iguana or monitor??

Which is best for handling, temperament ,character etc..additional info may be added thanx

Neither if you don't have time to work with them.

A couple months ago my wife got a red iggy and I got a savannah. LoL

Too broad of a question. Depends entirely on your level of experience, resources, time available for their care, and dedication.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Neither if you don't have time to work with them.

A couple months ago my wife got a red iggy and I got a savannah. LoL

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Too broad of a question. Depends entirely on your level of experience, resources, time available for their care, and dedication.

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This! Two completely different animals with different husbandry, diet, etc, monitor in itself is a broad term because each species has specialized care as well. If you want input you are going to have to give some more details.

My bad..I was referring to a rock monitor..I don't have any experience with lizards but I do own a few snakes,,a pair of corns. Pair of carpet pythons, a blood python and a pair of boas..

Hi. Honestly I wouldn't suggest starting with either if this is you first lizard, but between the two options I would go with the rock monitor. A healthy iguana will start having hormonal issues that can make them go from happy cute lizard to raging scaled demon for a few months out of the year, especially if you end up with a male. Also, both animals require massive caging relative to what you are used to with snakes, so bear that in mind as well.

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Originally Posted by Zian

My bad..I was referring to a rock monitor..I don't have any experience with lizards but I do own a few snakes,,a pair of corns. Pair of carpet pythons, a blood python and a pair of boas..

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When you say rock monitor are you referring to a white throat (Varanus albigularis)? I tend to agree with Darkbird, while there is not really a lizard that can prep you for the power of a big guy there are big differences in care between snakes and even small lizards like Bearded Dragons and Blue Tongue Skinks. White Throats will get big, you are looking at a cage around (IMO a minimum) 10ft long 4 or 5ft wide and 4ft tall with 2 feet of a dirt mix for substrate; which when I did my 8x4x4 cage came out to around 1500 pounds of dirt, then you need to create a proper basking spot that will be well into the 120-130F, and the list can go on. You also have to be ready for an animal that could possibly never "tame" down and still be able to work with it when it reaches full size. Lizards aren't like snakes in the sense that you will be fine just feeding them once a week, they are intelligent animals and need stimulation/interaction.

I am usually not the guy that tries to dissuade someone from getting any certain herp. I do think that anyone with the correct motivation, resources and knowledge can successfully keep 'most' animals. However, you really need to be aware what you are getting into. Jclaiborne is completely correct about the caging requirements. Black and white throats do have the propensity to become exceptionally tame, but this requires a TON of time spent interacting with the animal. There is always the chance that you will end up with an angry giant lizard, if not cared for properly. These guys get to be the size of an adult Labrador retriever, and fairly quickly at that.

If you have the resources and time, then go for it. None of us are in any position to tell someone how to make their own choices in life.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

None of us are in any position to tell someone how to make their own choices in life.

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But we are here to remind you and inform you before you put an animal into a situation it shouldn't be in.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

But we are here to remind you and inform you before you put an animal into a situation it shouldn't be in.

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Totally agree. But with the information that we have, we are completely unable to make that assessment.

I think I'd advise a iguana over a monitor simply because a iguana can do far less damage to you.

I own a blackthroat, and did have a pair for several years. Moggie is "okay" but not trustworthy and I've had her a long long time. Wilson on the other hand I had fewer years, although he was an older lizard, and he was a raging jerk who attempted to maul me on frequent occasions. Neither was ever like a "puppydog tame" except for when Wilson was kept with no heat, fed a mouse hopper once a week in a bare cage. He was sure "tame" then. Once he was in proper conditions(I.E. not dying), he reverted to a more normal raging jerk behavior.

You kind of have to admire and love them for what they are, not what you think you can make them be(a scaly dog). Then if you do end up with a nice tame lizard, it's a great thing. But if you end up with a more normal jerkish monitor, it's nothing that you didn't expect going into it.

I think monitors eat far far more and it's more pricy diet than iguanas too. Both need huge caging and monitors need lots of dirt(which is heavy and a royal pain).

All that said, I do love my monitor Moggie. Also, have you considered an Argentine tegu?

It just needs to be added that proper Tegu care is up there with a Monitor as well

When researching any larger pet one of the first things you want to do is learn how it causes damage and to what extent. In the case of monitors and iguanas, neither dismemberment nor disembowelment are very likely, but you can get some serious damage from either - unless you choose one of the dwarf species and even some of those can do more damage than you might expect. I suggest you start out by googling "monitor bite" and "iguana bite" then read through some eye opening threads.