Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how big is that rought neck monitor and wat size cage do u have him in wat r the lengths

thanks tom

The books say rudis get anywhere from 3 to 5 feet. The male pictured is at the upper end of the scale. If not for losing 4 inches of tail, he'd be over five feet. The female is the one pictured below eating an egg. She is ???feet. 3 and a half? Not sure and don't care...hahahaha
This pic is a year old. His scar is lessening slowly, it should be gone in about 3 years...I injured him yanking him out from under my cupboards...long story...

They are currently in an 8 by 4 by 6 feet tall cage. I don't know if this good or bad, since its what's inside that counts. My pair lived, GREW and laid four clutches in a much smaller cage. So far this bigger cage is sucking. Not for me, but for them. So I must improve it.

If you have any doubts what to give your monitors, then give as much as you can. Please. Keep trying to improve their lives, it will be fun for you and them.
My female now comes running when I whistle. Isn't that neat?
D.

You've still got your young rudi, cool. Its been about six months now, right?
D.

and she has been doing great she can eat any where from 10-20 crickets a fday but i only give her 10 is that 2 little for a 2ft she hates mice tho wat else shoould i try

thanks tom

how come my 2ft feamle pees on me when ever i take her out n then put her down so where like ill hold her then place her on the chair for like 1 sec n she will pee

Tom,

The reason why your monitor pees on you is because it is scared of you. This is a defense mechanism monitors do in order to escape predators. Right now your roughneck thinks it is prey to you "the predator" try elevating the cage it is in so that it gets use to you, and until it learns to trust you and not regard you as a predator dont take it out of its cage unless it is absolutley necessary. You taking out the rudi so much can and will stress it out. I have had that happen to me and stress is a major killer of young monitors as i learned from Mark Bayless. Your Rudi is not cb i presume and in the wild theyre not much of rodent eaters. Cut the mouse open maybe that will work for it because 10 crickets for a two foot rudi is certainly not enough food for it. Maybe you can also try some other food items like frozen cocktail shrimp.

hope this helps

I don't know why she pees, mine pee on the carpet whenever they are let loose in the room, and they are not afraid I'll eat them. So I don't let them on the carpet, hahahaha. Mine all pee in water, too, so I am waiting nearby for them to do it, so I can clean and refill. Your animal, your call. Be aware it can indicate fear as well as other things.

That sounds like very little food for a growing monitor. If she won't eat the rodents yet, don't worry, but don't skimp on the bugs. Feed all she will eat. Supplement them too. Mine won't look at mealworms, superworms, waxworms or silkworms, but will STILL eat crickets in a heartbeat. They didn't like the shrimp but ate it when they weren't given anything else. They refused all other seafood. They like scrambled eggs and ground turkey but they only get that when I am running low on rodents or have stuff I need to clean out of my fridge. I hate wasting food.
Its your monitor, and who knows what it will eat? They're all different. Try stuff. Its your job.
D.