# Monitor Populations in Captivity



## Pilbarensis (Oct 16, 2012)

Hey, I'm just wondering how many people out there are keeping various monitor species and how many individuals people think there in captivity at the moment of the following species:
V. baritji (From what I have heard there are a "lot" of them in NSW & NT?)
V. brevicauda (Again, I've heard there are a few in WA, NSW & QLD)
V. bushi (Any information?)
V. caudolineatus (I've heard there may be a few in WA?)
V. eremius (Anything with these guys?)
V. glebopalma (Again, a few NT and QLD I've heard)
V. kingorum (Anything?)
V. mitchelli (A few in QLD & NSW)
V. primordius (Very small numbers in NSW. Anything in other states?)
V. rosenbergi (I've heard there are quite a few in SA and a few in some other states?)
V. semiremex (anything, I head that Danny Brown had one a few years back)
V. pilbarensis (Anything?)

If anyone has any more information I'd appreciate it.

Cheers, Scotty


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## Albino93 (Oct 16, 2012)

I dont have any info on any of them but i do want a V. rosenbergi so that would bring its population up by one in NSW when i get one lol ( not for a long time tho)


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 16, 2012)

Haha, yeah I think there are more in captivity then people realise. In NSW there are probably just around 10, SA probably just over 20 if we are lucky and maybe a few in QLD.


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## Albino93 (Oct 16, 2012)

Honestly i thought there were more then that amount in captivity, guess i was wrong. Do u keep any of those species listed?


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 16, 2012)

Really? I thought that they were rather uncommon (not as uncommon as say mitchelli) but still more or less they had low population levels. Also me? No I have a few other species, looking forward to the licence update though - really would love to get some Baritji, Brevi and Scalaris and hopefully I'd get a rosenbergi or two at some point. Do you have any of those species?


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## Chris (Oct 16, 2012)

ScottyHerps said:


> Haha, yeah I think there are more in captivity then people realise. In NSW there are probably just around 10, SA probably just over 20 if we are lucky and maybe a few in QLD.



How did you arrive at those figures?


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 16, 2012)

Just by looking over the forums, what's been for sale and talking to some friends. Not the most "accurate" system I know, but better then nothing. Do you know what they're population is?


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## Albino93 (Oct 16, 2012)

ScottyHerps- ive only recently started researching monitor lizards and when i first looked into rosenbergs i thought they were very pretty imo, there husbandry needs weren't too difficult, much like a sandy, so i just thought maybe there were plenty around, im not really sure how rare they are tho...and me, i havn't got a single monitor yet lol im working on it. I did a quick search on V. glebopalma, i really like them aswell and they grow to a reasonable size, might add them to the wishlist too if they can be kept in NSW lol


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## corky (Oct 16, 2012)

It would be interesting to see how V. glauerti is traveling in captivity also.


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 16, 2012)

Yeah the glebos are stunning but you'd have to be pretty lucky to find even one... Definitely on the wishlist though. Same with Perenties and Rosenbergs.

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corky - from what I've heard there a few breeding pairs in SA and QLD, although the waiting lists are long from what I've heard... Definitely a few in NSW and NT as well.


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## Albino93 (Oct 16, 2012)

Very true, does anyone know why they are so uncommon? is it because they are rare in the wild or just not many collected?
Also how common are V. indicus, they are very beautiful but i heard they too were'nt very common?


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 16, 2012)

Main reason is that not that many are in captivity and there most people don't keep these species because they are rare/expensive/too big/hard to keep or all of those. V. indicus, are.... random really but I guess they could be classified as uncommon. You just have to know who has them and who's breeding them.


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## W.T.BUY (Oct 16, 2012)

I think you will find there are far more then what you have predicted particularly with the rarer species which many keepers who have them do not even use the internet.


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## corky (Oct 16, 2012)

I'm sure there was an old thread on here somewhere that had a list of monitors and their approximate numbers in captivity.
Would be long out dated but some indication of where the numbers were at, at that point in time. 
Nice to have an updated list though...


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## Albino93 (Oct 16, 2012)

Are the emerald tree monitors ( Varanus prasinus) allowed to be kept here Australia?
It would be interesting to see an updated list as im quite curious to see how many of the more uncommon species are actually being kept.


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## GeckPhotographer (Oct 16, 2012)

Scotty you must have missed one older thread with some pics of V.eremius in captivity in SA. I don't know how many, go back find the thread and ask the poster. 

Think we could add V.pilbarensis to your little enquiry?


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 16, 2012)

W.T.BUY - Thanks, I thought something like that might be the reason behind the lack of information on these species. Thanks for clearing that up.

Corky - Yeah I saw that thread, it was very old if I remember correctly.

Albino93 - Yeah no prasinus, probably won't be any for a very long time in my opinion - well at least not legally.

GeckPhotographer - Yeah I saw the thread, those eremius were bloody brilliant actually. Also yeah I'll add the pilbs along with semiremex.


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## corky (Oct 16, 2012)

Last year Pilbara pythons said they knew of someone working with V.pilbarensis. would be nice to know of any productivity.


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 16, 2012)

Definitely, especially since they're such a stunning animals that survives pretty well in captivity.


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## crocdoc (Oct 17, 2012)

There are more _rosenbergi _in captivity in Australia than you realise, but I think the main reason they aren't very popular has little to do with rarity or difficulty in keeping them. Most of them are just really ordinary looking. People will see a photograph of a particularly colourful individual (there was a keeper on one of these forums that had a very pretty one), or of a baby, and then assume that's what the species looks like, but the majority are pretty bog ordinary looking so most people would rather use that space to house another species.


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## Albino93 (Oct 17, 2012)

Ive only seen a couple of photos's of rosenbergs, some from WA and some from SA, i have to admit the ones from SA look alot better then those from WA, much more patterned imo. Does anybody have any photo's of ones from the east coast Sydney region?


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## mrkos (Oct 17, 2012)

Not sure about how many people keep brevicauda but I have a trio with five eggs incubating at present with more to come I intend to keep a small colony of these special lizards also have a pair of glauerti but I think I am a long way from successfully breeding them as I am finding them rather finicky to keep cheers


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 17, 2012)

Cool. Anyone got any info on V. eremius? I know there's someone up in QLD with one, I think there's a pair in SA and I heard that URS has one or two, anyone care to shed some light on this?


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## Jonno from ERD (Oct 17, 2012)

Like most "specialist" types of reptiles (elapids, monitors, pygopods, colubrids etc), it's generally only the common stuff that gets openly advertised for sale, as most of it is traded amongst friends and acquaintances. The only one out of that list that isn't in captivity in Australia is V.pilbarensis.


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## crocdoc (Oct 17, 2012)

Albino93 said:


> Does anybody have any photo's of ones from the east coast Sydney region?


Female










Males













Another female


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## Albino93 (Oct 17, 2012)

Thanks crocdoc.

edit: forgot to mention, great photo's, were u close to them when u took the shots?, did they seem threatened at all by ur appearance?


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## mummabear (Oct 17, 2012)

Mrkos, im interested in whats issues you are having with the glauerti?


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 17, 2012)

Pretty awesome pictures Crocdoc, thanks for sharing. Are they what you'd regard as an "average looking" V. rosenbergi?


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## mrkos (Oct 17, 2012)

Nothing too serious mummabear they are doing ok I just have struggled to establish a good feeding routine with them like my other monitors in saying that one of them is a very good size 50g plus and the smaller one is 41g and seems to go on and off food it's hard to say because i work long hours and don't see them out and about until weekends they are an intriguing monitor to work with that's for sure


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## eipper (Oct 17, 2012)

Pilb I hear are about


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## mrkos (Oct 17, 2012)

eipper said:


> Pilb I hear are about



Defenitely on the must have list this species would be awesom to keep. I would say whoever has them would not be saying too much


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 17, 2012)

Agreed, those pilbarensis are absolutely stunning, anyone have any idea of if there are any about what would there price be? (Not going to get any until I have more experience/space but would like to know). Also I think I heard that last season someone in NSW had a pair of V. baritji that produced around 20 hatchlings, anyone have any more information on what happened to these hatchlings?


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## crocdoc (Oct 18, 2012)

Thanks, guys


ScottyHerps said:


> Are they what you'd regard as an "average looking" V. rosenbergi?


Yes, those are pretty normal for Sydney locale _V. rosenbergi_.


Albino93 said:


> were u close to them when u took the shots?, did they seem threatened at all by ur appearance?


Yes, I was pretty close to them (really close to some). They probably didn't feel threatened as I didn't enter their flight distance. _V. rosenbergi_ has a different predator response than _V. varius_. Rather than bolt, they usually hold still and hope you haven't seen them, but even if they definitely know they've been seen they'll still usually hold still or move away really slowly before choosing to bolt. When they do bolt, they go a short distance before hitting the ground and going perfectly still. Unless their burrow is nearby, in which case they'll disappear down the hole.

One of the reasons lace monitors are seen so much more frequently than heath monitors in the areas in which both occur is the simple fact that lace monitors will noisily go crashing through the bush and straight up a tree when you get too close, whereas most people will walk past two or three heath monitors without even knowing they are there.


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## XKiller (Oct 18, 2012)

All sp. Above are around, no one in there right mind would say where or who on a public forum. Just going to have to wait.


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 19, 2012)

True, still I'm more asking about their population in captivity, not really who's keeping/breeding them (would be nice to know but for obvious reasons I agree with XKiller).

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Also I'm well aware of the various red V. glauerti from Arnhem Land as well as the "normal" form but what about the more yellow individuals. Does anyone have any information regarding this V. glauerti form?


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## Albino93 (Oct 20, 2012)

Thanks again crocdoc, i might have to come up to sydney and do some herping 

How about V. keithhornei? are they in captivity?


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## Monitors_R_Us (Oct 20, 2012)

As for Pilb's i only know of one person who has a pair. He is yet to breed them


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 20, 2012)

I think that Australia Zoo once had a V. keithhornei pair, I don't know if they're still around. Also thanks for the info Monitors_R_Us.


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## Monitors_R_Us (Oct 20, 2012)

ScottyHerps said:


> I think that Australia Zoo once had a V. keithhornei pair, I don't know if they're still around. Also thanks for the info Monitors_R_Us.


But as someone previously stated, many breeders do like to hide under the radar


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 20, 2012)

True that, anyone got any news on V. eremius?


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## Monitors_R_Us (Oct 20, 2012)

We have 4 V. brevicauda at the reptile park


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 20, 2012)

Good stuff mate, planning on breeding them no doubt?


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## Albino93 (Oct 20, 2012)

Thanks scotty.

I was doing some more research and discovered the blue tailed monitor (V. doreanus), they mainly live in new guinea but are also found on the top cape york peinsula of Australia. Whats the story on these guys?


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## Monitors_R_Us (Oct 20, 2012)

ScottyHerps said:


> Good stuff mate, planning on breeding them no doubt?


Most definately


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 20, 2012)

No chance of getting any V. doreanus for a very long time in my opinion, we'd be more likely to get V. parsinus which as it is, is very unlikely.


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## mrkos (Oct 21, 2012)

ScottyHerps said:


> No chance of getting any V. doreanus for a very long time in my opinion, we'd be more likely to get V. parsinus which as it is, is very unlikely.


At least we know for sure doreanus actually exists on our mainland I think I read somewhere that although prasinus have been seen by a few people it's yet to be actually proven with photographs or live capture of a specimen we really need these lizards in captivity.

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ScottyHerps said:


> I think that Australia Zoo once had a V. keithhornei pair, I don't know if they're still around. Also thanks for the info Monitors_R_Us.


Australia zoo in the nineties legally caught keithorne and after a few years managed to successfully breed them on a regular basis I believe they released all the offspring back in the wild. There is an excellent write up on it on the net if you do a search .Since steve irwin was mad monitor man I often wonder what species they keep at that zoo beyond public viewing I would imagine everything talked about on this thread has been kept at that zoo over the years


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## Pilbarensis (Oct 21, 2012)

Just give the doreanus 20 years or so to increase their population in the wild here in Australia then we'll see happens. From what I've heard Australia Zoo has kept pretty much every varanid beyond public viewing there, until Steve's death their monitors were actually doing really well. I often wonder what happened after his death and if all those monitors are still there, just hidden behind closed doors or if they were introduced to the public.


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## Imported_tuatara (Dec 27, 2017)

such an interesting topic..wish there was more keithhornei and doreanus, for supremer to any of the prasinus quadrupal, besides the black tree monitor ;P


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