Toref/Torefet: Varanus Tristis Orientalis/Freckled Tree Monitor

[dakski]

I know you’re teasing..as am I...but they ARE tempting. 😁

I am trying to be disciplined. I have 15 snakes right now, with one other bp I’m looking to bring home once the temperatures stabilize for shipping. Wouldn’t you know we’re getting a warm spell next week when I’ll be out of town. 🙄 Crossing my fingers for some milder temps in February. This has been a chilly winter with quite a few days well below freezing. It was 10 when I got up and 12 when I left for work. That probably doesn’t sound all that bad for some of you up north, but my thin southern blood wants it at least 60. lol

I plan to revamp my cages in the not too distant future. Once I do that and sell the existing 8’ cages, I’ll have a better idea of what kind of space I’ll have left over, if any. I also have to consider how much daily cleaning, feeding, and interacting my work schedule will really allow. The snakes are the ideal pet in many ways because even with 15 I don’t have daily cleaning. That said I can usually count on several of them going at once with multiple cages to clean, and can count on at least 2-3 cleaning days per week.

An animal that requires daily interaction, feeding and/or cleaning won’t fit in my current schedule, there are just too many long days right now. I don’t feel it is fair to an animal to bring them into a situation where they won’t get proper timely care or where I can’t keep to a regular feeding schedule. The snakes are mostly nocturnal, so feeding late evenings isn’t an issue. Still, I know you’ll post lots of pictures, so I can “share” the experience through you. 😊

Dianne,

Toref needs daily interaction now, but as an adult, will eat every other day and can interact a few times a week to keep the bond. Now it's work because I am building the bond; like having a puppy.

He does poop regularly, but I use paper substrate, and have to remove him, the logs, and the paper to clean. I am doing that every 5-7 days, not daily.

Is he more work than the snakes? Absolutely. He is and will easily be the most work of all my animals. However, he's not a burden as the interaction is rewarding. If I had to guess I would say 1 Toref = 4 to 5 snakes in work (boids and pythons). He probably equals 2 corns or other colubrids who poop all the time.

Additionally, he's loving the canned stuff.

Today I offered a wax worm, a Dubai roach, cut up cockroach and cut up silkworm. He devoured everything canned and left the live roach and the live wax worm!

What a weirdo! Either way, that bodes well for those who want a monitor, but do not want to feed live insects.

Not pushing you at all. Just clarifying.

Good luck redoing your space and keep us in the loop.

I will keep updating on Toref.