hi i was thinking of either getting a Eastern Water Dragon or a chuckwalla and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with these and if so how thier behaviour is. cheers
I am an avid monitor enthusiast, so I can help! Monitors do require a special type of person to keep them healthy, because they have some pretty high requirements. All monitors are large lizards that require lots of space and special attention, and all of them have sharp teeth and claws which must be treated with respect. The Savannah Monitor (Varanus Exanthematicus) is my favorite of the ones you mentioned, and mine is pretty tame. They have to be handled every day to get used to people, because they are naturally very shy. The Savannah is one of the least agressive species, but they can still inflict damage with their claws and teeth, especially adults. As far as safety, I really don't think Savannahs could be classified as dangerous. An adult sav's jaw size is roughly equivalent to a small dog, and nearly all cases of savannah bites can be attributed to people hand feeding items and the monitor accidentally biting part of the hand too, or handling the monitor with food smell on the hands which leads the monitor to investigate if the lovely smell is indeed food. If they feel genuinely threatened, then they may also snap at someone in self-defense. An adult sav will get to be about 4 feet long, and will need a permanent enclosure that is at the very MINIMUM 4ft x 8ft, and that is a size that would only work ok if he were mostly being kept in it to sleep, and had plenty of time out of the cage during the day. For an enclosure you didn't have to take him out of much, it would need to be at least 6ft x 12ft. They must be able to dig burrows for their emotional well-being and for an adult this means having a dirt substrate at least 3 ft deep. They also need a temperature gradient from about 75*F - 140*F with strong uv in the daytime, humidity around 60-70%, and they like a place to take a swim now and then, which means as an adult you'll need something about the size of a kiddie pool for his water, although a drainable concrete pool is better. Savannahs are almost entirely insectivorus throughout their lives in the wild, however in captivity they can be fed on a variety of meaty foods. Some people feed them canned cat or dog food, and that is probably the absolute worst food you could possibly feed them. Some people feed them poultry and eggs which is nutritionally better, however with this type of food comes a much greater risk of your sav contracting potentially deadly salmonella poisoning. The most common diet is probably mice and rats, and while they are fine for the occasional treat, these are really not the best choices either as they are too high in fat, low in vitamins, and may cause digestive issues if fed on this continually. Fresh fish, crawfish, and other seafood is one of the healthiest options, but is also very expensive to provide regularly. Insects are also commercially available and for an adult savannah the most suitable ones would be very large crickets, grasshoppers, roaches, and large worms. The best option IMO is a varied diet consisting of insects and seafood. They also should get regular vet checks, and with proper care they will live 20-30 years. All this is easier said than done, so it is wise to sit down and plan carefully how you will provide all this if you are considering a monitor. The white throated monitor (Varinus Albigularis) is sometimes confused with the Savannah, but it is an even larger species and has different care requirements, and is not nearly as available in the pet trade. "Mangrove monitor" is a generic term used to describe a complex of species which include varanids such as Varanus doreanus, Varanus jobiensis, Varanus yuwonoi, Varanus caerulivirens, and most commonly Varanus indicus. Varanus indicus grows to about the same length as a Savannah, but they are more arboreal than Savs and must be provided a place to climb in their enclosures. They also preffer a more tropical environment, with suitable teperature gradients being from 80*F - 120*F and 80-90% humidity. Even though V. indicus is a climber, they will still dig and hide from time to time and substrate depth for an adult should be at least a foot. Fresh water should always be available and again it is good to make it a sufficient size to allow the monitor to submerse itself when it wants to. A good diet for a savannah would also be a good diet for a mangrove. As far as temperament, they tend to be more aggresive than savannahs, however as adults they can still be handled quite safely if hand trained from babies. If you have any other monitor questions, let me know and I will do my best to help.
hey thanx a bunch for all the info. one more question though could you please post a pic of your savannah monitors enclosure and also a pic of your savannah monitor. cheers
Well I don't have any pics of him handy and I.m not too sure what happened to my dig cam lol, but I'll try and see if I can get some pics up for you one way or another sometime during the next few days. If all you wanted was to see what they look like, then here are a couple: Cool huh?
wow, they are amazing. yeah i think im going to get a savannah monitor. thanx so much for the help and the pics
