Is it legal to sell monitor lizards in pet stores?

[anendeloflorien]

Huh, I don't know much about monitors but I know that most are legal to sell. I have a buddy who's got at least 50 monitors of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Some of them are around 10+feet and eat whole chickens! They're extremely cool animals and while most are pretty docile when they're that big he loves bitey snappy animals and some of them are just NASTY. Still cool and he's got some extremely rare monitors. He's building a whole shed (it's more like a freaking house) in his backyard just for his big monitors it's gonna be cool!

[chinchillachic18]

yah when they tried to take it out it pretty much tried to maul them. Not a happy camper..and it was drooling which was kinda gross im sorry if i offended anyone by saying someone with a death wish lol But an animal that aggressive, i think would only be pretty to look at.

[chinchillachic18]

it looked alot like this one

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3D1%26hl%3Den

the page says thats a nile.. but to me it seemed to be higher from the ground . Geez i really wish i had taken a picture >.<

[chinchillachic18]

and it seemed alittle fatter than that

[WingedWolfPsion]

Like this? http://www.rfadventures.com/images/A...nitor-bg-1.jpg

Or like this? http://www.socialteez.com/images/lizard.jpg

Or maybe this one? http://www.reptilevillage.net/crocmonitor.gif

The first one is the largest monitor common in the pet trade. They do get massive. They can be quite tame, but of course, they are individuals, so the one you saw may not have been.

Nile monitors have a rep for being flighty and defensive.

Croc monitors can be quite tame, but are insanely dangerous to your digits, as their razor-sharp teeth take no prisoners and sever tendons like butter.

Water monitors CAN make great pets, if you know what you're doing.
http://www.bayareareptiles.com/Monit...sianWater1.jpg

Trivia bit: The reason komodo dragons are so incredibly dangerous is not simply because of their tremendous size. One bite from a Komodo...even a captive, tame one...may kill you. While not venomous, they might as well be. They've evolved a solution at least as effective, if not as immediate, as venom. Their mouths are loaded with specialized and incredibly virulent bacteria.
More than 57 different strains, both gram positive and gram negative. Immediate treatment with massive doses of antibiotics might save you...but it might not.
The Komodo has an excellent sense of smell. Once its prey begins to die of the virulent infection, it has no problem tracking it down, and devouring it once it's too weak to run any longer.

Even if Komodos weren't a CITES protected endangered species, they would quickly be banned from the pet trade for the tremendous and very real deadly danger they pose. Zookeepers are all very highly aware of this potential, and treat even dog-tame komodos with respect.

A rough experiment was recently shown on an Animal Planet program. The host took two nearly identical fresh steaks out of the fridge. He dribbled Komodo saliva on one, and spit on the other one.

He let them sit for 3 days.

The human-spit steak looked very little different from when he'd taken it out.

The Komodo-spit steak was shockingly decayed and deteriorated, half-eaten away by the hungry bacteria.

Komodos are of great interest because living in alliance with all those bacteria, they must have one hellacious immune system.

[Skiploder]

Like this? http://www.rfadventures.com/images/A...nitor-bg-1.jpg

Or like this? http://www.socialteez.com/images/lizard.jpg

Or maybe this one? http://www.reptilevillage.net/crocmonitor.gif

The first one is the largest monitor common in the pet trade. They do get massive. They can be quite tame, but of course, they are individuals, so the one you saw may not have been.

Nile monitors have a rep for being flighty and defensive.

Croc monitors can be quite tame, but are insanely dangerous to your digits, as their razor-sharp teeth take no prisoners and sever tendons like butter.

Water monitors CAN make great pets, if you know what you're doing.
http://www.bayareareptiles.com/Monit...sianWater1.jpg

Trivia bit: The reason komodo dragons are so incredibly dangerous is not simply because of their tremendous size. One bite from a Komodo...even a captive, tame one...may kill you. While not venomous, they might as well be. They've evolved a solution at least as effective, if not as immediate, as venom. Their mouths are loaded with specialized and incredibly virulent bacteria.
More than 57 different strains, both gram positive and gram negative. Immediate treatment with massive doses of antibiotics might save you...but it might not.
The Komodo has an excellent sense of smell. Once its prey begins to die of the virulent infection, it has no problem tracking it down, and devouring it once it's too weak to run any longer.

Even if Komodos weren't a CITES protected endangered species, they would quickly be banned from the pet trade for the tremendous and very real deadly danger they pose. Zookeepers are all very highly aware of this potential, and treat even dog-tame komodos with respect.

A rough experiment was recently shown on an Animal Planet program. The host took two nearly identical fresh steaks out of the fridge. He dribbled Komodo saliva on one, and spit on the other one.

He let them sit for 3 days.

The human-spit steak looked very little different from when he'd taken it out.

The Komodo-spit steak was shockingly decayed and deteriorated, half-eaten away by the hungry bacteria.

Komodos are of great interest because living in alliance with all those bacteria, they must have one hellacious immune system.

Komodos are in fact venomous. I would encourage anyone who doubts this to read the relevant research by Dr. Bryan Fry. It is easily accessible on his website.

In the meantime:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/...s/s1520986.htm

http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatre...ounts-part-ii/

[mischevious21]

Komodos are in fact venomous. I would encourage anyone who doubts this to read the relevant research by Dr. Bryan Fry. It is easily accessible on his website.

In the meantime:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/...s/s1520986.htm

http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatre...ounts-part-ii/

Everything I've ever read about them or seen in documentaries and stuff said that they were not venomous, but that their saliva has so much deadly bacteria in it that they might as well be.. Just like "Winged Wolf" said earlier... That is quite interesting though- I wonder why no one ever figured it out sooner? lol

[Patrick Long]

Everything I've ever read about them or seen in documentaries and stuff said that they were not venomous, but that their saliva has so much deadly bacteria in it that they might as well be.. Just like "Winged Wolf" said earlier... That is quite interesting though- I wonder why no one ever figured it out sooner? lol

There is new evidence (scientific that is) that proves that the saliva is in fact venomous. I believe in Decembers issue of Reptiles Mag, they talk about this.

Bryan Fry has done a lot for the world of herps. Its actually a great article....


.....but at the end of the day, komodos are venomouse LOL

[Skiploder]

Everything I've ever read about them or seen in documentaries and stuff said that they were not venomous, but that their saliva has so much deadly bacteria in it that they might as well be.. Just like "Winged Wolf" said earlier... That is quite interesting though- I wonder why no one ever figured it out sooner? lol

I would urge anyone who is interested in reading about this to visit Bryan Fry's site and read his research for themselves - not only about varanids but about colubrids and the relationship between venom and evolution.

People have been debating for quite awhile now that the bite of a komodo monitor kills large animals much more quickly than can be attributed to bacterial septicemia......Fry went and proved it.

Fry's research was published over three years ago - so this is hardly breaking news..........

[daniel1983]

People always argue the fact that monitors are venomous.....Dr. Fry does great research...however, I think he should have coined a new term instead of stating that monitors are venomous. I don't like to use the term venomous when talking about monitors. They are not venomous like rattlesnakes or cobras.....more like western hognose snakes. Not many people talk about hognoses as 'venomous'....

The venom of ANY monitor is not enough to kill a person.

However, the small amount of venom in a monitor bite does make a bite feel a little different than that of 'non-venomous' reptiles. I have been bitten by monitors numerous times. The only difference in 'feel' between a small monitor bite and a ball python bite is....the monitor bite bleeds more and is sore afterward. It has to do with the anticoagulant properties of the small amount of "venom" contained within their saliva.

Although the 'venom' amount is in extreamly small amounts with all monitors....the larger the monitor, the larger the bite. Of course large monitor bites will be bad.

A bite from a Komodo, water monitor, croc monitor, or any other larger monitor is going to be horrible with or without "venom"....In my opinion, there would be little difference between being bitten by a 6-7' long monitor than there is getting bit by a 6-7' alligator...they both bite hard and cause deep wounds. With monitors however, there is the small amount of 'venom' in their bite....it makes the wound bleed more and hurt more. Ask Dr. Fry. He has trouble using one of his hands due to a Lace monitor bite....his problems did not occur from any 'venom'....the physical bite damaged his hand so much that function was lost. They are BIG animals.

.....I really think that one day people will use Dr. Fry's research to impose some sort of legislation against monitor keepers....all because they were labeled 'venomous'.