Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking about buying a monitor. I have 5 bearded dragons so i am somewhat experoienced with reptiles but i dont want a monitor that is to hard to take care of. I would prefer one that stays relativly small (under 4 feet). Are there any monitors like that, if so what type are they?

Thanks,
Justin

Most people say that ackies are good beginner monitors. They dont get too big, and they're pretty hardy.
Blackthroat Monitors are also very popular, but they tend to get bigger than 4 feet.
Do some homework on monitors to find out what suits you best.

A great monitor for a first monitor is the Savannah. Gets to about 3 feet. Is easy to tame (no gang we won't go there!LOL!) and ajusts well to a captive lifestyle.
Buy CB if at all possable.
Diana

A sav is NOT a good beginner monitor. 3ft sounds stunted to me for sure! 4-6 sounds more like it. Not only that but they need a lot of room. With the correct temps and care they are a hell of a lot more active then most think they are! Not a good idea at all!

John

I agree with arbs, and not only do they grow bigger, they can be aggressive and even the tamest ones may become dominant and open their mouths when you enter their territory.

Well I guess my Farkel is one in a million then. So will enjoy what I have and keep my mouth shut!
Diana

Good advice for the most part John, however...
4 feet? Sure. 6 feet? You're talking about exanthematicus which is roughly the same proportion of tail/body. A 6' individual would be a true giant. I'm sure it's happened, but this is by no means common, or even remotely likely. Show me one...

While not the BEST beginner monitor, they are certainly in the running. The biggest caveat would be space. As you mentioned they can be more active than many think. For the person willing to devote the space, I certianly wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

Cheers
Jim

They range from 30 inches to 4ft or just over (but this is very, very rare). The absolute record verified by one well known author is 5ft (by far the largest Ive ever seen was 4.5ft). There are some old books that put the Whitethroat or V. Albigularis as the same species as the bosc or savannah monitor or V. Exanthematicus, therefore they say a size potential of 4-6ft for the savannah monitor. To say a 3ft long medium sized monitor is stunted is wrong when the average size is about 3ft. Something to remember about local names, in Africa the WT is called a savannah monitor, tree leguaan, rock leguaan, and a few others. In the American pet trade the bosc monitor is called a savannah monitor, yet so many are found in farmers fields and wooded areas not savannah grasslands, where WTs are found.

You are also leaving out the point of the type of diet they require. Staple rodent diets are not recommended for this species and because of their size, apatite, and metabolism (when kept at the proper temps) it will be rather costly to feed an adult savannah a staple diet of various invertebrates, eggs, and fowl.

Who does not recommend a staple diet of rodents?

My exanthematicus (salvators, niles, and arguses) all do quite well on rodent based diets. They have for years.
-----
^x^ Bloodbat ^x^
Monitors, monitors everywhere
and all the food they ate.
Monitors, monitors everywhere,
their parents loved to mate.

If kept properly, or even somewhat close to properly, you need to shoot them to kill them, or go to a bad vet. If kept in conditions allowing proper digestion and proper use of what food is taken in they do better on all rodents than anything else, period, and its proven. The problem is again I stress the point improper husbandry by someone who bought a $5 disposable pet on impulse beacuse it would be cool, I help work a bit with a reptile rescue, the only one in the state of PA, and a few friends are wildlife rehabbers that also take in abandoned pets outside of dogs and cats, they see the same thing, yet why cant my friends 4 bosc monitors get fat at all, they burn it off, and they are by no means kept in a big enough cage but he does what he can with alot of animals, and his eat many FT rodents (large ones) a week. Impactions, and obesity are husbandry problems, due to temps, dehydration, etc not to due at all with whole animal foods, this is proven everyday by those of us who have kept monitors for years and years, as well those who breed them. The insect diet for boscs is like use of UVB lighting on captive reptiles , a bandaid to hide serious husbandry problems.
By the way fowl (chicken peeps, and quail included are very inexpensive, as a matter of fact .10-.25 each for chicken peeps, and quail are a bit more, rodents are alot more, even hissers cost more to buy than peeps.
I personally use rodents (mice , rats), peeps (chicken, quail), and hissers, and lobster roaches as well crickets with my monitors.

s

Varnaus Flavirufus {Australian Desert Monitor] - milder temperment, 3'

>>I am thinking about buying a monitor. I have 5 bearded dragons so i am somewhat experoienced with reptiles but i dont want a monitor that is to hard to take care of. I would prefer one that stays relativly small (under 4 feet). Are there any monitors like that, if so what type are they?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Justin

But those are very expensive monitors. The wisest choice as far as size, hardiness, and cost would be an ackie. They are not the cheapest no, but cheaper than flavi's.

what size of enclosure do u have your beared dragons in i have one female and i want to get a male?