Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm new to the monitor forum. I've been considering a monitor for years now. I'm currently keeping frilled dragons and prehensile tailed skinks. Ideally, I'd like some sort of dwarf monitor, but recently saw roughnecks for sale at the proexotics site. If anyone has any info regarding difficulty of husbandry, overall temperment, whether or not I'm out of my league here, etc I'd greatly appreciate the help.

I think they are lovely animals. My experience with monitors is limited, but from the roughnecks I have known, they are not aggressive defensive animals. So they are 'easier' from the standpoint of physical injury to you. They are more likely to take their stress out on themselves, and get sick, if they are mismanaged. They are a medium sized monitor averaging four feet. This means more money required for caging and food than a dwarf monitor. And more space, because you will be required to keep these intelligent animals occupied. Two animals are highly recommended, for their sakes, and yours, if you care to observe a happy animal. Again, this is easier achieved with a smaller monitor. From what I have read, the dwarf monitors are more outgoing, BRNs are rather shy.
If space and money isn't an issue, and you like gentle and sensitive animals, then roughnecks are great. Keep them hydrated and allow them to hide, they will be happy.
BRNs have it all over other monitors in the looks department.
D.

Thanks for the cool pic. I'll take the info into consideration. I have a good friend who builds cages, so that's no issue. Did it take a long time for yours to acclimate being that it's such a shy creature? Is feeding often an issue?
-Thanks

I'm not sure what you meant by 'is feeding an issue'?
If it means, will they not eat if uspet? Then the answer is yes. (This is true of all monitors, really, just a matter of what degree).
The first question you asked was most important. How long did it take to acclimate? (to me? to captivity?)
The female I have was imported as a baby, and raised in captivity(but not by me). She is way more comfortable with my presence than the male, and will make physical contact with me if she has a reason to. (An example; I was trying to get her to grab a loose mouse in my kitchen for me, we were both laying on the floor. It was cold, so she climbed up on my back, and flattened out her belly on me, to absorb the heat. I fell asleep like that, since I didn't want to shake her off.)
The male that is pictured above was caught and imported as an adult. He is still adjusting, three years later. He would step on me if I were in the way, but if I made eye contact, no. I'd get a huge threat display. I know he likes me, in a fashion, but I doubt he could ever be trusted to the extent that I do the female. He can and has bitten me at his whim.
Of course, how much of that can be attributed to his being an alpha male animal, and the female, a young smallish female, who knows? I suspect their rankings amoungst themselves may have a part in how they treat me (auxillary colony member? albeit a funny looking one).
I don't really care 'why' anything is, I just accept them as they are and deal with it. They are changing as they age, too.
Animals don't follow general rules, as a general rule. hahahaha
But younger is better, less emotional baggage. Monitors are emotional lizards.
D.