# Yellow Spotted Monitor Temps and Thermostats



## Tobe404 (Sep 16, 2017)

I will be getting a Yellow Spotted Monitor baby in a couple of weeks. Going into a 3ft L x 2 ft D x 1.5ft H enclosure that has a fluro light and a fitting for a globe. Have a spare 75w infared lying around so probably end up using that and see how temps go. Obviously getting a higher wattage one if need be. From what I've researched, they need a basking spot between 50-70c.

I'm more wondering how do people control the temps since most thoermostats I've looked at only have a temp controlling range of 0-50c. I did find one that has a range up to 70c, but I don't think it has any variance beyond 0.1c - 1c, so the light would be going on and off all the time. So obviously it'll blow pretty quick.

Or do you more try and get the wattage just right so the temp isn't too cold or get too hot?

Thanks guys.


----------



## imported-varanus (Sep 16, 2017)

I'd dump the infra red and add a "bank" of halogen downlights at one end of the enclosure, aiming for a hotspot of around 50-60C and a "cool end" of around 24C, don't turn the whole enclosure into an oven, obviously, play around with wattages until you get it right and before you add the monitor. Whatever overnight heating you use will need to be on a thermostat, I use habistat PP thermos with heat panels. rather than the fluro, I use LED's. I also don't use light cages with any bulbs as monitors especially can climb them and get limbs caught in the wire, then fry. Hope this helps.


----------



## pinefamily (Sep 16, 2017)

Like Imported_Varanus has said, the infra red globe is no good. You need to mimic the sun. You can either do as he has suggested with a bank of halogen globes, or if you already have a fitting in the tank, use a spot globe (Philips brand from Bunnings work a treat). Get different wattages, and try them out before you get the monitor in there. The correct wattage won't need a thermostat at all. A flat rock under the globe will help to create a basking spot.
On a different note, that size tank is too small for a panoptes, even a hatchling. And they grow quite quickly. We bought a hatchling last year, and put it straight into a 5ft tank. It uses all of the space, depending on how warm it wants to be.


----------



## Smittiferous (Sep 16, 2017)

@imported-varanus without hijacking, what wattage are you using? I have quite a few 35w MR16 downlights in use but struggle to get great temps at any distance other than close...


----------



## imported-varanus (Sep 16, 2017)

I use 35W and the 50W. With a 35W @ 25cm, I'm getting mid 50C, mid 60C's with a 50W at the same distance. Dependant on the surface, of course. Here it's a latex rock wall, cooler temps with wood, hotter with rock/ sand surfaces. I just vary the distance from the basking spot accordingly.


----------



## Murph_BTK (Sep 17, 2017)

Ummmm pics pls [emoji6][emoji41]

Instagram: murph_BTK


----------



## pinefamily (Sep 17, 2017)

You still have yours, Murph?


----------



## Tobe404 (Sep 17, 2017)

Thanks for the replies guys. What's the best sort of globe to get though? Down, flood, reflector?


----------



## Murph_BTK (Sep 17, 2017)

pinefamily said:


> You still have yours, Murph?


Indeed I do... I must post more pics [emoji108]

Instagram: murph_BTK


----------



## Tobe404 (Oct 29, 2017)

So I've got the Monitor (Turok) all set up. Swapped out the infared for a reflector globe. Chucked a ceramic tile under it. Reaches anywhere from 45-60c depending on time of day and ambient temp.

Coir Peat for substrate. Log with hole it for a hide. Dual bowls for food/water (and a convenient cut out at the bottom which Turok uses as a hide).

Just wondering about food and how often. More just to see if I'm on the right track...

1 day is crickets, the next is woodies, then a fuzzy or weaner mouse, repeat once a week. On the seventh day I will try chopped up chicken necks and/or turkey mince, chicken breast, livers, etc. Insects are dusted with cal/d3 supplement every feed.

Assuming all goes well by next Summer I hope to have Turok set up outsite in some sort of lizard pit.

Thank guys.


----------



## pinefamily (Oct 30, 2017)

You don't need to dust with supplements every feed; 3x a week is fine, although if you are feeding whole prey it probably could even be less. That's a good mixed diet.
If you are going to feed mince, get the pet food chicken mince; it has the carcass minced up with it, and no preservatives.


----------



## Tobe404 (Oct 30, 2017)

Any handling tips?

Had him since 9th of October. Set up in enclosure by the 10th.

Still very skittish though. Bit hissy and tails whips. Haven't really handled him at all since getting him unless I've had to. Seems at least tolerant of handling after a few minutes.. Did try and bite me once but it didn't seem like a defensive and / or food response bite, It was very slow and gentle.

Although on a positive note. He would bolt to his hides the first week or so even when I was just slowly walking past but now he'll still bask even as I go past.


----------



## pinefamily (Oct 31, 2017)

That all sounds pretty normal. Panoptes are not normally a good handling monitor; if you want a handler, get a sandie or a spencer's. Not to say you won't be able to, it will just take a lot more effort, and a lot of bites.
Our little guy was the same, hiding or running away when I came into the room. Now he charges the tongs when it's a mouse, or looks at me keenly when I have his bowl of chicken necks.


----------



## Stompsy (Oct 31, 2017)

pinefamily said:


> That all sounds pretty normal. Panoptes are not normally a good handling monitor; if you want a handler, get a sandie or a spencer's. Not to say you won't be able to, it will just take a lot more effort, and a lot of bites.
> Our little guy was the same, hiding or running away when I came into the room. Now he charges the tongs when it's a mouse, or looks at me keenly when I have his bowl of chicken necks.


Has he mistaken your fingers for the food yet?


----------



## pinefamily (Oct 31, 2017)

Not yet. But he follows my finger up and down the glass, then backs off when I open the glass.
The EWD on the other hand...... I nearly dropped a container of crickets when he tried for my finger, lol.


----------



## Tobe404 (Nov 1, 2017)

So I found Turok this morning submerged in his water bowl. Is it anything I should be concerned about?














Not sure if you can tell in pics. Looks like there's not much lighting but there is. Will have to try take some better angled pics next time. Also water bowl is normally in top right of enclosure but was taken out at the time photos were taken. I try to keep under his water bowl dampish so he has a humid hide spot. Rest of enclosure is dry.

Surprised he let me take some pics actually.

Also any tips to make the enclosure better is really appreciated. I know it looks very basic.


----------



## pinefamily (Nov 1, 2017)

He's probably in his water to help him shed. 
How deep is the substrate? They do like to dig.


----------



## Murph_BTK (Nov 2, 2017)

yep more sand for digging and foraging 

HANDLING: They are not your typical monitor for handling, i do my best not to handle mine, even if i get into his enclosure, i have a few logs and i let him scurry into them, and let him feel safe. i want him to learn that i am only a food ( hunter for him , and not here to hurt him) slowly gaining trust, well more trust with him than my Black headed


----------



## Tobe404 (Nov 2, 2017)

So I got my first bite(s) last night. This one was definitely not gentle. More a defensive bite as he was very hissy and whippy.

My fault though - I picked him up randomly without much warning so he wouldn't dart out of the cage while I was changing his water. I sure felt the bites (took a few before he'd finally let go enough for me to pull him away gently and put him back in enclosure).

Slight breaking of skin and a bit of blood but nothing too bad.

I noticed that at least on part of the tile the temp can get to around 70-75c. But the enclosure isn't an oven. Too high a basking temp or okay? He took another Waener Mouse today. Still a bugger for actually letting me watch him eat though.

Will add some more coir peat so he has enough to burrow a little if he wants.

Cheers guys.


----------



## pinefamily (Nov 3, 2017)

Is the tile raised; can you lower t to reduce the surface temp? Does he use the tile? If not, it's probably too hot.
Our guy never used to eat while we watched; now he just goes into food mode, and scoffs. He ate two mice/rats yesterday, one was refused by our flavi.


----------



## Murph_BTK (Nov 3, 2017)

TOBE, If you take one piece of advice today , its should be this WASH WASH WASH that bite area, i got tagged by my Black headed monitor, and spent a week in hospital with operations as the area became infected badly!! keep doing your thing with him feeding and being around his enclosure, and like Piney said if that tile is raised lower it from the globe, to change the hot spot temp, i think its too hot personally, also more pics mate as i love the Yellow Spotted Monitors 

Loving the warm temps and sun..






Instagram: murph_BTK


----------



## Tobe404 (Nov 13, 2017)

So I thought I'd give an update.

Have lowered the tile and the max temp now is about 65-70c (on a hot [38c] day mind you) so when it's not so high an ambient temp it should be lower somewhat.

The funny thing is. I don't think Turok likes Crickets. He ate a couple of stray Roaches and a Weaner Mouse yesterday. Five more large Roaches today (and actually in front of me for once which I was stoked about). I tried a Cricket immediately after the Roaches and he wasn't interested one bit. Has anyone else experienced this kind of thing? Unless he was just full.

Only thing I can figure is, I'm pretty sure the breeder never fed him Roaches, only Crickets, so I guess that once he got a taste for Roaches Crickets just don't interest him anymore? I honestly prefer this anyway as if any stray Roaches remain in the cage it's much less stress than Crickets (or I would imagine so).

I have washed the bites very thoroughly and don't seem to have any side effects. All cleared up now.
Got some gloves for handling from now on just so I don't have to worry so much.

I'm just wondering about Mice (and to an extent, Rats). I'm pretty sure he could take an Adult Mouse if he wanted to. But is two Adult Mice a week too fattening? (Or when he's a bit bigger two Weaner Rats?). He doesn't seem to have any trouble digesting them.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck Murph.


----------



## pinefamily (Nov 13, 2017)

Our guy who is about 18 months old eats every two or three days. He has never had crickets. The breeder fed him pinkies and jellymeat. Since we've had him, we have fed him mice and rats, and chopped chicken necks, as well as occasional chicken hearts.


----------



## Tobe404 (Nov 14, 2017)

Just another quick update. Put a few reasonable sized cut up bits of chicken neck in Turoks bowl just before. He's taken two out of the four chunks so far. Every other time I've tried to feed him cut up chicken neck the pieces have always remained.

I'm glad he's finally seems to be eating different sources of food pretty much every day now. I really haven't changed his enclosure at all so I have no idea why other times food has been refused. Has never refused a Mouse though.

Hopefully tomorrow or the next day he'll chow down on his first Adult Mouse.

Edit: Hope I didn't just jinx it.


----------



## pinefamily (Nov 14, 2017)

You can only keep offering food. Our Spencers was a bit hit and miss, but since winter it has been eating like crazy.


----------



## Tobe404 (Dec 12, 2017)

So I just fed Turok some Woodies and he's somehow managed to cut himself just in front of his right eye (assuming it was a pieces pf the wood/branch/off cut in his enclosure).

Should I try and clean it or leave him be and it'll heal itself over a while? I mean as it is he was sold to me with a bit of his tail missing anyway and that healed up fine but I thought I'd ask regardless. Thanks guys.


----------



## Scutellatus (Dec 12, 2017)

If anything I would check that there are no pieces of whatever it cut itself on in the wound, if not leave it be and just keep an eye (no pun intended) on it.


----------



## Tobe404 (Dec 12, 2017)

Just checked again and it's no where near as visible now.

You can still tell where it is if you go right up close but there's no actual blood mark now. As far as I can tell nothing got stuck in there.


----------



## Smittiferous (Dec 13, 2017)

Have you identified what caused the injury? Sometimes it requires a little bit of observation and patience to figure out how it happened but it sure beats more serious and more permanent damage to the eyes...


----------



## Tobe404 (Dec 13, 2017)

Pretty sure it was a poled out bit of twig from the offcut/branch I put in there. It really couldn't be anything else.


----------



## dragonlover1 (Dec 13, 2017)

Tobe404 said:


> Pretty sure it was a poled out bit of twig from the offcut/branch I put in there. It really couldn't be anything else.


try and smooth any bits sticking out to prevent any accidental damage


----------



## Tobe404 (Dec 13, 2017)

Will do. Thanks for the advice.




On a random note I found one of the Dogs barking at this last night (It was crawling up glass sliding door). Was thinking about giving it to Turok, but thought i better check what it actually is first.


----------



## pinefamily (Dec 14, 2017)

Looks like a Christmas beetle. Is/was it a red/orange colour, up to about an inch long?


----------



## Tobe404 (Dec 14, 2017)

Similar colour to an Xmas beetle more red/brown though I'd say. But longer and wider than an Adult Woodie. Size alone made me think it's not an Xmas Beetle or it's the biggest one I've ever seen.




Bit better pic hopefully. I let it go anyway just to be on the safe side.


----------



## pinefamily (Dec 14, 2017)

That's the only beetle I'm familiar with, I'm no entomologist, lol.


----------



## Murph_BTK (Feb 17, 2018)

She is enjoying the temps and humidity these past few week.. always on the move.. (really go to get more pics and videos of them [emoji57])





Instagram: murph_BTK


----------



## Tobe404 (Feb 17, 2018)

Nice. How old is yours Murph?


----------



## Murph_BTK (Feb 17, 2018)

Tobe404 said:


> Nice. How old is yours Murph?


About 18 months old.. not sure of exact date but I have had her this past year and she was 6 to 8 months when I got her.. so much trust with us also [emoji848][emoji38].. 
The rule is feed me and bugger off outta my space.. [emoji57]


Instagram: murph_BTK


----------



## cris (Feb 17, 2018)

Murph_BTK said:


> About 18 months old.. not sure of exact date but I have had her this past year and she was 6 to 8 months when I got her.. so much trust with us also [emoji848][emoji38]..
> The rule is feed me and bugger off outta my space.. [emoji57]
> 
> 
> Instagram: murph_BTK



lol, a good rule is feed them before you go in the enclosure or wear shoes. Looks like a nice setup


----------



## Murph_BTK (Jun 29, 2018)

This is m the beauty!! In her new winter enclosure.. 4" of sand to dig and fling EVERYWHERE!!! and a lamp to warm up too.. she seems to love it. I am making a hide box to coze up into and retreat from the heat lamp.. but so far i happy.. now to tong feed her [emoji57] we have trust issues








Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


----------

