Reptile & Amphibian Forums

1) how big do they grow
2)wat size cage would they need would a 8 by 4 by 4 be good
3)do they tame easy i dont care if i have 2 put some time in to it tho
4) AND IF ANYONE HAS A REALLY GOOD CARE SHEET ON THEM PLZ SEND IT TO ME AT TMETAL30@YAHOO.COM

thanks

try pro exotics care sheet..also they sell healthy animals so maybe play it safe and get one there...humidity...basking site(so they can digest properly)...substraight...whole foods...choice of temps(from 70 to 90)don't use screen unless the area surrounding the cage has proper humidity..a lizard that gets dehydrated will draw fluids from inside its body to its skin and this will cause all kinds of problems..try using sliding doors on the sides of the cage...its easier for you and reaching in from the top might seem like a hawk attacking to your bt..good luck...billy

Varanus Albigularis (white-throated monitor), V.Microstictus (true blackthroat), are a large species of monitor that range from 4 ft to 7 ft long and 15-53 lbs (sounds really obese to me). They have the potential if given the tools to grow to those sizes, they are very very powerful animals. As with any monitor they are extremely intelligent and have individual personalities, therefore you may have a friendly animal or an unapproachable, unhandleable, dangerous, monitor. Either way if you choose to take the responsibility for the animal you need to be prepared to keep whichever yours turns into for a long long time (17-30 years?), too many buy these animals with the idea its cool and they arent in it for the long haul, of course most dont live more than a year or so in captivity (most monitors actually). They can be friendly or not but either way its a lot of time patience and work. Warning the bite of an albig at almost any size is bad, especially as they get bigger, its like a bench vice with teeth, and they dont let go until they are ready all the while chewing, and tightening. After all these are animals that crush turtle, tortoise, and giant land snail shells for food. They eat ALOT!!! period, they are eating machines, never try to compare a bosc monitor and its appetite to an Albig. Ive had a few over 13 years, and they are interesting captives but require alot of space, and food. I cant put Sobek in anything bigger than 4x4x8ft now, but I need to get her into a 10x6x5ft cage as soon as I can. If this hasnt scred you off then I hope you have good luck.

Shvar is right, they are eating machines. My young blackthroat is only about 2 ft long and think everything is food, me included.
Cleaning the inclosure and changing the water can be a challenge at times. Here's a trick I learned from my herp vet. I can cover his head with a towel when he gets snippy. It seems to calm him so I can do the cleaning.
I think I'm making progress with him. He no longer charges when I open his inclosure, he will still puff up and hiss if I get too close to his burrow when cleaning.
You can never be too careful around albigs, though beautiful animals they are very smart and powerful, even when young.
I hope this helps, I am just a beginner with blackthroats, Shvar seems to be the one to answer most questions about albigs.
Good luck

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Hi,

SHvar hit it on the head - you can't predict if a monitor is going to be friendly or mean...monitors are very individual animals. I have known of some that were quite aggressive as youngsters, and through handling and attention were "tamed" - I put that in quotes because these are wild animals, and you don't know how they are going to react in any given situation.

I would recommend getting and reading all you can on blackthroats (and albigs) before you take the plunge. It is a major commitment. If you are new to monitors it might be wise to at least consider one of the dwarf species...they are not as physically impressive as the big guys, but they are lots of fun and have most of the same, to me very interesting, characteristics and habits of the bigger monitors.

For a cool picture of a big blackthroat check the link below and go to the bottom of the page.

Good Luck,

Big Black Throat Monitor

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Phil Black
www.VaranusWeb.com