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Member	Message
#2272205 Terp91 View Profile	Need Help Deciding I posted this on another forum but didn’t receive any replies so asking here now. I recently moved and have the space for up to a 6’x26"x6’ enclosure (not built yet). I would like to get a second monitor and am interested in a roughneck or one of the indicus complex. This cage size would need to last until the end of next spring when I graduate and have space to build an 8x4 when I move home (have already discussed this with parents). I’m concerned with how quickly monitors reach adult size, would any of these species be comfortable in that size cage for about 9 months if I get a juvenile? Also, is there any significant difference in adult size between roughnecks and the different indicus monitors? An 8x4x6 is the largest cage size I could construct when I move, any that would out-grow this I need to eliminate from my list, and a smaller species would be preferable. If any of them average 3-3.5’ for instance, that would be ideal for me. The other possibility I am considering is getting a second timor and designing the cage so it can be partitioned if necessary. I don’t feel like that would leave enough space on each side though. Any advice or recommendations are greatly appreciated. I have considered getting an ackie but it honestly is not what I want and I’d rather put off getting a species I do want until I have space for it.
07/05/12  01:14am
#2272207 Crocdoc View Profile	Message To: Terp91   In reference to Message Id: 2272205  Need Help Deciding I’d probably avoid rudicollis (roughnecks) and indicus complex with those enclosure sizes. Also, they’re all wild caught. A second timor would be a good idea (you can try to breed them) or something smaller and roughnecks and indicus group, like tristis, perhaps.
07/05/12  02:45am
#2272213 Terp91 View Profile	Message To: Crocdoc   In reference to Message Id: 2272207  Need Help Deciding Any thoughts on dumerilii? I know they have been captive bred, but I’m not sure if that’s very common. I wouldn’t be opposed to trying to breed timors, but would that enclosure be large enough if I needed to divide it to separate them? Also would you advise just making a pair or going for a full trio? I haven’t seen many other small monitor species for sale in my price range. I’d prefer to spend less than $300 on the monitor, but for the right one I’ll go over that.
07/05/12  09:50am
#2272255 Krusty View Profile	Message To: Terp91   In reference to Message Id: 2272213  Need Help Deciding Good breeding projects and a good cage size you mentioned above for them: V. auffenbergi, V. timorensis, V. tristis I too would strongly disagree with grabbing wild-collected Indo stuff like Mangroves, Peachthroats and the nervous and hard to acclimate stuff. Plus a 6 by 2 cage is small for lizards that approach 5 feet (Mangrove types). It is a good cage size for smaller species like listed above. Dumeril’s are generally WC and require pretty good space and moisture, but they are fairly "tame" in captivity and can be bred.
07/05/12  02:17pm
#2272285 Terp91 View Profile	Message To: Krusty   In reference to Message Id: 2272255  Need Help Deciding I like the idea of a pair of a smaller species, how do average sizes compare between timorensis, tristis, and similis? I’m pretty sure the less available species such as glauerti and flavescens are too far out of my price range to be an option for me at this time. Whether or not the monitor can be "tame" isn’t a concern for me, my timor is far from it but puts up with me being in the cage while watching me warily. That’s good enough for me, I just enjoy watching him.
07/05/12  07:15pm
#2272292 Terp91 View Profile	Message To: Terp91   In reference to Message Id: 2272285  Need Help Deciding I just reread what I wrote earlier and realized I put flavescens instead of flavirufus, apologies.
07/05/12  07:56pm
#2272342 Krusty View Profile	Message To: Terp91   In reference to Message Id: 2272292  Need Help Deciding Tristis, Similis, Timorensis, Auffenbergi are all about 24-30" tops (total length). Glauerti get a touch bigger due to the insanely long tails. Flavirufus are solidly built but have short tails and hit maybe 34" for a male. They need more space (Flavi’s) then a Kimberley Rock though. TL’s are deceptive. Glauerti and Flavirufus are pretty rare and only available as CBB’s, so yes, they cost more if you can get a hold of them. Wild-collected Monitors are generally cheap ($150-200) as the importers don’t actually have to maintain and breed the adults and do any work. They just order them...stick them in fish tanks or troughs and keep them barely alive until they sell for a profit over what they pay on them.
07/06/12  09:50am
#2272407 Terp91 View Profile	Message To: Krusty   In reference to Message Id: 2272342  Need Help Deciding Thank you, I figured they were all around the same size but wanted to be sure. I read before that similis, timorensis, and auffenbergi are different locales but really the same thing other than colors/patterning. Is this true or should I look only for a female timor to house with my male? I’m guessing it’s the latter but if not I’d be interested to see how the offspring would look from a cross. What’d you mean by "TL’s are deceptive."? Is it just that two species can have the same length but different builds and so appear to be different size? Both Kim’s and Flavi’s seem like they would be a nice compromise between a dwarf and a large (4’+) monitor, I’m surprised they aren’t as available as Ackies.
07/06/12  07:02pm
#2272468 Krusty View Profile	Message To: Terp91   In reference to Message Id: 2272407  Need Help Deciding The "deception" in TL’s is that caging a Flavirufus requires much more space and earth on the bottom vs a dwarf like a Kimberley who has a tail making up 70% of its length but an Ackie sized head to vent measurement. A couple guys went HUGE mass-producing Ackies in the 90’s and now they’re pretty common. Other species haven’t had that much large-scale dedication.
07/07/12  07:06pm
#2272513 Krusty View Profile	Message To: Krusty   In reference to Message Id: 2272468  Need Help Deciding Also - V. similis is actually more closely related to the Australian V. scalaris. They’re a little more bold and outgoing vs Timors/Auffenbergi who are very, very, very similar to one another - like island variants of the same species almost. All three like to use tree hollows as primary hides too, preferring to be off the ground most of the time. Similis are more prone to biting too if you hold them. Their bite stings worse than anything that’s ever gotten hold of me, oh my!
07/08/12  09:58am
#2272533 Terp91 View Profile	Message To: Krusty   In reference to Message Id: 2272513  Need Help Deciding That makes sense concerning TL’s. Any thoughts on why it was Ackies rather than any of the other small monitors that received so much dedication? Tristis and Similis both seem to be good options for that sort of thing too. So would you say Timor and Auffenbergi can be housed together if the individual animals get along? Strangely my Timor tends to hide in his burrows rather than hollows. This could be partly my fault in that I haven’t found too many hollow branches that are tight a squeeze for him. I’m still looking for more any chance I get. Would the bite thing be due to the primitive "venom" that I’ve read monitors may or may not secrete?
07/08/12  01:20pm

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