Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A friend of mine has some hatchlings blue, green and black tree monitors and I was wondering if their basic care is similar to Emerald tree boas or GTPs. I already have several Emeralds and I was thinking about taking one of each type of hatchling from him assuming I can provide for these arboreal monitors.

I haven't really found any literature that says their care is different from Emeralds but anyone who has experience with tree monitors could give their two cents, I'd appreciate it.

Hi,
that is essentially it - not many people have picked that up, except they need a substrate, clean water, but basically their habitat/set up is same with lots of foliage, hide/basking spots - there is literature 'out there' but not readily available, and I have compiled it into a single book format ready later this year. Ive finished V. rudicollis, V. prasinus complex, and V. timorensis (being done by someone else), and Im doing V. indicus now...a tough group considering so much diversity as compared to prasinus complex...
good luck,
mbayless

Thanks! I know about the subtrate and everything because my Emeralds already have it and everything. Everything is live in their terria and I think it makes them happier or less pissy when I wake them up to hold them during the day. The humidity is around 90% but I read that humidity for tree monitors was around 70 and the temps shouldn't be more than 90 degrees.

Hi,
Yeah, ambient around 90 is fine, humidity can be higher, and basking spots higher temp too, so a good gradient is chieved, but they do not need a hot climate, just temperate with high humidity...diet is basically bugs.

These are highly stressed out animals and I would keep handling to a minimum - ask Bob, aka Odatria about specifics as he keeps them himself...

Good Luck!
markb

I read at themonitorspot.com (pretty sure themonitorspot.com) that hatchling tree monitor can't handle too high of humidity or to low about 50%. It is also thought that hatchlings live in the savannas of the Aru Islands where it is dryer. But these are just theroies, but ravi at the monitor spot knows his stuff.

Hi,
Yes, Ravi does know his stuff...I had not heard about the higher humidity levels being not good for them. I'll ask Ravi about that.

As for Aru Islands and distribution, there are very little localities listed for this species on Aru, and I and others (see Sprackland, 1991) have plotted these localities on a vegetation map of the Aru for this species and found them to be in evergreen vegetation, where Pandanus is common throughout. I am current working on a comprehensive distribution for ALL Varanus, so I would be very interested to learn on this, and where the origianl sources are = this project will deal with original and all sources I can find/collate here in my home. Its a big project and will take a few years to compile, and then map them which I dread (see Journal of Biogeography 29:1`643-1701, 2002 for African species' localities/maps).

Many Thanks,
mbayless

I am sorry it says that hatchlings might not be able to tolerate high humidity on mampam.com.

Oh, On Daniel's websight! I'll go check that out. Many Thanks Franz...(any relation to Hapsburg H.R.H. Franz Ferdinand of Austria?)...

Thanks,
mbayless

There is not many around so curious.

The husbandry I use for my tree monitors is very similar to what I use for my gtp's. Except the substrate is different and deeper. Thicker branches and hollowed logs. I feed bugs, mice, and chicks. The temps I use are ambients vary from 73-85 with basking of 120-130 they rarely bask directly under the basking area. The tend to get near it for digesting meals but not under it. I still leave them the choice if they need it they can use it if not oh well then they wont. My humidity is 80-100% at times it has dropped to the low 70's but not often.

Hope this helps.

He hatched four Ems, five Blues and seven Blacks. His reserve females are gravid but they've never had clutches before while the clutches that just hatched are the third or fourth.

He didn't really say. He just said that he'd come and set everything up if I needed him to and not to worry about the expense because he had extra stuff. He knows I keep ETBs so I guess he assumed that I could handle monitors just as easily.

If you're interested in buying them...I'd have to say you're out of luck because I'm trading three of my melanin-phase ETB neonates and those run up to about 2500-3000 bucks. I'm assuming he may want trades of valuable reptiles but he's working on breeding better colored tree monitors.

But the hatchlings he has are incredible! Blacks are jet black, not a spot of white anywhere! The blues are mostly cerulean with some black but there is one that is a dark blue and the Ems are vivid green with some black. Excellent condition and they're already eating day old pinks.

I wish I had digital camera set up for this comp so I could show you what these guys look like!!! They're easy to hold and most of them just like to climb on your head and crash for a while. I don't know what he's going to do with the rest of the hatchlings but I'm going to assume, again, that he'll trade them for other reptiles.

I was not aware of anyone on the third or fourth clutches of blues. Maybe Steeve B. perhaps.

Blacks typically start out with some pattern on them very cool his are solid black as hatchlings.

Hope he is able to keep up the breeding of them and offer them for sale, it would be nice to see them around more frequently.

If you ever get a chance you should take pictures, I am sure others would also like to see them. I know I would.

Does he come to this site? Maybe he could share some of his tips with those working with tree monitors.

What I meant was that these are the first hatched clutches he's had. I guess he had a BIG problem with infertile eggs with his first few clutches.

No, he doesn't come to this site anymore and he doesn't plan on returning any time soon. Rick doesn't want to make a name for himself or anything so he sticks to trading with friends who happen to be breeders. I'm pretty sure he's trading a Blue and an Em for a baby albino crocodilian of some sort.

Rick likes his privacy and he'll probably be pissed that I've mentioned him here but who cares, right? I know for sure that he wants to cross B/E for better colors and he's trying to find if any red tree monitors exist through some of our friends who herp around the world with groups.

I don't think he's going to sell any of them. Maybe I can drag him over to my house so he can offer some insight but I wouldn't count on it. The guy's a hermit and eats, sleeps and breaths herps. But he's dedicated. I'll see what I can do and I'll try to get some pics.

What was your friends advice? The one with all those hatchlings