Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've always had a soft spot for monitors,especially crocs and waters....just don't have the space!LOL!! So,what's everyone's favorite small species to work with?! Thanks!

personaly i would say timor. but it's more what you perfer and can provide for. a timor will be cheaper to buy ( care will over time cost atleast 10x as much as you paid for the monitor) around 60-100$. they max out at about 22" in TL, will feed on eggs, pinkys, insects, canned food, and ground turkey. and are semi aboreal so they will need a taller cage. they are rather skidish but they are not exactly bitters, and will calm down nicely, are tropical lizards. and an ackie, just the monitor will cost around 150-200$, and gets about 22-28". both require basking of (timor)104-110(ackie)110-120. and is mainly going to stay on the ground so a longer cage is best. i have heard ackies are calmer then timors but i have never kept an ackie. and they eat just about the same as the timor. and ackies are desert lizards. I HOPE THIS HELPS
GAGE

" a timor will be cheaper to buy ( care will over time cost atleast 10x as much as you paid for the monitor) around 60-100$."

Depends if you get a WC timor, anywhere from $60-$200 plus, if you get CBB anywhere from $150-300 (not sure how high real CBB can go).

"they max out at about 22" in TL"

Tell that to my old male timor (Squirt, gave him to a friend about 1.5 yrs ago I guess, hes been 29 inches since he was about 4 years old, estimate), he was a wild caught subadult and is around 7 years old. He currently is still a part of bayoubeasts collection.

" they are rather skidish but they are not exactly bitters, and will calm down nicely, are tropical lizards."

Most timors hide anytime people are in sight, they are very skittish, they are beautiful animals but you will never see a healthy happy timor, they just enjoy being away from prying eyes. All monitors have very similar care with minor differences more for individuals than species differences. Ive been bit by 3 timors in my life, and 1 a few times, never by any ackie so far, even by accident, but Im careful not to get bit. Ive kept both timor and ackie in the same cage (separate, of course), minor differences in care. Ackies love to dig they will dig and dig for hours, they are active they are brave in the open and want to see whats going on constantly. It is personal choice, but ackies make a much better captive even if never handled. Ackies cost between $90-$400 plus, it depends on red or yellow, male or female, reproductive age, etc. Ackie are all CBB this is the best reason for the choice if nothing else. My old timor and his new mate choose about 135-150f basking temps, my red ackie chooses to use 188-200f basking temps. They can eat similar foods, I always use rodents, and insects (crickets, lobster roaches) for both with Miner-all calcium D3 supplement on every insect, also day old quail. Timors are supposed to reach 30 or more inches as an adult, as I was told once people dont realize how big the species they have can get because they may have never seen an adult, a sexually mature adult, full grown, or died of old age (15-30plus years??). Ive been told red ackies get about 24 to 26 or so inches, and yellows can grow to 30 or more inches.

I guess I should have phrased that better!LOL!! I meant "better choice" as far as care,handling,etc! But,thanks guys,you answered my question anyway! I was thinking Ackies would be better,so Ackies it is!LOL!!