Here they are more Thyssa pics......DUW

[Skiploder]

Well skip Thyssa and I were working today on a game of fetch... clearly joking!

You know I have mad mad respect for you!!! Probably one of few ppl I would take advice from and not think twice as to wonder if it was solid advice or not. As I stated previously....I just think there is another way to approach it. A little more gently and not so abrasive! Yea I like the soft touch thing....

Thyssa right now has a basking spot of 135. Getting that basking high is not a problem....currently we are doing a lot of misting to keep the humidity high. Her diet right now is consisting of poultry right now. Waiting for the Dubias to come in. She does come out a lot right now as we are working on a large cage for her. I want to make sure she gets the extra exercise she needs. Typically she will take a bath and cruise around the house for a while being nosey. She will crawl up on us and in and out of the couch or where we are sitting, then crawl around some more and back to us....then after a bit ....she will find a place to settle in. At that point she is taken back to her cage. She is not held against her will at all. As far as her nails....they are trimmed a little....as you can see they are plenty long still....just not razor blades.

As far as her cage....it will be 6 ft tall and 5 ft wide. It will have a pool at the bottom (heated to help with humidity)..another level will her burrow area with substrate and then of course the basking spot and trees and folliage. It will include a misting system to further assist with humidity. It will also include a sump pump(thanks for the idea J mug) and a drainage system to make cleaning easy. It will have a place for 4 lights if needed to raise the temps if needed. Still not sure what type of substrate to use....it will probably be a combination of things. If you can think of anything else I need in there let me know.

As far as Legit goes.....go easy...hes only 15 and very protective of his Auntie. He has a very good heart and means well and for his age....has a lot of experience.

I think the lesson in this whole huge mess of a thread is just remember to talk to ppl the way you would want to be talked to. Maybe if we approach things a little differently (in the monitor world) more ppl will ask questions and eventually we can do away with all the crappy info out there.

I have never had any doubt that you would do the right thing by her. You have both the intention and means to make sure she leads a long and happy life.

I'll say one more thing about the attitude of the monitor community and then I'll drop it.....you are talking about a dedicated group of keepers who - without the help of care sheets and a huge forum support network - have worked hard to find ways to keep these animals healthy in captivity.

Nothing about a monitor is cookie-cutter. With the exception of crickets, no pet store caters to their dietary needs. No one manufacturers the perfect monitor enclosure, and no pet store sells the perfect monitor substrate. Everything that a lizard, snake or frog keeper can easily buy has to be cleverly manufactured and cobbled together from other less conventional sources.

What many people consider proper husbandry for monitors amounts to little more than animal abuse, and like we've already touched upon, most care sheets and non-varanid forums actively promote keeping these animals in ways that seriously compromise their health.

Savs, salvators, crocs, niloticus, ionides, dumerils................we see these animals sold cheaply everyday to people who have no idea what they are getting into and who are given possibly the worst advice on their husbandry. The majority of these animals live miserable lives - not given enough space, not given enough heat, fed an unhealthy diet, and then trussed up into harnesses and paraded about the neighborhood.

So what some perceive as rudeness is nothing more than a small group of people who are tired of seeing the same bad practices used and reacting to what they see as another example of someone getting into these animals who is not prepared or properly informed on how to keep them. You are the exception to what is normally seen - most people will sit here and adamantly defend these bad practices, ignoring the advice they are given.

When people talk of monitor "tameness", they are - as Daniel stated - referring to nothing more that the animal tolerating and being accustomed to your presence. They cannot be trusted like a dog or a cat. That cute monitor who scampers across the carpet and lounges on the coffee table isn't so cute when your kid goes to touch it and still has the smell of his recently consumed Happy Meal on his fingers.

As for your protective nephew - that's great that he loves his Auntie, but he still went broadside on someone who was trying to offer you help and advice. In the process he posted some bad information on one of the most potentially dangerous monitors sold in the pet trade. I sincerely hope he was not the jack ass who decided to send Daniel that PM.

This isn't a mess of a thread. It shows the polarization between common misconception and reality. Elizabeth, if you have not already done so, I would take Daniel up on his offer to provide more extensive links. I would start by checking out a link you were already given by someone else - Biawak - and read the back issues. I would also join Varanus.Net and Varanus.Nl and search every post about melinus.