Care Sheet for MonitorsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.00 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 10/14/2008 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Monitors |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | GooniesNeverSayDie |
Years Experience: | 15 to 20 Years |
Species: | Water Monitor |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Males are larger with a broader head... Females will be smaller narrower head and a more "stream lined" appearance. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | After trying TONS of different things I find that a good mix of about 25% sand and 75% soil works best AT LEAST 24" deep (for an adult)... It holds humidity great and is cheap... Also depending on the time of year I will add a layer of leaf litter. |
Lighting and UVB: | There is constantly debate on whether or not UV light is necessary for monitors.... I personally don’t use any. I stick with the good old flood lights. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | You are going to need a range of ambient temps in the cage... I like to keep it at about 75 on the cool side up to the low 90’s on the hot side. A good number to shoot for is the 85 degree range. As far as basking spots I have 3 of them set up the hottest is in the 130 range and the lowest is about 100.
I don’t drop my temps at night... I figure they day time temps are the perfect conditions of the monitor and really just don’t feel like messing with it and creating more problems. If it isn’t broke don’t fix it. |
Heating and Equipment: | For heating I use flood lights my cage is 5 feet wide, 9 feet long and about 8 feet high ( its a small room in my house and usually its pretty cold). So to keep my temps up I use 4 different banks of 4 flood bulbs one of which is up high to keep the ambient temp up and I have 90 watt floods in that. Then I have 40 watt floods in the basking banks. At different heights. |
Caging Provided: | Pretty much covered that above. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | I stick with rats... If something isn’t broke why fix it? The rats offer everything needed as far as nutrients. When the animal defecates it doesn’t make your house smell like rotten shellfish. I have tried turkey a few years ago and felt the results where inferior to that of a rodent based diet. Plus it makes a mess. I don’t offer any type of "treats" simply because it’s unnecessary and just opens up room for problems to arise.
If i were going to feed some type of turkey of something I would most certainly make sure it was cooked.. The only way I would suggest cooking a food item is to bake it in the oven of course without any type of additional oils of anything... If you boil anything you lose the vast majority of your nutrients.
Stick with rodents PLEASE. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Nothing needed in a rodent based diet with adequate temps. |
Maintenance: | Be prepared to be emptying and cleaning a roughly 100 gallon pond on a daily basis... Not to mention the rest of the cage. It really is a huge chore to have an animal of this caliber. Not to mention the cost of food and how huge your electric bill is going to be. |
Some Words on this Species: | Don’t get one unless your prepared to have around a 40 dollar a week food bill for one of these beasts... And a room to keep it in once it gets bigger... My enclosure is 5 by 9 by 8 and I need to upgrade it soon.
This isn’t something for someone without experience... A ton of time and a lot of money. These animals live for a long time. And if properly cared for are awesome... Don’t go and kill such a beautiful creature on an impulse buy. And don’t expect it to be your lap dog either... chances are its not going to happen like that. |
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