general questions on owning monitors

[kurtle55]

i am looking to buy a lizard but i do not know if i should get an iguana a tegu or a monitor. i know there are all sorts of monitors so maybe someone could recommend a certain type for me to look up. so far i think that a dwarf would be great monitor when it comes to housing.

whatever i get i know i will be dedicated. since i am from Florida i have a constant reminder of the problems with the reptile pet trade.i am studying to be a herpetologist and although i have just gotten into owning reptiles in the past year, (most of my experience had been with conservation and breeding) reptiles and amphibians have been a passion of mine for my entire life.
so hear is what i am looking for...

i want something that i will be able to enjoy looking at but also something that will enjoy being handled.

i do not want something like a water monitor or a Nile monitor or anything that gets that big because i know it would be extremely irresponsible for me to purchase something like that since i can not promise that i will be able to properly care for something like that for the next 20+ years.

i really appreciate the feedback

 

[Kazzy]

Well, tegu would be your best bet. There are dwarf monitors though, like ackies, but I don't know about their temperament.

 

[dicy]

for monitors i whould say they dont like beeing handled but ridgetail monitors (varanus acanthurus) are great to watch also the pygmy mulga monitor is great but way more expensive both r verry easy to keep but the best beginner whould be acanthures i started whit timors they r also nice starters but definetly dont like beeing handled

 

[LouDog760]

Ackies or a Tegu. I would do research on both of them to check them out. If you get a Tegu, you might be able to house it outside depending on what part Fl you are at. Maybe, Bobby will help you with this.

 

[BSM]

Lets start here first, what is the biggest cage you can make and then go decide on the species you want.
If your looking for something to hold then monitors are out of the question, as there more for looking at then holding. Monitors big or small are fun but the bigger they are the more they will require to house properly and feed.

Bryan

 

[kurtle55]

look up Larry the monitor on you tube. is that really unusual? i mean the guy takes a full grown nile monitor to a school and kids (little hyper children i remind you) are surrounding him and he is fine. also he is just chilling next to large dogs and he even sleeps next to those large dogs. and its a nile monitor. those are suppossed to be really aggressive right?


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[BSM]

Its not a nile it is an ornate, there almost the same thing but are classified different because of head shape, region and a few other things..
Most likely it is cold, look at this for ex. my male cross will never allow me to even touch him or even pick him up. Can you explain this then

I can the lights in his cage all went out after him or my female argus decided to UN screw them, so they were without heat for a good 4 to 6 hours and thats the only reason i could pick him up without a problem. Also don't trust anything on youtube as their are alot of people out there that just try and act cool. There are a few good experienced monitor keepers on youtube, heres a video from Shay (he breeds argus and i known him for a while)
His videos
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compare it to this persons now, see whats wrong. Both of these are most likely dead

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Most monitors and there cages that are on youtube are horrible and not designed for a monitors to live in but there are some.

Bryan

 

[kurtle55]

i mean i agree about the youtube thing but i mean i know who that guy was. he runs a reptile adoption agency and i would imagine he properly cares for it and isn't taking it outside in 70 degree weather or less.

 

[BSM]

i know who the guy is too. I wasnt saying the ornate wasnt healthy, i said its most likely cold but all animals have a different personality and dont act the same towards people.
Due you know how many niles are bought into the country every year? 10,000s + and you barley see healthy adults. Most people who sell these animals tell them all the wrong info on them just to get a quick sell and they think the minute one dies that person will come back to buy another one. A WC $20 dollar lizard is a disposable animal in alot of peoples minds and thats not right.