biggest pet lizard...

[bmx3000max]

so discusing this with a freind i understand that tegus are a pretty big lizard but what is the biggest pet lizard one can own...im not really looking for one but out of curiosity and by biggest girth or length dosent matter just curiouse on opinions???

 

[nessanicolle]

Well the biggest lizard is the komodo dragon.. soo

 

[bmx3000max]

Well the biggest lizard is the komodo dragon.. soo

i mean as in a pet you can own

 

[Murkve]

I would tend to label lizards much larger than Tegus as "captives" rather than "pets", due to the fact that most tend to be unruly and difficult to keep properly. That being said, the Asian Water Monitor gets up to 7'-8', can be obtained rather easily if you know where to look, and from my understanding is quite tameable. Varanus Salvator, I believe.

 

[james.w]

V. Salvator (asian water monitor)

I stole this pic from DanaC out of another monitor post.

Blackthroats, croc monitors, and salvators are the biggest 3 that are legal to own. (at least Im pretty sure they are the biggest 3)

 

[kellen.watkins]

What about croc monitors I thought they were the longest reaching 11'

 

[Murkve]

What about croc monitors I thought they were the longest reaching 11'

I believe they are quite uncommon, and potentially dangerous. Their teeth are built to lacerate.

 

[Logie_Bear]

I think komodos are biggest bulk wise, and croc monitors are biggest length wise. It's a lot of tail tho. Niles also get huge.

 

[NorCalAl]

Depending on your criteria, and one of those was keeping as a pet plus legal - wouldn't that be a black throat?

There's bigger, crocs, but as someone said (and check out the PE website for their take on crocs), they ain't good pets. And there's bigger but not legal.

Seems black throat is the biggest, legal, pet lizard you can own.

 

[kellen.watkins]

I could have sworn I've seen croc monitors for sale I could be delusional though lol

 

[Logie_Bear]

I could have sworn I've seen croc monitors for sale I could be delusional though lol

You can buy them. I think the pe article they are talking about is about how dangerous they are to keep. It has some pretty brutal pics of damage done by some keepers "tame" croc monitors.

 

[kellen.watkins]

Just looked into it they aren't illegal and are captive breed and were the worlds second largest lizard... Well maybe illegal in some states

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Sorry I meant are not were

 

[james.w]

After a bit of research, here is what I came up with

Croc monitor up to 15' (large amount is tail)
Water monitor up to 10'
Nile monitor up to 9'
Black Throat monitor up to 7'


All are legal (for the most part, some states have different laws) and easily attainable.

 

[TegusRawsome80]

The problem with this is that these animals ideally would have a 20 by 30 foot enclosure with 3 or so feet of substrate and a ton of basking options. I have a friend who kept a blackthroat or two in a 12 by 6 and felt it was to small to properly support the animal. In my opinion these are not species that should be kept by most people.

 

[kellen.watkins]

People shouldn't own one but out its the largest lizard a person can own shoe one for me lol

 

[naturboy87]

i agree with the housing problems even a big tegu pen would not be enuf for such a large reptile . but i have met sum supper sweet asian water monitors that has alwase made me wont to have one but the housing seems so extreme ... Sum day mayb ...

 

[james.w]

There are plenty of people who keep large monitors and provide proper enclosures. Of course not everyone can or will provide what is needed.

 

[bmx3000max]

so girth wise wich is bigger a black throat or asian watter moniter?

 

[james.w]

The black throat is a bulkier lizard.

 

[dragonmetalhead]

[attachment=4650]
I have a friend who breeds croc monitors. His are surprisingly amicable and even seek out affection at times. His biggest was over 8 feet and 35 pounds, but sadly Snowball passed away at the age of two. Here's a pic of Snowball and his dad at an outreach event we did shorty before he shipped off to the happy hunting grounds. RIP Snowball.