Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, everyone
I recently purchased a Boa but he passed away. The purson i purchased him didnt tell me he had IBD which is a deadly disease. I wanted to get another boa but i dont want to risk the disease spreading. Therefore i was thinking about getting a small monitor. I was thinking either an Ackie or a timor monitor. I was wondering which would be a better choice for a new Monitor owner but not a new reptile owner. I have 0.0.3 bearded dragons, iguana and i have had many over the past 15 years. I recently purchased a cage from http://www.boaphileplastics.com/ I got the 422D which
is 4 X 2 X 17.5
I was wondering if this type of setup wasnt right for a monitor. I have read that they need very hot basking spots and this tank doesnt have a place for a hewat like but only heating pads. So will this setup not work.
Thank you,
Joseph

I do not and have not owned either but I can tell you what I have read and been told when I asked I was thinking about both species.

The Timor isn’t as hearty as the Ackie. Timor ho not handle well and will hide most of the time if you give them the setup they need you may seldom see them. The Ackie I am told are much more social and a lot of fun to watch.

I almost got a Timor but after reading everything I shied away. I wanted something more social, an animal I could handle and a little larger. I got a Dumerilii and couldn’t be happier.

you'll need a hot basking spot provided by overhead light for best results, rather than heat pads.

If I was to choose between the two, and this was the first monitor I was purchasing, I would go with the ackie. They are a great size, very entertaining and most are very even tempered. As far as the boaphile cage, it really is a snake cage. The ackies love dirt and lots of it, requiring a fairly tall cage and they also need high basking temps. Good luck in whatever you choose, but I don't think you would be disappointed with an ackie.

Pam