can tell you which is better, its all a matter of personal preference.Read and search through the archives theres plenty.

OK LETS TRY THIS AGAIN...............I.....AM.....ONLY.....CURIOUS.....ABOUT .....YOUR.....PAST ......EXPERIENCES. I ALREADY MADE UP MY MIND OF WHAT TO GET, just extra info forom EXPERIENCED KEEPERS always HELPS... But thx anyway.

OOOOOOOOKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!
SOOOOORRY!!!!!!!!!!!! THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING WHICH MONITOR IS BETTER??????......OR ARE PEACHTHROATS BETTER?????....OR THAT IF ANYONE HAD ANY "GOOD" INFO YOU MIGHT BE WILLING TO LISTEN!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU SEARCH ON THE FORUM ARCHIVES YOULL SEE ALOT OF STORIES AND INFORMATION!!!........
.....JUST ENTER IN THE SEARCH "PEACHTHROAT" "PEACHIE" "DOREANUS""MANGROVES" "BESTEST MONITOR" etc. ...OR MAYBE A YAHOO OR GOOGLE SEARCH.....
.....BE CAREFUL THESE GUYS WILL SCRATCH YOU ALL UP AND DROP CRAP AND URATES ON YOU, THATS ALL I KNOW, I SWEAR!!!!!!!OR MAYBE SOMEONE WILL TELL YOU A STORY......HAVE FUN AND
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but if it won't make a difference (not that anything here ever does), why would I bother.

They can be fun and they can be quite tame, but most of them aren't and never will be. I suspect that they aren't dumb, and when they have a great big world to live in (even with many dangers), it is a whole hell of alot better than being stuck in a tiny box with a keeper that constantly harrasses it. There are many individuals that would've been better off left in Indo, even if (or because) it meant a quicker death.

Good Luck, (trust me you'll need it)

--Robert

I am referring to jobiensis

--Robert

although after hanging out for a few months I can see how frustrations can arise. The person is in for a suprise, I think unfortunetly, so is the mangrove..

What do youe mean exactly by this? "although after hanging out for a few months I can see how frustrations can arise. The person is in for a suprise, I think unfortunetly, so is the mangrove.."

Because everyone of us has a different experience. One may have bad times with a species, while another may have had good times.

You may prefer coke, I may prefer pepsi.

You really need to look them up yourself. Gather all the info. you can find. See what they do and how they act. Are they terrestrial, arboreal, semi aquatic? Can I provide for any of that? What do they eat? How are they built, are they fast and furious, or slow and clumbersome? Most importantly is what do I ME MYSELF want out of them and what can I properly care for?

I would do more research, and would seek the animals out at local pet stores. Maybe do some handling/observing of individuals on your list. Just because you have the cage space doesn't mean you have to fill it. You could correspond with herpetologists from area zoos, get their opinion. Mike Stefani has peach throats on his site drop him a E-mail. Your research need not be limited to what is written on line. Why not a more researched well known monitor. Better to work with a monitor you can find info about to begin with, don't start in the dark. I'm interested in peach throats as well, but have opted to start with ackies first. If I have questions, there are more people who keep and can answer my questions. The questions you will have
after you get a monitor will outweigh all the answers you thought you had prior to getting it. First hand experience will go a lot farther, get some experience with some of the more commonly kept monitors first. Then branch out, you'll be happier and importantly your monitors will be. In any event, goodluck and think about the responces to your post. Clint

Thanks for the advise. The only problem is i live in a small city with 2 petstores one of which i work at.The unfortunate part is No one here knows any more than i do? what is a good book on monitors I have read BARRONS monitor book about 3 times and it doesnt really specify different species characteristics, or habitats. Any good books or references would be awesome. I had been looking into ackies but every one i talk to says they are hard to handle having a in a pair or trio.(which i would get) I like the reds better mostly because of colour and supposed attitude. The books we can order at my store are somewhat limited to basic care. such as the BARRONS series and what not.

Ackies are not hard to handle, they can be nippy sometimes, but not always and not all individuals. Peachies are next to impossible to handle, I have two that are very tame, yet it is painful and bloody to handle them. I have heard from numerous reputable sources that the red/yellow attitude is total myth, probably an attempt to sell yellows.

I would never trust a peachie... at all... they don't defensive bite often, but they will gladly nail anything that could be food. For claws, think a cat with non-retractable claws, you end up bleeding when they aren't trying to hurt you, if they get scared you bleed more.

3' male (still pretty small) very w.c. and not much fun

A bit less than 3' also very w.c..... no that isn't a smile

Similiar size as above male, but still hasn't started to fill out, tame but I'm not wearing the jacket because it is cold.

Big 3' male

Big 3' female (dead, get used to it, it happens way too often)

Shred the Barron's book it is horrible, Monitor Lizards by Daniel Bennet has a good overview of species. (check out www.mampam.com)

--Robert

I have a pair of ackies, I've had them roughly a month. One feeds right from my fingers and the other doesn't want anything to do with me. The "tame" one will jump on my hand when I'm servicing the cage, but doesn't like to be held, restrained. He would rather run up my arm and climb up my head. I'm alright with all this, I think you have to meet reptiles on there terms, some will settle down with time, with monitors especialy the ones you named, a tame, handlable one is rare. If your going to keep one, don't think for a second your going to be able to readily handle them. They are flighty and highstrung. I suspect the ones available to you now are smaller sized, are you prepared
for a larege, flighty, skittish monitor. If you want a monitor you can handle your making a mistake. I think with those monitors, if you can service their cages without them fraking out
and tailwhipping, hissing your lucky. Goodluck with what ever you choose, but choose well. Clint

thx guys for all your help. I will take your warnings and stick to agamids for now untill i have much more experience with more types of lizards. When i do get a monitor i will get a trio of ackies or something like that.but.....i have also ben looking at a blue tegu. what do you think of them? so far everything i found out about them i like. i know this is a monitor forum but its close enough to it. so if any one knows about them plz share your knowlege.