Reptile & Amphibian Forums

yall asked to see the enclosure of my mangrove monitor so her is it.

but before yall yell at me, let me say this.
that cage is same size on both sides with a devider.
im waiting on a new cage to put my gtp in and then i will knock out the devider and give the monitor the whole cage. (about 6 1/2 feet long.

i got questions about the dirt/leaf bedding
what kind of dirt? gardening dirt with pet store bought leaves?

and how hard is it to clean because this thing wastes all over and its a pain to keep it clean (i will always make sure its clean)is it like kitty litter where it clumps? (with dirt substrate that is)

ps. dont flame me. i will be giving it the whole cage and will post pics with his finished setup (which wont be finished till i get the forums approval

Without touching base on what type of substrate you choose to use, I would be more concerned with offering that poor guy a place to hide and feel safe/secure. The way he is set up in that cage, he has absolutely no place to escape to, and is most likely very stressed out, given the nature of WC indicus. So, before you go choosing what substrate to use, put something in there that he can use to hide in/under. Hollow cork tubes work great for this, as does a leaf litter substrate.

I would get rid of the reptibark on the bottom, as I think it is a terrible choice for bedding, as it is very dusty, and does not hold moisture. I think your best bet would be to gather up some leaf litter from your own backyard, and use that.

But definately give him something to hide in/under. He would feel much more secure, and will live a healthier life.

I hope this helps a bit, perhaps some indicus-group keepers could shed some more light on the substrate thing... Take care, have a great day!

Bob
The ODatriad

i knew someone would find somthing! but yea your right.
she does bury herself under that bark pretty good though.
im gonna put a box or somthin in there right now tho!
when i take her out she always wants to hide.
i let her roam around.

also did i mention she is tame?
well a little skittery but she wont bite.
was someones pet for 4 years before i got her.

forgot to mention that this lizzy is a little bit to big for my old tegus house.
i had one of those large plastic tree stumps with hole in it.

apparently wasent large enough!

gonna dig for somthing good for it to hide under.

You see the light you have on top? Dislodge it and let it hang directly INTO the cage, and cover up the hole above it. Then dump a bunch of dirt and leaves in there. Don't worry about digging something up for him to hide under. Just throw in some pieces of plywood or bark or our girlfriend's undies in there. Pile something up under the basking light so that it is close enought to the light that it is very hot underneath, like around 120 (Later, when you have a better idea of your settup, you can go way higher than this, around 130-150). Throw out that branch thingy and the repti bark. Good luck.

im gonna get the dirt but do i get potting soil?
what brand is good and can i get it from home depot or somthing.

and did u say put the light IN TO the cage or hang it over the cage i diddent understand. there is no hole in the top.

Your light can be left where it is. What he is saying is the screen top your using is letting all of the heat and humidity out.

If you cover most of the screen and leave the light over the open area of the wire top it will work too. Or you can change the entire top, put some vents on the sides or back of the cage. Then hang the light down on the inside.

As for covering the top you can use tin foil, plexi glass, wood. Just make sure you place it as to not start a fire or melt.

The dirt you use, can be from your own back yard, from a nursery, land scaper, river bank. There are many sources for it.
Do not use potting soil. You want dirt that your monitor can burrow in , not grow plants.

I would go out and find a spot with lots of fallen leaves. Bring the leaves and the dirt under it inside and into the cage.

wouldent that be leaving me open for all types of parasites and bugs and diseases?

i understand about the cage roof now tho.

i got "eco earth" couldent get leaves tho
"compressed coconut fiber expanding substrate made by zoo/med

if i were you i would not put the light to close you can cook there insides, and i could cause problems latter in life, i thing that is fine right were it is what size light are you using? and you say the monitor is 4 years,it does look a little small for that age,, or maby not how long is it?? when i put small branches or sticks in my cages i cook them in the stove in the oven part at 175 for an hour and if to big i soake the in bleach and then wash them off and it works good for me,,,,,, and don't thing your cage is that bad you are most likely taking way beter care of it then the pet store would, and post some pic's when you get it in that new set up good luck

i got ending set up in my new latest post

it is 3 1/2 foot long almost 4
and it is a female. its almost full sized females dont get as huge as the males.

Put in more branches, they are used to running in and out of mangrove infested areas. Mangroves root systems put the tires football players use to run drills to shame. Now if they could run through mangroves noone would tackle them haha.

Place some hides in there and definatly use leaf litter. That is the preffered substrate of my indicus. They will burrow down under it, and it will help them retain moisture. I'd also use a larger water tub as they love to swim and soak.