Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi,im trying to get back into monitors now that i have gotten out of geckos.i used to have a big savanna and for about a year i had a nile monitor while i was trying to find it a home.ive decided to get into some of the dwarf monitors and have decided on either timors or ackies.i was wondering if anyone has bred timors on this forum.i have plenty of info on ackies but it is very limited on timors.could someone please provide me some info on these monitors.thank for your time
nick

varanus timorensis: A small monitor from indonesia, that is very popular in the pet trade, and very innexpensive. They adjust readily to captivity and are all "puppy-dog" tame. They can be toted around on your shoulder, and really seem to enjoy human interaction.

Well, everything above is accurate... in the FIRST sentence. I would not reccomend timorensis for someone who wishes to have a lizard they can handle. However, if you dont mind observing, they make a great little display animal, especially if you have a small group. They are fun to watch.

if i get a group of timors i will only display them and not heandle them.what is a good number of animals for a group.also how many females should i have.im at the moment designing a cage for about 3 or four since i finally have the space.do i need to hibernate them or will they do okay with a regular photoperiod and just a slight cooling period.thanks for your time.
nick

Ive kept a group of 3 with no incident. 1:2 that is.

Some keepers do 24/7 light, as the light is the source of heat. Otheres do light cycles. And some "winter" their monitors.

I have mine on 24/7. They have lots of places in their habitat that they can retreat to if they choose, that will offer the shelter of complete darknss.

thanks for the help i just have one more question.wich would be better to start with.blue spot timors or regular yellow spots.ive been able to find plent of baby yellows but no baby blue spots.im leaning towards yellos to start with just so i can get some captive bred babies and they are cheaper but if both animals take the same care i will wait till i see some baby blue spots.I just dont really want to have to go through as much of the parasites as you do usually in wild caught monitors.i know their is still a small risk in babies or captive bred ones but it is less than in wild caught adults usually.thanks for all your help so far.
nick

i got my blue spot from lllreptile.com it was 99$ plus tax and is pretty cool, i've had it a little more than a month , but be aware they are very shy and like to hide so provide lots of tight dark places to hide if you get one and keep humidity at least 70% i have mine between 80%-85% and i soak him once a week for 45 min in 90-90f degree water .
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.1 blue spot timor
these lamps make my room hot!!!!