Monitor Questions and Such

I'm Looking into getting a monitor. I won't be getting it to soon, probably 6 months or so from now so i can get good mouse/rat production going, and get a cage built. But the idea of this post is to ask what the best monitor species for a complete beginner is. Now I have a few that I don't want, which are savannahs, ackies, and croc monitors. So what is the best monitor for a starter? Also I am open to get tegus, but would rather go monitor for now. As to Cages, Can some people either post pics of custom cages, or direct me to links about building custom monitor cages. Last request. For whatever monitor/tegu u direct me to, would you please provide a link to what you think is a good full description of care and such or type your own, and a good breeder to buy them from.

I know that this is a lot to ask but that is what the forum is for, no? Any help is greatly appreciated.

even though you excluded them savannahs are by far the best starter monitor they are cheap readily avalable and once they are a little bigger they get fat and lazy .... do not get a nile no matter what they are not beginners at all they get way to big and are way to agressive

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Originally Posted by varnoid

even though you excluded them savannahs are by far the best starter monitor they are cheap readily avalable and once they are a little bigger they get fat and lazy .... do not get a nile no matter what they are not beginners at all they get way to big and are way to agressive

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Exactly why i dont want them. They get way to fat and lazy. i want something that will always be energetic.

The more I learn about monitors, the more I learn that to be quite honest, there really is no 'starter' monitor. Ackies are considered starters because they are small. Though they are fun and energetic. But their care is just as intense as any other monitor.

The easiest monitor you can get is one that's captive bred (another reason why people say go with Ackies) because you have less of a chance of getting an already dying animal.


That being said, I don't know what the next 'level' monitor would really be. An argus is mean, but generally found to be all bark and little bite. They just want food all the time. And they are also one of the most active monitors out there. Watch the video "an argus afternoon" on youtube, how cool! But I don't know if I'd recommend them for a starting monitor. It's what I want, but I'll probably get an ackie first. These guys get big and like I said before, they don't tame down.

If you don't mind an animal that will never be tame and you don't mind feeding something huge lol an argus is quite an active and crazy one. There are probably others that are better, but that's the one I know.

It seems like monitors are either super shy, super aggressive, or blobs. :D LOL! I know there are exceptions of course.

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Originally Posted by varnoid

even though you excluded them savannahs are by far the best starter monitor they are cheap readily avalable and once they are a little bigger they get fat and lazy .... do not get a nile no matter what they are not beginners at all they get way to big and are way to agressive

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This is a false statement IMO. My first monitor was an Ornate Nile Montior and he is great, he isnt agressive at all and eats like a garbage disposale. Nile Montiors are good, begginer or not. You still need to take proper precautions tho before purchasing one, keep in mind they eat like crazy, you will be spending alot of money on food, you will need a big enclosure when they get older, and just remember to hold them alot and they will be fine, mine isnt agressive at all.

Dont exclude a nile montior from your decision.

FYI they arnt lazy either, mine is VERY energetic.

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Originally Posted by varnoid

even though you excluded them savannahs are by far the best starter monitor they are cheap readily avalable and once they are a little bigger they get fat and lazy .... do not get a nile no matter what they are not beginners at all they get way to big and are way to agressive

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Savannahs are by far one of the worst monitors to start with. Yes they are very cheap and available but they are farm bred or wild caught and usually very unhealthly. Theyre care is so much more than people think and the monitors are "fat and lazy" because they are suffering. A healthy sav is not fat and should be active. Trust me, months back I used to think they were easy because i was getting all the wrong info!
Perfect example, I just rescued a baby Savannah yesterday that is very skinny, dehydrated and listless and was being fed only pinkies. I am trying my best to make him healthy again by giving him a proper setup and the correct diet, i just hope im not too late. This is exactly why they are NOT NOT NOT good starters. They are wonderful monitors if given the proper care and the owner is willing to comitt to the right care, but most people cant and wont. Its sad but true

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Originally Posted by drama x

This is a false statement IMO. My first monitor was an Ornate Nile Montior and he is great, he isnt agressive at all and eats like a garbage disposale. Nile Montiors are good, begginer or not. You still need to take proper precautions tho before purchasing one, keep in mind they eat like crazy, you will be spending alot of money on food, you will need a big enclosure when they get older, and just remember to hold them alot and they will be fine, mine isnt agressive at all.

Dont exclude a nile montior from your decision.

FYI they arnt lazy either, mine is VERY energetic.

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Nile monitors and ornate are definitely not good starters period. I myself started out with an ornate and he is wonderful creature but I would not recommend them to anyone who doesnt know 100% know what theyre getting themselves into. I know now i shouldve never started out with an ornate but I but I have him now and i am going to commit to him no matter what it takes. But it is NOT easy. I spend most of my time with him, thinking of him, feeding, buying, building, for him. I do not regret getting him, and i absolutely love taking care of him(despite being tail whipped, pooped on, and snapped at) but this animal is far more than most people can handle. It takes a special kind of person to own any monitor but these guys are insane when it comes to care.
Like Savannahs they are cheap and readily available, but again most are very unhealthy to begin with and wind up being dumped when they are larger because the owner couldnt care for a 7ft thrashing lizard eating them out of house and home or they die a slow painful death do to improper care. Remember the little Savannah i was taking about in the earlier post above? Well in the cage next to him were a group of very skinny and unhealthy niles and ornates priced a $60.... Please with whatever monitor you choose, do research, ask questions, and be 100% sure that you know what youre getting into and that you are capable of caring for the monitor even when it is older. That cannot be stressed enough.
Now at drama x, am not try to be disrespectful to you in anyway but you need to be very careful about what type of monitor you recommend to starters. You got lucky your ornate in isnt aggressive but most are, and it takes a lot of time and dedication to gain their trust and again it is more than most people can do...

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Originally Posted by Melody

Now at drama x, am not try to be disrespectful to you in anyway but you need to be very careful about what type of monitor you recommend to starters. You got lucky your ornate in isnt aggressive but most are, and it takes a lot of time and dedication to gain their trust and again it is more than most people can do...

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My opinion stands as is, no offense taken. If you cant donate your time to ANY animal/reptile than you dont need one, a nile monitor takes no more time than caring for a child, i will ALWAYS recommend them for a beginner. Pitbulls are agressive, would someone not recommend them to someone? No, pitbulls are wonderful dogs but just have a bad rep, just like nile monitors. No disrespect to you as well, and please do keep in mind Melody these are my OPINIONS, such is your opinion above, we all have different ones. :)

:DIve owned, Argus,Black throats, Savanahs, Sumatrans, Ornate Niles, Colombian Tegus, Blue tree & Green tree monitors. Soon to begin a breeding project on a pair of Crocs in the next couple months when the new cages are up im running out of materials gotta save up a bit. with that said, Every monitor has a different temperament regardless of type or size. Alot has to do with the care, time, and quality of husbandry you provide, Trusting tolarable monitors with great personalities can be found even in the infamous Niles. All breeds requiere comitment, and patience to build trust. I have a water monitor that literally arm wrestles my hand, and a Nile who gets upset when I put him down and crawles up my leg when ever he gets the chance. There is really is No starter monitor, Only Less expensive ones to maintain. For what your descriving, I would go with an Argus monitor. Best advice, do your homework first, If comited, do more homework, if still going through with it, dont force handle, dont pull them out of their hidespots, feed them proper food as much as they want when small and medium, Heat them correctly, Give them space to be active, with time they will come to know you as their two legged brother who feeds and cleans their poop, and they will learn to tolerate you and in some cases play with you.

melody i appreciate your advice but this is about helping me get a monitor, not defending the niles are for more advanced people status. I understand that and have. Do you have a suggestion for a first monitor?

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Originally Posted by varnoid

even though you excluded them savannahs are by far the best starter monitor they are cheap readily avalable and once they are a little bigger they get fat and lazy .... do not get a nile no matter what they are not beginners at all they get way to big and are way to agressive

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First off, it is savanna, not Savannah. Savannah is a city in Georgia. Savanna is the grassland from which this lizard gets its common name. If a savanna is fat and lazy you're doing it wrong. They should be active and alert lizards. Captive savanna monitors are typically kept in improper caging with inadequate heat and fed an improper diet. If fed and housed properly (i.e. they have a large cage, adequate heat, and plenty of room to dig) they aren't fat or lazy. The OP mentioned a desire to feed rodents. If that is the case stay away from savanna monitors. Savs fed a primarily rodent diet don't fare well in captivity.

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Originally Posted by ArgentumVesica

Exactly why i dont want them. They get way to fat and lazy. i want something that will always be energetic.

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Keep them properly and they will be surprisingly active.

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Originally Posted by purplemuffin

The more I learn about monitors, the more I learn that to be quite honest, there really is no 'starter' monitor. Ackies are considered starters because they are small. Though they are fun and energetic. But their care is just as intense as any other monitor.

The easiest monitor you can get is one that's captive bred (another reason why people say go with Ackies) because you have less of a chance of getting an already dying animal.

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I agree and I'll elaborate below. Ackies are always the monitor I recommend for a new monitor keeper.

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Originally Posted by drama x

This is a false statement IMO. My first monitor was an Ornate Nile Montior and he is great, he isnt agressive at all and eats like a garbage disposale. Nile Montiors are good, begginer or not. You still need to take proper precautions tho before purchasing one, keep in mind they eat like crazy, you will be spending alot of money on food, you will need a big enclosure when they get older, and just remember to hold them alot and they will be fine, mine isnt agressive at all.

Dont exclude a nile montior from your decision.

FYI they arnt lazy either, mine is VERY energetic.

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I disagree with you for various reasons. First of all, a first time owner should shy away from anything that is going to attain the size of the niles and ornates. Would you recommend a retic or anaconda for a first time snake owner? (I hope not.) The larger animals require not only more specialized caging, but also a bit of skill if you don't want to be another bonehead that makes the news because their animal bit them and they ended up in the ER. Or even worse, the animal escaped because the inexperienced keeper didn't know what to expect when constructing a cage for their pet.)
Now for the important part:
Niles and ornates are not the same lizard. Though ornates are sometimes called ornate Nile monitors, they are different. It is not surprising that your ornate was not as defensive as most Nile monitors. Niles (Varanus niloticus) are more slender and generally longer. They're also quite a bit more defensive in most cases. Ornates (Varanus ornatus) are stockier and behave in a manner more similar to black throat monitors. Of the two, ornate monitors generally tolerate human interaction better than Nile monitors. Thought they're easy to tell apart, most of the "ornates" I have seen online are actually Niles that are more colorful instead of the actual ornate monitor. Easiest way to tell is look at the tongues. Niles have dark colored tongues. Ornates have pink tongues. There are also differences with the banding pattern, but there is quite a bit of variation in that. I digress. Back to the original question.
Neither Niles or ornates are good beginner pets. They require large cages, room to dig and large pools to soak.

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Originally Posted by Melody

Savannahs are by far one of the worst monitors to start with. Yes they are very cheap and available but they are farm bred or wild caught and usually very unhealthly. Theyre care is so much more than people think and the monitors are "fat and lazy" because they are suffering. A healthy sav is not fat and should be active. Trust me, months back I used to think they were easy because i was getting all the wrong info!
Perfect example, I just rescued a baby Savannah yesterday that is very skinny, dehydrated and listless and was being fed only pinkies. I am trying my best to make him healthy again by giving him a proper setup and the correct diet, i just hope im not too late. This is exactly why they are NOT NOT NOT good starters. They are wonderful monitors if given the proper care and the owner is willing to comitt to the right care, but most people cant and wont. Its sad but true

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Quite right. Savs should not have a diet high in rodents. That isn't too difficult when small, but unless you are producing your own worms, roaches, grasshoppers, etc. adults are difficult to feed properly.

I'm tired of typing so here's my soap box moment.

Most people that keep monitors shouldn't. They seem to get into the amazing group of lizards for the wrong reasons (e.g., they want a giant lizard that can "hunt" live rodents thrown into their cage). In reality this group requires a bit more care than most other commonly encountered lizards. Prices are a bit backwards as well with the worst pet monitors being some of the easiest to acquire. Monitors require large cages that allow for climbing, digging, swimming, or some combination of these. If you want to know what monitor MAY be the best for you ("may" because other factors will definitely play a role) perhaps it will be best to know how much room you plan to give to the lizard. If you're limited to a 6x3 foot area, then most of the commonly found monitors won't do well in that space.

In my opinion there is no better starting monitor than an ackie. The basis for my opinion comes from the relative easy care for ackies compared to the other monitors. They need at least a cage with a 4'x2' base. They should be allowed to dig and have a heat gradient that allows them to get warm but also some escape from the heat during the day. Mine have a basking spot that is over 130 degrees F with the cool end of the cage measuring in the upper 70s during the day. Ackies go after their prey with the same tenacity as the larger lizards so you're not missing anything there. The main difference is in the size of the prey. Ackies are more tolerant of keeper error compared to some of the other monitors and "accidents" won't land you in the ER if the lizard is an ackie. The same can't be said for the larger lizards. If you're set on a monitor, an ackie is a great first step. You can get your feet wet with a lizard that is relatively easier to care for but keep all the benefits of the larger monitors.