Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all. I'm an avid reptile collector for many years but have never tried Monitors. The biggest West Caost Reptile Fair is coming this july in SD and every year I see baby nile monitors for sale. They seem to be the cheapest like the Savs. I'm thinking about throwing my hat into the ring......any adice about the nile monitorsor ones like them?

David

niles are very pretty but a lot of them have a kinda nasty disposition but i have seen some that were really calm and nice its all how you raise it and how much time and work you put into the monitor ,monitors are great pets and very smart.the niles get to be a good size they need a lot of room and if you have the space i say go ahead and get you one just do your homework first ,and if you decide to get one there are a lot of people here that can help you out with questions you have..good luck

bosc1973

Hey there,

I think niles are beautiful animals, and command my respect..However, based on their adult size, formidability, and aggressive nature, I would not recommend this species for the beginning varanid keeper. Niles can attain 6' as an adult, which would need an enclosure the size of a bedroom to properly give it enough space to move around..If I'm not mistaken, nile monitors will travel 3 miles in a day(come on MarkB-any data??), where a 75gallon aquarium would be far from minimum for this species... While there are exceptions to any rule, just about every nile that I had the pleasure of encountering in person, was very aggressive, but, then again, these are wild caught animals, or african hatched animals; they weren't born in somebody's care. On a monitary level, despite the animal only costing 15 bucks or so, which sounded as if it was an appealing aspect of the nile, their feeding and electric bill will be astronomical when compared to the original cost of the animal...Monitors should feed very frequently, even every day.. A large nile monitor can easily put down several rats in one sitting...talk about a hefty dinner bill!!

Many inexperienced monitor keepers jump into nile or savanah ownership without realizing the proper necessities and capabilites of their animals...Unfortunately, you seen hundreds, if not thousands of savs and niles put up for adoption, or dumped on pet shop doorsteps when the owner soon realizes what it actually takes to care for this animal...

This is where I commend you, for you have come to this forum to ask about something before going out and buying it without gathering sufficient knowledge about it... This is only my opinion, I'm sure others will differ, but in my honest opinion, I think you should start out small, such as an ackie, storr's, freckled monitor, etc. and then acquire other species if you wish, as you gain experience with them...I would hold off until later for the big'uns. Take care, and I must say that I wish there were more responsible people out there, like yourself...

Bob
The Odatriad

I have kept several Nile monitors. They are beautiful animals, impressive and powerful, and also quit ehardy in captivity. However, I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that they are the second least suited of any monitor to be kept as a pet (with only the Komodo monitor being less suitable, for obvious reasons). The problem is that Niles are paranoid by nature. They almost invariably see your presence as a prelude to a predatory attack, and react appropriately - generally by running and hiding. If flight is impossible, however, they defend themselves with teeth, claws, blows from their powerful tail, and deficating all over you. What this means is that captive Niles can almost never be held without either armor or blood, and that they are difficult to even admire since they tend to dash for cover as soon as they see you.

Now all of this wouldn't be so bad if Niles were not so big. But they are. Being big means they need a huge enclosure. They need lots of food. When they relieve themselves, they make a huge, very stinky mess. They need a basking area big enough to heat themselves and provide enough power to heat their cage. This means that Niles will take up an exorbinant amount of space and time - your precious time. It also means that, contrary to the sticker price, Niles are not cheap. Figure you will need to put down around $500 to $1000 for the adult enclosure, and that is if you build it yourself. This includes the cost of the wiring and heat lamps and water dish, but neglects details like pumps and filters to keep the water clean, so you will need to haul around a huge tub filled with sloshing water and monitor fecal material about once a day to maintain hygenic conditions in the enclosure. It also does not include the cost of maintenance. In upstate New York, I was getting $1000 two-month electric bills over the winter for my two large monitor enclosures. Electricity may be cheaper for you (especially if you are on the West Coast), but it will not be cheap!

If you are really interested in a monitor, I would suggest looking into the dwarf monitors like ackies, storrs, or black heads. If you really want a big monitor, check out blackthroats, arguses, sands, and dumeril's. The initial purchase price will be considerably higher, but you will probably get more enjoyment out of your pet and the full price including housing, food and electricity will not be that much more for the large monitors while in the case of the dwarf monitors, you will ultimately end up paying a lot less.

Having said all that, I will admit to once owning a truely delightful Nile monitor. She was skittish, like most of her tribe, but more trusting than most and she really captured my heart. I never found another Nile like her, though.

I have a web page devoted to Nile monitors here:
http://www.pizards.com/hbd/nile.html
Their basic care is very similar to that of argus monitors, which I cover here:
http://www.pizards.com/hbd/tricks.html
Finally, a web page about my "nice" Nile monitor cleo, demonstrating the problems that even a docile large monitor lizard can cause
http://www.pizards.com/hbd/cleo.html

Luke

Thanks for the inforamtion..your websites are truly awesome.

David

I would suggest starting off with a smaller more mild tempered species for a first monitor, later you can get GODZILLA if you are still inclined, have the space, money and experience. Cheapest is not usually the best way to go when it comes to purchasing animals, they are cheap for a reason. Personal opinion, I would start with a Flavirufus or Ackie depending on room available.

>>Hey all. I'm an avid reptile collector for many years but have never tried Monitors. The biggest West Caost Reptile Fair is coming this july in SD and every year I see baby nile monitors for sale. They seem to be the cheapest like the Savs. I'm thinking about throwing my hat into the ring......any adice about the nile monitorsor ones like them?
>>
>>David

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INFORMATION. I HITNK YOU ALL HAVE SCARED ME OUT OF WANT A NILE. LOL.

David