# Tristis vs Acanthurus



## Bodie (Feb 8, 2012)

Looking for some feedback on these 2 species. I currently keep Panoptes & I have the opportunity to purchase a pair of Tristis or Acanthurus monitors (one pair, not both species). I have heard that Tristis are quite shy & prefer to hide, with the Acanthurus being somewhat the opposite. Having briefly viewed both pairs this seems to be the case. The enclosure they will be going in is 1800x1200x600.


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## thomasbecker (Feb 8, 2012)

Depends on what you want in them. Accies do tend to be more easy going, especially when they are adults, and are more of a land species while Tristis are an arboreal species and love to climb around trees and be in hollow logs off the ground. They do tend to be shy and aren't to fond of handling but each monitor is different. The enclosure is fine for either one.


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## saximus (Feb 8, 2012)

After owning both for a while I would suggest Ackies. Tristis are gorgeous monitors and personally I prefer the "semi-arboreal" animals but I virtually never see mine because they hide all day. The Ackies on the other hand will bask and run around all day and even take food from my hands


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## Klaery (Feb 8, 2012)

It will just depend on the animals. Most tristis are very skittish. I have one older animal (about 6 or 7) though that is visible at all times and lunges at me trying to bite/eat whatever I may have every time I open the lid. If I don't have food she then puffs her throat up and stands sideways while hissing threatening. She is a nutter.

The others kept with her when very young were typically skittish but as they have gotten older they have become more and more like her. Don't know if it is her giving them confidence or just an age thing


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## Bodie (Feb 8, 2012)

thomasbecker said:


> Depends on what you want in them. Accies do tend to be more easy going, especially when they are adults, and are more of a land species while Tristis are an arboreal species and love to climb around trees and be in hollow logs off the ground. They do tend to be shy and aren't to fond of handling but each monitor is different. The enclosure is fine for either one.



Thanks Thomas. The enclosure is in my main living area so ideally I would like the monitors to be active, not hide all day. I'm not after something I can handle. Do the Acanthurus climb branches at all?



saximus said:


> After owning both for a while I would suggest Ackies. Tristis are gorgeous monitors and personally I prefer the "semi-arboreal" animals but I virtually never see mine because they hide all day. The Ackies on the other hand will bask and run around all day and even take food from my hands



Thanks Saximus, that was helpful info. Sounds like the Acanthurus have a similar personality to my Panoptes (except the eating from my fingers).


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## imported_Varanus (Feb 8, 2012)

Have you considered Gillens (Pygmy Mulga) Monitors?! Very active and interactive, hardy and can be kept socially without any problems. If Ackies were Chimps, Gillens would be the Bonobos of the monitor world. Make love, not war! I've kept Ackies and Gillens (though not Tristis) and would buy Gillens tommorrow, if my house wasn't full of Lacies.


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## Klaery (Feb 8, 2012)

imported_Varanus said:


> Have you considered Gillens (Pygmy Mulga) Monitors?! Very active and interactive, hardy and can be kept socially without any problems. If Ackies were Chimps, Gillens would be the Bonobos of the monitor world. Make love, not war! I've kept Ackies and Gillens (though not Tristis) and would buy Gillens tommorrow, if my house wasn't full of Lacies.



Have to agree with you but what you said did remind me of something. I close friend of mine had a gilleni kill and eat another one of almost the same size! That was with a regular feeding schedule.


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## imported_Varanus (Feb 8, 2012)

danielk said:


> Have to agree with you but what you said did remind me of something. I close friend of mine had a gilleni kill and eat another one of almost the same size! That was with a regular feeding schedule.



Well that would be a first and perhaps down to an error of husbandry?! I've had Ackies attack eachother for no apparent reason. I had one particular male that would drag all other cage companions out of their hidey holes just so he could have it, even though he had prime position in the enclosure. I once sold a trio (1 male, 2 females) that had live harmoniously together for several years, to a friend, who put them in a smaller enclosure and called me a week later to tell me the male had "torn apart" both females??!!


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## Klaery (Feb 8, 2012)

Hmmm no wouldn't think bad husbandry. He is an experienced keeper and bred them a few times without incident. Just went bad one day. I consider it a bit of a freak incident though and all my monitors are kept together with there own kind.


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## Ships (Feb 8, 2012)

My tristis are far more active in the cage than the ackies and better to watch, the ackies tend to hide in the stack more. The tristis are more skittish to handle though.


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## Bodie (Feb 8, 2012)

Getting confusing now. Can anyone tell me if the Acanthurus climb branches at all or do they remain on the floor?


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## Klaery (Feb 8, 2012)

They will climb but will spend most of there time on the floor


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## Robo1 (Feb 8, 2012)

In my experience, acanthurus climb a surprising amount for a 'ground monitor'. I have a similar sized enclosure (1800Lx1200Hx700D) which has a shelf running about 3/4 of the the length. The only way for them to get between the two levels is a couple of branches. The main branch has bark which they can get their claws into, and they are up and down it all day, no problems! Teh second branch is more structural, is very smooth and hard. They still get up and down this branch, but struggle a little more. There is a picture of the enclosure in my album, here.


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## Pinoy (Feb 8, 2012)

My ackie climbs a lot too. He's quite amusing to watch. He runs around all hyper and climbs his branches. Sometimes he climbs as far as he can and just jumps then does it again. Then after a while, he slows down and heads to his basking spot, chills out for a bit then off he goes again. It looks like he runs out of battery, then goes to recharge himself lol. He's not scared of me either. I can approach him and give hime a pat but he doesn't like being picked up. He's never huffed or puffed at me, just squirms a lot.


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## saximus (Feb 8, 2012)

Pinoy said:


> My ackie climbs a lot too. He's quite amusing to watch. He runs around all hyper and climbs his branches. Sometimes he climbs as far as he can and just jumps then does it again. Then after a while, he slows down and heads to his basking spot, chills out for a bit then off he goes again. It looks like he runs out of battery, then goes to recharge himself lol. He's not scared of me either. I can approach him and give hime a pat but he doesn't like being picked up. He's never huffed or puffed at me, just squirms a lot.



You pretty much just exactly described my Ackies


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## hector (Feb 8, 2012)

What ever you put in your enclosure most monitors will climb/explore it. I put fake vines up in my rosenbergs enclosure( the ones that stick to glass with the suction thingy) and i see him climbing it to the top. My ridge tail never takes the easy path, always climbs over objects to get from one end tto the other.


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## Bodie (Feb 8, 2012)

Robo1 said:


> In my experience, acanthurus climb a surprising amount for a 'ground monitor'. I have a similar sized enclosure (1800Lx1200Hx700D) which has a shelf running about 3/4 of the the length. The only way for them to get between the two levels is a couple of branches. The main branch has bark which they can get their claws into, and they are up and down it all day, no problems! Teh second branch is more structural, is very smooth and hard. They still get up and down this branch, but struggle a little more. There is a picture of the enclosure in my album, here.



Thanks Rob, nice enclosure too.



hector said:


> What ever you put in your enclosure most monitors will climb/explore it. I put fake vines up in my rosenbergs enclosure( the ones that stick to glass with the suction thingy) and i see him climbing it to the top. My ridge tail never takes the easy path, always climbs over objects to get from one end tto the other.



Thanks Hector, good info.


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