Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I am new to this forum but I am hoping someone has some experience with Yellow Monitors (Varanis melinus). I am looking to get one within a year or so, so I am using this time to gather as much information on the species as I can before comitting to one.

I hear they have a fairly good temperament and are one of the easier species to tame, is this true? Also, the cage I am thinking about building would have heavy duty large wire screen for walls. I've read that it is best to house them in an enclosed cage to keep humidity high, but would regular mistings and a large water dish be sufficient? Would a 6'Lx4'Hx2'D size cage be large enough if it is handled/let out often? Also, I am wondering how often they are supposed to be fed, both as juvinielles and adults? I am also getting mixed messaged as to whether they would enjoy a climbing branch or not, Some sites say semi-arboreal, others say strictly terrestrial (not in those words, but thats what they seem to imply). Not to say, I am having a hard time on finding information on them as it is.

Please lend me a helpful hint or two if you can. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hi,
Check out my article in Vivarium magazine for some info on this wonderful species - it is a early a.m. and p.m. piscivorous Varanus, arboreal, secretive, aquatic, and amazing Varanus - check out Vivarium, June/July, 1999 issue....
Good Luck,
m bayless

Hi, where can I find your article? Is there an internet publication somewhere? Thanks!

Many Varanus melinus come through the SE Asian pet trade, mostly hatchlings and juveniles. Of all those I have come across, I have yet to have one bite me or even hear about them biting. If you can get one while it is young, they are wonderful monitors. The same can not be said of the adults that have come through here. When given the opportunity, the young ones like to climb and do not spend much time on the ground, but they love swimming in the water.

The reason that you do not find much written on this species is because it is a newly described species (Böhme u. Ziegler 1997). Being from the Moluccas in Indonesia, yes, you want to keep the humidity high. I have only seen one large adult so far and your enclosure sounds small for a large adult. For feeding information look at M. Bayless' Viviarium article. If you can not find it, follow instructions for Varanus indicus (it is from the V. indicus group of monitors).

Michael

I hope you take this as helpful. But I think your going about this all wrong.

First gathering written information is a bit out of place. You seem to be asking about what melinus does in nature, instead of what they do in captivity. The reason I mention this is, your going to be keeping them in captivity. Try calling the folks at Forth Worth Zoo.

Next, the best way to prepare of a challanging species(melinus are extremely shy) is to practice. I know that sounds a little odd, but its not at all, all dissaplines require practice.

So practice with a similar species thats not so challanging, like indicus. Practice until you are profiecent with your expected results, that is, if your goal is to maintain a healthy individual, or successfully rear generations.

Back to why melinus are challanging, as I mentioned above they are extremely shy. With all monitors, you gage progress by behaviors. That is, you can tell what or how your monitor is doing by seeing it do something. While melinus may eat in front of you or even eat out of your hands, the vast majority of them do not exhibit any other telltale behaviors in front of you. So you have to guess.

If your concern is taming them, then these are not for you. They are not biters, but hate to be touched. If you want this species because of their beauty, then this species is not for you(most stay hidden, nearly all the time). If you need them to be tame so you can hold them, then this species is not for you, they are very very timid and everything stresses them(thats why they hide all the time).

Also a wire cage is absolutely the wrong approach. Dehydration is a constant problem with even desert type species, muchless something like melinus. Misting is of absolutely no value. Unless you mist so much you ruin the room that the cage is in. Also, the key to successfully keeping all varanids is controlling heat, lots of it. This would be very difficult and expensive in a wire cage.

Lastly, if you still want to work with this species, start with babies, and worry about raising them up. Start easy, with smaller cages, after all, if you build a giant cage and decide you are tired of seeing it empty all the time(monitors hiding) Then what good is the whole exercise? As you raise them, you will learn what is needed in a large cage, you will also learn if this species is for you. Good luck FR

man, well seid stuff there FR... not that I know, but just about everythig I would have wanted to hear heh.
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0.1.0 BCI, 3 yr old
0.0.1 Ridge Tail Monitor, Juvi.
0.0.1 Leoperd Gecko, Juvi (My girlfriends)

i love reading FR's posts, and i agree with him mostly.
i am wondering if FR has any experience with them (he probably does)
i own a pair and the two have extremely different personalities. my female like FR said is very shy and when ever i see her she darts for cover and doesnt eat in my presents. she is one of the most shy monitors i have ever seen. but my male is hardly ever shy (yes i said hardly). my male will sit on the branches on top of his cage and roam around while you will be watching. he is very cool and will eat out of your hands. i didnt handle mine for about a year, untill the male would climb onto my arm when i would clean their water and cage. i am lucky to have such a male, i now let him go in the bath tub to swim around (is is too big for the cement mixing tray in his cage) and he will jump on you as you walk in the room. only problem is his claws are really sharp and he has actually steped on my ear and pierced it with one of his claws (not bad but it was all the way through), besides that they are very gentile but if you want a monitor for show or to look at yellows are not usually not the ones. they are one of my favorite, they climb, swim, dig, and eat! they are a very colorful monitor.

so to make it short listn to FR and almost every monitor has a different personality. i am not that experienced and was actually pretty stupid when i first started with reptiles. but live and learn.

later!

they can also get out really easily, how they get out some times i have no idea