New pick-up

So we went to the reptile show sunday with the intention of ONLY getting feeders for the snakes and the beardie but I fell in love!!

The first table there was for a local shop that we've been to a couple times and they had (among other things) the most beautiful nile monitor ever.

Superman is 4 years old, has had the same owner (an employee of the shop) since he was a hatching and has been used in educational shows for the past 2 years. I was so surprised at how well he was handling all the commotion and people petting him.

Zack, his owner, was going back to school and his off campus house would not allow Superman to come so he was looking for a new home for him.

Since we had budgeted for our black throat, who didn't survive, I was seriously contemplating taking him home. I stood and talked to zack at length about his daily routine, his diet, his habitat and his past experiences. I was totally amazed at the love zack had for him and I could truly see it was going to be hard for him to let him go.

After much discussion with my boyfriend we decided to buy superman. He's been a total doll baby since we brought him home (well for me at least, he postures at my bf and hisses quite a bit) he enjoys getting in the shower in the evenings and likes to crawl on me quite a bit.

We're now looking at plans for his permanent enclosure.

I'd add photos but it looks like we can't add from tapatalk anymore?

sent from my EVO

Congratulations on the new addition!

I'd love to see photos! How big is your new Nile at four years old? Must be pretty massive. Could you email/message me the photos? I'll post them for you if you want. I'd really love to see him.

I recently rescued a small Nile Monitor. He/she is evil, unfriendly and favors human flesh as it's staple. :)

A nice Nile!! That's awesome!!! Congrats on your new addition and I look forward to checking out the pics if you can upload them too :gj:

What a pretty face!!!
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...AyNjMuanBn.jpg

Hanging out in his temporary, temporary home. (We're getting his enclosure from his previous owner tonight and then building him one)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...AyNjAuanBn.jpg

Playing hide and seek while he was out getting some exercise
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...AyNTkuanBn.jpg

He was hanging out on my shoulder and decided to move to my back, wouldn't let anyone near me to get him off without hissing so I just laid down until he decided he wanted to move!!!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...VnXzIuanBn.jpg

awsome, I have friends with Niles and its usually hit or miss on them as far as temperament. Even docile by their standards is only handle when they let you. Infact their kinda bipolar as far as monitor species go. example I have a buddy that has full grown male adult that actually crawls up his leg to be picked up constantly but when his having one of those days dont even try getting near him. Once you understand that large monitors demand respect and work with you on their own free will when they learn to tolerate your company then it becomes a great relationship. Your nile looks in great shape and condition, try not to overfeed him please, chubby monitors are slow and unhealthy, even if he seems like he could keep eating. No matter how cute he looks at you, dont do it, keep him fed in moderation.

As far as feeding goes, he was being fed boiled eggs, ground turkey and chicken with bone-in in small portions daily. Everything I've seen says that whole pery items like fish and f/t rats are best. What would you recommend for frequency and portion sizes to keep him at a healthy weight?

sent from my EVO

Well I saw that typical nile attitude tonight. Superman does NOT like to be woken up from his beauty sleep!

I got home later than usual tonight and he was a hissy, whippy little rascal when I went to change his water. He seemed more scared than anything so I just pulled up a chair and sat next to him until he calmed down a little. He still wasn't a fan of me trying to reach into his home so I'll just wait until tomorrow morning to change it.

sent from my EVO

As far as food goes it depends on his activity level, does he roam outside his cage, how large is his cage to move around, does he climb, how hot his temperature or basking spot. All those things make his metabolism spike and comsume more food with more frequency. As far as eggs go, with a monitor that size Id keep it to only 1-2 whole eggs scrambled or boiled per week or even every other week so as not to give him too much fat. Fish as long as its whole prey is good but keep the fish to rat or mice ratio 1 to 5.

My buddy does this thing which is pretty cool im going to start doing myself pretty soon, where he boils 3 eggs gets 1lb of ground turkey 1lb of chicken liver and heart a can of sardines in water, or half lb of fresh sardines which ever is available, small amount of crushed chicken bone, grinds it alltogether with a sprinkle of vitamins and stuffes it inside sausage casings he gets at the market. and then put them in the refrigerator it last for about 2 weeks or so depending on the size of the monitor. if you have a small monitor you buy smaller sausage casings if you have a large monitor you buy larger casings to hold more. Its pretty neat its a ready to go meal, all he does is keep a jar with fresh sardine water leftover he dips the stuffed sausage mix casing in it for scent and gives it to the monitor.

One thing I do for my salvator at night, My cage is outside so as not to startle him and get him angry is Ive got him used to me clapping when I enter the room when he was little inside my house and still do it outside, that way he does feel conered and knows its me. so when your gonna change his water tap his cage or clap your hands it has to be the same sound every time. theyve got great memorys. always slow movements at first, when he sees you and sit down next to him until he feels like theres no harm. in time it gets easier. when you sit down next to him for him to calm down remember the general rule of double the size of his tail. Its a built in there mind that if they cant reach you with a tail whip their still in their safe monitor distance bubble. this will keep him from stressing out.

Absolutely stunning! In my opinion, they really are the most attractive Monitor. It's a pity that they can be so temperamental and they get so large.

Feeding frequency depends on the animal and their age. At four years old, a few times a week is more than adequate. Younger animals often require daily feedings, but he looks like a healthy weight so you should just be maintaining that. Make sure he has proper basking temperatures to properly digest and give him exercise if you guys don't have a large enough cage yet.

Whole prey items are the way to go with Niles. Whole chicks, rodents, etc. should be his staple. Keep in mind that whole chicks are fine, but it makes for very stinky defecation.

FYI, in case you didn't know, these guys are VERY fast. Don't be deceived by his size. Also, what do you have his current basking temperatures at?

Thanks for the replies! He is allowed roaming time outside of his cage. His current cage is 6x4x4, I know its on the small side, but that is what his previous owner had him in. his temps are 75-77 on the cool side, 110 hot with 130-135 basking.

We're drawing up his forever home plans and I was wondering about height. We have 10ft ceilings in that room, if we added ramps and levels to the enclosure to give him access to the additional floor space how wide should we build the cage? I was thinking the end would be 12x6x10 with 4 levels. Would this be enough space?

sent from my EVO

12 X 6 X 10 is a pretty good size for him.

He does seem quite small for his age. I have a V. ornatus and he'll be 3 years old in August. He is currently just shy of 7 feet.

Chris

Do you think he should be closer to 6ft by now? What would cause him to be smaller than normal?

He ate 2 small rats last night and some ground turkey today. Im still trying to figure out portion sizes and frequency for him I don't want him to get overweight but I'm not sure what constitutes over feeding for him.

He really seems to enjoy his evening showers and we've found it's an easy place to have him hang out while we change water and clean his cage.

Also, how often do they poo? He has made a couple messes in the shower and they were light tan and kind of runny, I haven't seen a solid poo in his cage yet. Maybe that will change when we switch to whole foods? I'll upload some more pictures tomorrow (sure wish we could still upload from tapatalk *coughs*)

sent from my EVO

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jbean7916

Do you think he should be closer to 6ft by now? What would cause him to be smaller than normal?

He ate 2 small rats last night and some ground turkey today. Im still trying to figure out portion sizes and frequency for him I don't want him to get overweight but I'm not sure what constitutes over feeding for him.

He really seems to enjoy his evening showers and we've found it's an easy place to have him hang out while we change water and clean his cage.

Also, how often do they poo? He has made a couple messes in the shower and they were light tan and kind of runny, I haven't seen a solid poo in his cage yet. Maybe that will change when we switch to whole foods? I'll upload some more pictures tomorrow (sure wish we could still upload from tapatalk *coughs*)

sent from my EVO

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Yes he should be much larger, 5ft plus at the very least. My Black throat is 1 yr old and 6ft long / 30lbs. I see hes in an aquarium with no soil. You know thats what killed the black throat right? I honestly cant believe nobody told you that. The black throat could have totally been saved. But please get this one into a suitable enclusure before the problems start popping up. They die pretty quick as you have seen.

If you read the previous post, that was just his temp enclosure until we got his larger enclosure over to the house. Hes not in an aquarium anymore and was only in one for 2 nights. Hes now in an animal plastics 6ft enclosure.

As far as my black throat was concerned, she was also on a substrate until her prolapse, then I switched her to paper towels until it retracted. If you think the instructions my vet gave me were incorrect, what would you have suggested to save a young, malnourished monitor?

sent from my EVO

Very nice. Good luck with your new Nile.

There is currently NO COMMERCIAL ENCLOSURE SUITABLE FOR ANY MONITOR LIZARD. Sorry about the caps but I cannot stress it enough. They don't allow for proper basking temps (135-150F), enough substrate (1 foot at least), or enough room. Get that 12x6x10 made as soon as possible.

For the first 2 years of life, my Ornate ate daily. He is now eating every other day; 1 medium rat and 2 mediums on his weekend feeding. Besides this he gets treats of lean ground turkey (supplemented), the occasional hard boiled egg, snails and whatever rats the bp's don't eat. That's on top of his regular meals.

The reason yours is so small is diet related. Not enough whole food animals and not enough food period. Varanids (as well as ALL animals) grow very quickly in the first couple years of life - it's how they grow out of the "prey" size into the "predator" size.

Learn about these animals. They are not snakes, or puppies or fish. They are their own family and unique in many ways. And a hell of a lot smarter than most people think.

Chris

Congrats on your beautiful bre awsome boy!
However, by counting his torso bands he looks like he could be an Ornate monitor rather than a nile. The best way to tell is his tongue color. Niles have blackish purple tongues and ornates have pink.
Its okay though, ornates awsome too! i actually just bought my ornate on friday and was told it was a nile as well. best of luck with him!!

Thanks everyone. I know that the enclosure we got from his previous owner isn't going to last long at all, but its what we have until we can get one built. Can anyone recommend a place to see plans for other custom enclosure that are suitable? I've been racking my brain trying to figure out all the logistics of something that will be what he deserves, trying to include things like a nice way to drain his pool, a way to get in and out to clean, a nice way to set up an area so he can been viewed but also so he can hide if he's not in the mood.

So rats every other day and supplement with other suitable foods. I can def do that, he seems to enjoy the f/t rats we've been giving him the past couple feedings. We tried some beef liver last night, I don't think he was a fan. He's getting to the point where he will walk right out of his enclosure and into the bathroom if the shower is on. He's a very smart creature that is for sure.

I'm trying to learn all that I can and as quickly as possible about them, the problem I am running into is that most experienced monitor owners are very rude. As if they believe they are the only ones capable of caring for a monitor appropriately. If they would be more helpful, and share their knowledge before telling someone that they are stupid for every buying a monitor, I think that the animals would benefit. If someone has successfully raised a healthy monitor, why are they so reluctant to be helpful in a positive way? They complain that no one takes care of them correctly but finding a caresheet with correct information is all but impossible.


Oh and Melody, his tongue is most surely very purple black. My boyfriend got a great shot of his tongue flickering yesterday, I'll see if I can get it posted soon.

Oh my bad:oops: i guess i counted wrong lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jbean7916

If you read the previous post, that was just his temp enclosure until we got his larger enclosure over to the house. Hes not in an aquarium anymore and was only in one for 2 nights. Hes now in an animal plastics 6ft enclosure.

As far as my black throat was concerned, she was also on a substrate until her prolapse, then I switched her to paper towels until it retracted. If you think the instructions my vet gave me were incorrect, what would you have suggested to save a young, malnourished monitor?

sent from my EVO

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Most vets dont deal with reptiles very often and give out bad advice, though there are some good ones that deal with monitors all the time and can save your animal. I took my monitor to the vet to get a broken arm set and he nearly killed my animal. I then hit the forums and low and behold two of the keepers i'd been speaking with were reptile vets. I can direct you to a great one if you need it. The prolapse was most likely caused by...you guessed it, dehydration. Compaction probably came before the prolapse though. He blew a gasket trying to poop. There is NO WAY to make a screen top enclosure work for a baby monitor. Foil and cling-wrap are useless and we see them dying constantly because people dont listen and think they found a "method" for making it work. This probably kills more baby monitors than anything else. I know because thats what killed my water monitor a few years ago. Im not trying to be mean, I just dont want to see another lizard die this way. Happens all the time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jbean7916

Thanks everyone. I know that the enclosure we got from his previous owner isn't going to last long at all, but its what we have until we can get one built. Can anyone recommend a place to see plans for other custom enclosure that are suitable? I've been racking my brain trying to figure out all the logistics of something that will be what he deserves, trying to include things like a nice way to drain his pool, a way to get in and out to clean, a nice way to set up an area so he can been viewed but also so he can hide if he's not in the mood.

So rats every other day and supplement with other suitable foods. I can def do that, he seems to enjoy the f/t rats we've been giving him the past couple feedings. We tried some beef liver last night, I don't think he was a fan. He's getting to the point where he will walk right out of his enclosure and into the bathroom if the shower is on. He's a very smart creature that is for sure.

I'm trying to learn all that I can and as quickly as possible about them, the problem I am running into is that most experienced monitor owners are very rude. As if they believe they are the only ones capable of caring for a monitor appropriately. If they would be more helpful, and share their knowledge before telling someone that they are stupid for every buying a monitor, I think that the animals would benefit. If someone has successfully raised a healthy monitor, why are they so reluctant to be helpful in a positive way? They complain that no one takes care of them correctly but finding a caresheet with correct information is all but impossible.


Oh and Melody, his tongue is most surely very purple black. My boyfriend got a great shot of his tongue flickering yesterday, I'll see if I can get it posted soon.

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Im sorry if we seem rude, but you have to understand that we see lots of monitors die from really easily preventable stuff (like screen tops). But as far as enclosures go, here is one I built for my water monitor a couple of years ago. My black throat inherrited it so hes in some pics as well. Its about what you'll need for a while. Its 4ft X 4ft x 2ft

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01029.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01084.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01211.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01167.jpg

Yes its a pain but can be done for under $100. Mine have filtered ponds and again its not that hard. Im willing to help if you need it.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01134.jpg

Interesting enclosure, SwampDonkey. Where is the substrate for burrowing? I'm also willing to bet that there is not a basking spot of 140F+ in there; otherwise your plant would be shrivelled under your heat source.

Chris

Do you have any pictures of your current water monitor enclosure swampdonkey? A 4x4x2 would have even less space than what Superman is in now. I don't have a filtered pond for him but he seems to have just as deep of dirt as yours and he gets daily baths. His humidity stays perfect with just his large water bowl and his basking temps are 130-135.

As far as the rude thing, there are alot more productive ways of being informative.

sent from my EVO

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mumps

Interesting enclosure, SwampDonkey. Where is the substrate for burrowing? I'm also willing to bet that there is not a basking spot of 140F+ in there; otherwise your plant would be shrivelled under your heat source.

Chris

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No, there is no deep substrate for burrowing in this enclosure. Why would I build something that major when he'll be in here for 3 months tops? Actually, I dont know of ANY water monitor enclosures that have soil deep enough for the animal to make a burrow in. It had about 2" of soil but plenty of hiding spots. It was a step up from his 55gal with custom wooden top. This enclosure is suitable for almost any young monitor alive and thriving. Period. Oh and about that basking spot, one is 115 the other is 135 (you DONT need 140+ for babies). And about that plant... I wasnt under the basking lights. I did remove it when the black throat started tearing it up.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01312.jpg

A shot of the different basking lights:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01166.jpg

The water monitor was given to a local college prof before we moved. He grew from around 12" to over 30 in 5 months. Pretty good for a Bivittatus.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ofDSC01078.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01193.jpg

The black throat now enjoys a 10ft by 4ft by 5 ft enclosure with deep diggable soil. And went from this:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01142.jpg

To this, in 10 months. He's older and larger now:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...70_50045_n.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jbean7916

Do you have any pictures of your current water monitor enclosure swampdonkey? A 4x4x2 would have even less space than what Superman is in now. I don't have a filtered pond for him but he seems to have just as deep of dirt as yours and he gets daily baths. His humidity stays perfect with just his large water bowl and his basking temps are 130-135.

As far as the rude thing, there are alot more productive ways of being informative.

sent from my EVO

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Sure, though we gave the water monitor away before moving. Its the black throats current enclosure. Its 10X4X5 and is going to be expanded next month. It would be great for a nile and may last yours (since hes so much older) quite a while. It now has a 40 gal filtered/aerated pond as well. I would highly suggest you put an air stone in his water bowl. Its been changed and tweaked and I need to get some new pics but here it is.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01381.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01378.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01379.jpg

Here's a look at the pond...and him munching a crawfish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXoEW2MOjxU

My nile was about the size of yours. I fed him f/t mice, rats, chicks, and whole small fish. I rarely gave him eggs because he tended to get fat with his huge appetite and well honed begging skills. He was really mellow for a nile and only hissed a little bit on general principles. (after he bit me about 1000 times while growing up and got tired of chewing on me)

He loved to eat so on the days that he didn't get one of the above, I tossed in a few crickets. He got exercise and I got entertained by watching a big bad nile chasing down crickets.

I don't know if crickets are particularly good or bad for them, but I figured that 5 or 6 of them wasn't going to hurt anything. And it is hilarious watching a great big lizard bounce around a cage catching them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Redneck_Crow

My nile was about the size of yours. I fed him f/t mice, rats, chicks, and whole small fish. I rarely gave him eggs because he tended to get fat with his huge appetite and well honed begging skills. He was really mellow for a nile and only hissed a little bit on general principles. (after he bit me about 1000 times while growing up and got tired of chewing on me)

He loved to eat so on the days that he didn't get one of the above, I tossed in a few crickets. He got exercise and I got entertained by watching a big bad nile chasing down crickets.

I don't know if crickets are particularly good or bad for them, but I figured that 5 or 6 of them wasn't going to hurt anything. And it is hilarious watching a great big lizard bounce around a cage catching them.

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Oh the crix are a great idea. Totally healthy and excersize + mental stimulation is always good. I havent done it yet but I may hide some dead mice in the yard and let my black throat sniff em out. I have a pretty decent harness for him but having him outside always makes me nervous.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SwampDonkey

Im sorry if we seem rude, but you have to understand that we see lots of monitors die from really easily preventable stuff (like screen tops). But as far as enclosures go, here is one I built for my water monitor a couple of years ago. My black throat inherrited it so hes in some pics as well. Its about what you'll need for a while. Its 4ft X 4ft x 2ft

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01029.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01084.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01211.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01167.jpg

Yes its a pain but can be done for under $100. Mine have filtered ponds and again its not that hard. Im willing to help if you need it.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...y/DSC01134.jpg

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On the contrary of this belief, it is not I'm possible to house a reptile/ monitor in a glass cage. I have been housing a Colombian Red Tail Boa in Glass, Screen Top cages ever since I have had her which is going on for about a year now. Now it does require a bit more attention but it is very much possible. I have hygrometers in each cage I have for my reptiles and the humidity levels are monitored closely by me on a daily basis. I also have been housing my Borneo Blood Python in a Glass cage for the last 4 months. All of my snakes have always had perfect sheds and have never had any health problems and though I have never owned a Monitor before I have see many in Glass, screen top cages. So if you are looking for a cage to keep your reptile in a Glass top is very much a possibility. If it wasn't and could result in death, Company's like Zilla would not manufacture them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BloodPython699

On the contrary of this belief, it is not I'm possible to house a reptile/ monitor in a glass cage. I have been housing a Colombian Red Tail Boa in Glass, Screen Top cages ever since I have had her which is going on for about a year now. Now it does require a bit more attention but it is very much possible. I have hygrometers in each cage I have for my reptiles and the humidity levels are monitored closely by me on a daily basis. I also have been housing my Borneo Blood Python in a Glass cage for the last 4 months. All of my snakes have always had perfect sheds and have never had any health problems and though I have never owned a Monitor before I have see many in Glass, screen top cages. So if you are looking for a cage to keep your reptile in a Glass top is very much a possibility. If it wasn't and could result in death, Company's like Zilla would not manufacture them.

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Works with snakes. Doesn't work for monitors.

You stated you have never owned a monitor before. Many of us have and have seen first hand the problems it causes. Varanids are subjected to a high mortality rate because people don't know how to properly keep them, or people are given rotten advice on how to feed and house them.

The last thing this hobby needs is more people being encouraged to house varanids in glass cages with screen tops.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BloodPython699

On the contrary of this belief, it is not I'm possible to house a reptile/ monitor in a glass cage. I have been housing a Colombian Red Tail Boa in Glass, Screen Top cages ever since I have had her which is going on for about a year now. Now it does require a bit more attention but it is very much possible. I have hygrometers in each cage I have for my reptiles and the humidity levels are monitored closely by me on a daily basis. I also have been housing my Borneo Blood Python in a Glass cage for the last 4 months. All of my snakes have always had perfect sheds and have never had any health problems and though I have never owned a Monitor before I have see many in Glass, screen top cages. So if you are looking for a cage to keep your reptile in a Glass top is very much a possibility. If it wasn't and could result in death, Company's like Zilla would not manufacture them.

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Wow, almost a year?? Your experience and knowledge base must be vast...

All kidding aside, don't talk about anything that you have absolutely no knowledge of. Skiploder was more polite, but I'm getting tired of some of the crap I see posted everywhere.

Zilla is out to make money. Period.

Chris

Oh lord, some of the information given in this thread is downright laughable.

First off, congrats on the new monitor. Niles are perhaps one of the most beautiful and misunderstood species of monitor one can own. Of the 4 monitors I currently have, my nile is absolutely my favorite. He's got just enough attitude it makes him enjoyable to work with, and respect for what he is - a large carnivorous reptile capable of lots of damage. That being said I have a few pieces of advice for you.

1. The cage you are being given is too small, it's extremely clear the previous owner had no idea what he was doing with this monitor. Niles are extremely fast growing, and his size for his age is pretty sad. Mine is something like 1 year 4 months old and is around the same size as yours. Up his food intake as previously suggested.

2. Dirt substrate- and lots of it. Niles LOVE to dig, in the wild these guys burrow, dig up prey including croc eggs, and do amazingly well in deep soil substrate. Plan for at least 2 foot of substrate for him to burrow in.

3. Temps and Humidity- sounds like you got the temps right but what kind of humidity are you offering him? Mine did amazing with high humidity and I do recall Roger (sidbarvin) using high humidity with his as well, and growth was greatly increased.

4. Go hands off with him for now. Grabbing him and force handling him a bunch now will only cause problems. Give him some space and let him be exactly what he is- a monitor. Monitors are NOT dogs or bearded dragons, and should not be touched nearly as much as your average monitor owner touches them. I can count on one hand the number of times I've picked up my nile- and she does not hiss or bite.

Swamp: As pretty as the cage is- there is not enough substrate for any monitor for any length of time. All monitors will dig at some point, and get a great benefit from it besides the burrowing aspect. Being under the dirt allows for high humidity in the burrow along with higher temps at night if they sleep there. It's an excellent place for them to hang out when not basking and still have high temps/humidity for ample growth.

As for glass aquariums- this is probably the WORST advice you could ever get for owning a varanid, and should be completely disregarded. In most cases fish tanks are exactly that FISH tanks. A large number of reptiles do awful in tanks monitors included. Monitors like to have lots of room, with lots of places to hide. High temps and high humidity. This simply can't be obtained inside of a class tank. Period. Just because you've kept a red tail in a tank doesn't mean anything at all. Let me guess, your red tail has an open top enclosure allowing for humidity escaping, and it probably has a heat light too (lol nocturnal).

Monitors are not for beginners or people without a lot of time, room, and deep pockets and a passion for large lizards you may never get to touch.

Chris - great points, glad to see someone who knows what they are doing ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MMReptiles

Oh lord, some of the information given in this thread is downright laughable.

First off, congrats on the new monitor. Niles are perhaps one of the most beautiful and misunderstood species of monitor one can own. Of the 4 monitors I currently have, my nile is absolutely my favorite. He's got just enough attitude it makes him enjoyable to work with, and respect for what he is - a large carnivorous reptile capable of lots of damage. That being said I have a few pieces of advice for you.

1. The cage you are being given is too small, it's extremely clear the previous owner had no idea what he was doing with this monitor. Niles are extremely fast growing, and his size for his age is pretty sad. Mine is something like 1 year 4 months old and is around the same size as yours. Up his food intake as previously suggested.

2. Dirt substrate- and lots of it. Niles LOVE to dig, in the wild these guys burrow, dig up prey including croc eggs, and do amazingly well in deep soil substrate. Plan for at least 2 foot of substrate for him to burrow in.

3. Temps and Humidity- sounds like you got the temps right but what kind of humidity are you offering him? Mine did amazing with high humidity and I do recall Roger (sidbarvin) using high humidity with his as well, and growth was greatly increased.

4. Go hands off with him for now. Grabbing him and force handling him a bunch now will only cause problems. Give him some space and let him be exactly what he is- a monitor. Monitors are NOT dogs or bearded dragons, and should not be touched nearly as much as your average monitor owner touches them. I can count on one hand the number of times I've picked up my nile- and she does not hiss or bite.

Swamp: As pretty as the cage is- there is not enough substrate for any monitor for any length of time. All monitors will dig at some point, and get a great benefit from it besides the burrowing aspect. Being under the dirt allows for high humidity in the burrow along with higher temps at night if they sleep there. It's an excellent place for them to hang out when not basking and still have high temps/humidity for ample growth.

As for glass aquariums- this is probably the WORST advice you could ever get for owning a varanid, and should be completely disregarded. In most cases fish tanks are exactly that FISH tanks. A large number of reptiles do awful in tanks monitors included. Monitors like to have lots of room, with lots of places to hide. High temps and high humidity. This simply can't be obtained inside of a class tank. Period. Just because you've kept a red tail in a tank doesn't mean anything at all. Let me guess, your red tail has an open top enclosure allowing for humidity escaping, and it probably has a heat light too (lol nocturnal).

Monitors are not for beginners or people without a lot of time, room, and deep pockets and a passion for large lizards you may never get to touch.

Chris - great points, glad to see someone who knows what they are doing ;)

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Just to start, Exo-terra and Zilla don't specialize in fish tanks. As for you remark on my Boa. If you would read more closely you would have read that I have my ways of keeping in humidity. The hygrometer can even be seen behind her water bowl on the left. Unfortunately, you guessed wrong and were quick to assume and predict.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...ot94/photo.jpg

My Red Tail, Betsy, and I hate bright lights about as much as Nosferatu. She spends most of her time in her hide box to the right in the picture and I believe in heating pads and, as you can see, she does not have a heat light. The only reason why the lamp in my room is turned up to max is so I can take a picture to show you how assuming does the age old saying. Also, I do no have it open for humidity to escape or else my methods would fail. By the way, last I checked glass enclosures have not been proven to be a "known" fatal husbandry mishap of monitors/reptiles. Taking the time to spray a cage does just as much good as a much more expensive and less attentive method of housing. Forgive me for polluting this post with my horrid information. God forbid my ideals are ever implemented into someones less knowledgeable mind. Hopefully anyone who reads my response is smart enough to know that you're correct and my methods are flawed. For all they know, my Boa could be dead.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...94/photo-1.jpg

Or not...

-Michael. A

Nile Monitors (Lequaan in South Africa) are awesome! My friend used to work at a pet shop, he got called to someones house because one of these things had invaded the swimming pool, and attacked the cat...The people weren't very impressed, but we thought he was awesome!!

As aggressive as they can be, they still run like banshees when a big Fish Eagle, or the likes is around. Fishing at a dam once I hear a weird noise, and one of these guys, not a very big one, but big enough, came bolting out of the bushes, and launched himself into the damn. The dam was about 3 meters lower than the banks, because of a drought, and the lizard had quite a bit of "hang time" before he hit the water. When I looked around, I noticed a very large Eagle circling around, so I figure this thing was making a hasty retreat!

Your one is awesome, hopefully he'll overcome his posturing and hissy-ness, lol!!

Thanks to everyone who has responded.

We now have superman on a soil substrate and though its not quite as deep as it needs to be, we've built it up as deep as possible for the time being. We're working on a new enclosure but having some difficulty finding plans that will suit both our and his needs. (our main concern is the "pool" area and how to easily change the water and clean)

As for upping his food, hes doing very well there and my bank account can tell you that! We've switched to rats as his staple with occasional ground turkey. He'll eat 3 or 4 small rats every other day and a couple similar sized chunks of the turkey on the other days. Does this sound like enough?

His humidity is between 90-100% and even then he spends about 80% of the time in his water (which needs changing 3xs a day the dirty bugger).

As far as handling goes, we never forced handling but rather allowed him to walk out of his home to us. Regardless, we're not handling him often only when the cage needs more than spot cleaning. Saturday we took the doors off to clean them and he walked right out and and decided to climb me.

He has stopped hissing and only occasionally postures, usually in the early morning when hes first waking up.

Thanks again for all your responses!

sent from my EVO

sent from my EVO

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BloodPython699

Just to start, Exo-terra and Zilla don't specialize in fish tanks. As for you remark on my Boa. If you would read more closely you would have read that I have my ways of keeping in humidity. The hygrometer can even be seen behind her water bowl on the left. Unfortunately, you guessed wrong and were quick to assume and predict.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...ot94/photo.jpg

My Red Tail, Betsy, and I hate bright lights about as much as Nosferatu. She spends most of her time in her hide box to the right in the picture and I believe in heating pads and, as you can see, she does not have a heat light. The only reason why the lamp in my room is turned up to max is so I can take a picture to show you how assuming does the age old saying. Also, I do no have it open for humidity to escape or else my methods would fail. By the way, last I checked glass enclosures have not been proven to be a "known" fatal husbandry mishap of monitors/reptiles. Taking the time to spray a cage does just as much good as a much more expensive and less attentive method of housing. Forgive me for polluting this post with my horrid information. God forbid my ideals are ever implemented into someones less knowledgeable mind. Hopefully anyone who reads my response is smart enough to know that you're correct and my methods are flawed. For all they know, my Boa could be dead.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...94/photo-1.jpg

Or not...

-Michael. A

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Your telling me that a see through 4 sided enclosure woudn't stress out the animal and possibly lead to death? Especially in a monitor? Your lack of monitor knowledge is vast, and obvious.

Please do tell me your ambient humidity in the entire enclosure, not just next to the water bowl. Lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BloodPython699

Just to start, Exo-terra and Zilla don't specialize in fish tanks. As for you remark on my Boa. If you would read more closely you would have read that I have my ways of keeping in humidity. The hygrometer can even be seen behind her water bowl on the left. Unfortunately, you guessed wrong and were quick to assume and predict.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...ot94/photo.jpg

My Red Tail, Betsy, and I hate bright lights about as much as Nosferatu. She spends most of her time in her hide box to the right in the picture and I believe in heating pads and, as you can see, she does not have a heat light. The only reason why the lamp in my room is turned up to max is so I can take a picture to show you how assuming does the age old saying. Also, I do no have it open for humidity to escape or else my methods would fail. By the way, last I checked glass enclosures have not been proven to be a "known" fatal husbandry mishap of monitors/reptiles. Taking the time to spray a cage does just as much good as a much more expensive and less attentive method of housing. Forgive me for polluting this post with my horrid information. God forbid my ideals are ever implemented into someones less knowledgeable mind. Hopefully anyone who reads my response is smart enough to know that you're correct and my methods are flawed. For all they know, my Boa could be dead.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...94/photo-1.jpg

Or not...

-Michael. A

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That is one SAD looking setup.

Chris

Congrats on the nile! They are beautiful lizards. :D

@ BloodPython699 - You comparing the keeping of a boa in a glass tank and keeping a monitor in a glass tank is comparing apples to snow peas. They are two completely different species. The only thing they share in common is they are in the class of Reptilia. After that their needs are quite different. What works for your boa might not (and in this case, DOES NOT) work for a monitor lizard. Now I know nothing about monitors but these people do. YOU have never had a monitor. YOU have never housed, fed, cleaned up after, etc a monitor lizard. Yet you claim to KNOW that tanks are proper housing for them because your BOA lives in a tank. I have plenty of reptiles that live in tanks. I have corn snakes, a king snake, and a leopard gecko in tanks. And they do just fine. But something like a monitor needs something more.

To the monitor keepers, man this thread makes me want one. But I know I'll never be able to have one. So you guys better post up pictures of all your monitor babies.

http://www.wearyourbeer.com/images/S..._Red_Shirt.jpg

Really guys ..... Not everyone's setups are the same. The whole for sides are open .... Omg..... It's not a ball python. Yeah some boas may want to be more secluded than others, but as long as his snakes is eating and growing....then it's fine. I agree with the not keeping monitors in tanks. But a boa or other snake.... They do fine in tanks and as I recall we have quite a few members here who keep snakes in tanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottNBecky

Really guys ..... Not everyone's setups are the same. The whole for sides are open .... Omg..... It's not a ball python. Yeah some boas may want to be more secluded than others, but as long as his snakes is eating and growing....then it's fine. I agree with the not keeping monitors in tanks. But a boa or other snake.... They do fine in tanks and as I recall we have quite a few members here who keep snakes in tanks.

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That doesn't make it right. As much as people may think their reptiles enjoy human interaction they forget one simple thing. Reptiles are solitary predators in most cases. They do not want to be seen, they do not want to be held, they want to be left well enough alone.

While I agree snakes can live in a fish tank, I also believe they do BETTER in any number of environments- including tubs in a rack system- where 3/4 sides are covered by walls of the rack around it.

Fish tanks are stressful for reptiles. Period.

Lets get this topic off of fish tanks as snake enclosures and back to the OPs topic- about the new Nile.