Reptile & Amphibian Forums

was just wondering if there is any body out there with these monitors
i am very interested in getting either of these and would like to star
checking out some resources on how to take care of them.

Contact Bob (aka 'Odatriad' I think?) on this forum or on Varanus.nl forum. There is a bit of literature on these varanids, but it is scattered across cryptic articles about other animals with only brief mention of these lizards if at all - I am compiling that scattered information into 1 format for future publishing...these are high strung delicate varanids and NOT for the beginner...not to mention high $$ too...
good luck,
mbayless

Hi there,

I keep all four indo species(at least the ones presently described) of tree monitors, so I may be of some help to you.

Tree monitors are very sensitive animals, and are far more delicate than any other type of monitor that I've kept/dealt with. Too many people buy them because of their sheer beauty on impulse at shows, or on the internet, without looking into the care that's involved with their upkeep. So it is good that you are asking around before you dive into ownership, however, I must say, if you have very minimal experience with monitors, I would advise to try something else to get some experience with. With that being said....

Tree monitors are a very active animal who in my experience to great in large(I would make them larger if I had the space) tall enclosures, which do not use screening in any part, for screening will result in loss of moisture/humidity- a death sentence with these animals in my opinion. As I say moisture/humidity is very important, I have an automatic misting system(hooked up to a digitial timer), that rains on the enclosure for a designated duration and frequency, depending on the 'season'. I do not let my humidity drop below about 65% or so, although I like to keep it as high as possible, usually around 85%..

As they are all wild caught(at least here in the states), they are most likely going to be extremely skittish, nervous, and easily stressed. It is important that you provide him/her with many different hide spots(tight fitting ones), so that the monitor can feel a bit more secure in his unnatural environment. Silk/plastic foliage can also add some security to the cage, as well as improve aesthetics.

I keep their ambient air temps around 85F, and I offer them basking sites of around 140, however this can fluctuate depending on the ambient temps/season.

AS for feeding, I personally feed mine a rodent based diet, sometimes offering discoid roaches if I have any large worn out adults available to feed from my growing colony. SOme of my tree monitors do not go for them, as none of my tree monitors went for the stick insects I was raising as a food source for them.. I typically try to feed females a bit more than the males, to make sure they are keeping/putting on good body weights. I have found females to be more frail, and care must be taken to ensure that they are recieving ample amounts of food/water. Males can be downright selfish, eating all offered food in the cage. It is debateable as to the dietary requirements of the prasinus complex, as wild stomach content analysis has shown that the major portion of the wild diet consists primarily of phasmids(stick insects) and kaytdids, while the rest being other types of orthopterans, but I have not seen any harmful effects of the rodent diet. Food is typically offered daily, or everyotherday, with females typically being fed everyday, or at least offered every day.

HOWEVER, the experience i just posted deals with care for them after their acclimation period. As all tree monitors offered for sale in the states are wild caught, they are usually severely dehydrated, emaciated, and usually overrun with endoparasites. Before setting individuals up together, or in their permanent enclosures, I recommedn that you set them up in a quarantine enclosure for several months, to closely eye the animal's progress, or any problems that may occur. Humidity is also important, and I recommend spraying the enclosure down several times a day, to encourage the animal to start drinking water.

Everybody thinks that when you see a skinny looking monitor(ie. hip bones, etc.) it is because the animal is starving. This is not the case, for it is water weight that the animal has lost. With proper moisture levels, and proper conditions, the animal will most likely put the weight on, and resume feeding on a regular schedule.

My tree monitors usually undergo at least a 3 month quarantine period. I am in no rush to set them up in permanent enclosures, or in "breeding groups". The health of my captives is more important to me than rushing things..

I feelt hat quarantine is essential to the animal's overall success. You will probably find that you will have a difficult time caring for/keeping the animal alive by initially setting it up in a large, spacious enclosure with many hide spots, etc...

Please keep in mind, I think that these monitors require much more care and attention than any other type of monitor, especially in the 'crutial period' of them acclimating to life in captivity. If you turn your back to them, or forget about them one day, their health may start to decline. For my 10 tree monitor captives, I typically spend about 3-4 hours a day with them, ensuring that they stay clean, fed, and that everything is perfect for them. They are such beautiful animals, and deserve nothing than the best of care for them. Monitors in general are high maintainence, but I feel that these guys need to be watched extra close.

So, hopefully, you will find some of my experiences helpful/insightful. Like I said, it is important that people like yourself, do their homework before purchasing one of these frail animals; it is all too frequent I get phone calls/emails of people telling me their tree monitor just died...."what did I do wrong"?.. People shell out the cash for the animal(which can be pricey), but then do not feel that it is necessary to pay for all the necessary/useful tools to keep them properly.

If you read back a couple of pages on this forum, you will find a few of my posts(might be under the name treevaranus), about my experiences with tree monitor quarantine procedures/setups. I think you should look into this aspect first, as you must conquer this sometimes arduous process before you can really start enjoying your captives...at least in my opinion... Others may differ in opinion, but look at the hundreds/thousands of tree monitors/ wc monitors in general that die each year, due to people just slapping them into aquariums(death chambers)...

These are just my experiences/opinions, feel free to ask any other questions yo may have, I'm always here to share my experiences.. I also have some detailed information of how I keep my tree monitors on my website, although some of the info needs to be updated, as I'm always slightly changing around contitions, that the animals appear to take well to...husbandry evolution..

Take care, good luck with whatever you decide to do..

Bob
The Odatriad

That was a ton of great info. Your website is very helpful too. I am researching tree monitors myself. I know that a lot of imported monitors are infested with parasites. Do the imported tree monitors have a large parasite problem like other monitors that eat carrion and drink water from the ground?
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Ed

There are water dragons, chameleons, and monitors in my jungle room.

Hi ed,

thanks for the kind words. As for imported tree monitors, I think that yes, they are infected with parasites upon being captured, but i think that the situation becomes more severe when the freshly captured animals are then thrown in temporary holding cages by the exporter, in many times, sharing the space with other species/genera, and is most likely not disinfected prior to admitting them. So, combine this with dehydration and stress, and you have one pretty messed up animal, where it can now have many different parasites, that other species/genera were carrying. By the time the shipment reaches here, many animals are usually dead, or on their last breath..

I have been trying a technique used by a fellow tree monitor keeper, in which he does not use any possibly harmful parasiticides . It is believed that if proper conditions are given, especially proper basking temps, a monitor can kill off any endoparasite by the extreme temps they normally bask at. I have tried this with three individuals, 1 female boehmei, and 1.1 beccari, and have seen great success. I have had fecal samples taken and tested, and all have come back negative. All three of these animals came in in terrible shape, and had strongyles.

It is unknown as to the secondary effects that these medications may have on certain biological processes of a monitor, or reptile for that matter. Most of the veterinary drugs used by vets, have been used on humans for decades, or have been designed with mammals in mind, primarily dogs, cats, and equines. So who knows what these drugs are doing to the many bodily systems each monitor posesses?

Yes, I have used medications in the past with great success, but this idea seems like a better method for me to use, especially now, after I have actually seen success with it. NEvertheless, quarantine is necessary regardless of what treatment you choose... at least in my opinion...

cheers,

bob

Hi,
Here is what I have written on V. prasinus-complex and parasite records I have found:

"In V. prasinus, a spirurid nematode identified as Hastospiculum sp., usually found in grasshopper intermediates (a dietary menu item!), whose apex predators are usually birds; other Hastospiculum nematodes have been found in the Asian Water monitor (V. salvator), with H. macrophallos and H. spinigerum found in the Yellow monitor (V. flavescens) in east Pakistan.
Protozoans have been found in more recent V. prasinus imports (Klausing, pers. comm.). We bring up this amoebic-protozoan affliction (Entoamoeba invadens), as it may explain some medical problems associated with varanids, as it does with humans (Entamoeba histologica is responsible for amoebic-dysentery (in humans) throughout S.E. Asia, and only two known reports of it are known in PNG, with none known prior to 1940). Two features of this pathogen are important. This amoeba, E. invadens may be passed via excretia from saurian to saurian (as E. histologica from human to human is passed in the same way), and may be present in saurian, or persons-alike who never suffer from this malady. The second is Entoamoeba sp., and it does give rise to abscesses of the liver as a late result, a feature that has been seen in necropsied varanids (i.e. Komodo Dragon; [Gray, 1966]). If discovered early, a veterinarian will be able to treat this protozoan-related disease expeditiously. Dehydration (via Entoamoeba-?) is a very common malady seen in recent imported prasinus-complex animals.
Two types of parasites are known to V. beccarii, a worm, Eimeria beccari (Upton, 1990), and three tick species': Aponomma arcanum, A. fimbriatum and A. trimaculatum (Schultze, 1930; Kaufman, 1972)."

cheers,
mbayless

I myself might give tree monitors a go in about 5 years. No kids left at home, plenty of room and more time for the proper care.
I might have enough information and experience then also.
Keep the pics coming, they are amazing.

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

Wow, Bob, what a tremendous amount of great information for anyone considering purchasing one of those magnificent animals. I think the pictures you post have many thinking about acquiring one, myself included. I know I am not ready for tree monitors now, but hope that in a few years I may have gained the knowledge to make the plunge. It is always so nice of you to take the time to thoroughly answer people's questions. I hope they think about what you have said before making a purchase. I know that one of these days you will have baby tree monitors to share with us!

Take care,
Pam