# Reaper the Spencer's Monitor



## Reaper86 (Apr 16, 2011)

Hi, every one, I have decided to join this forum to show off my lovely Spencer's monitor.
She's almost 4 years old now and I had another one, but sadly it died a couple years ago.
I've been after another one ever since.
Keeping these lizards is an enjoyable experience, I've made some mistakes with them, but I've also learnt from them too. The main mistake that I made with Reaper was reaching in to pick up a chicken neck that was feeding her and she decided to grab the chicken neck out from my hand and one of her teeth cut my finger and it bleed for a long while.
Ever since I brought Reaper I fell under the spell of these lovely species of goannas and I'm sure in the future I'll have plenty more of them.

Hope you like my Spencer's and feel free to comment please


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## Serpentess (Apr 16, 2011)

She's absolutely adorable. 
You'll be able to find another spencers in the for sale section on this site, I see them up every now and then.


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## Reaper86 (Apr 16, 2011)

Thank you, she's very important to me. I couldn't imagine life with out my little darling. But when it comes to feeding time, that innocent look of her goes completely out the window. Today, she surpised me to the point of almost scaring me, because she was that quick to grab the food.
I'm after either a NT male Spencer's or 2 QLD Spencer's or both. It doesn't really matter how the Spencer's monitor looks like, they'll be looked after really well and hopefully will be able to breed them in the near future.

How many of you have lost a gravid female or lost a female that just laid a clutch of eggs and does it happen alot?

Please reply folks


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## Pinoy (Apr 16, 2011)

Very cool! I want a spencers one day ( i want everything lol) Surely you have more than one pic though


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## Reaper86 (Apr 16, 2011)

Yes i do have more then one photo. In total i've got about 20, but only can find about 15 on my computer.


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## Pinoy (Apr 16, 2011)

Would love to see more 

Any pics of enclosure as well.

I'm getting ideas/info for when I get one...


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## Reaper86 (Apr 16, 2011)

Right now I've got Reaper in a wooden enclosure indoors that would measure about 4 to 5 feet in length and about 2 foot in height. In the warmer months I put Reaper outside in a bird aviary that has wire on the bottom with a weed mat on top of that with dirt on top of both. Got a wooden box as well, so she can sleep in or under it, she normally is underneath the wooden box or under the pond that i have in with her. Spencer's enjoy being able to bathe in water, but only on really hot days. The water also helps them to be able to shed alot easier too. 






It's a good idea to find out as much about an animal before you get it. I've always researched on the reptiles or animals I want to get, before I get them. On the internet, you won't find as much info about Spencer's as you would about inland beardies or eastern water dragons. 

I feed Reaper on chicken necks, baby chickens, and mice.


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## Pinoy (Apr 16, 2011)

She has some nice colours on her face 

What's her temperament like?


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## Reaper86 (Apr 16, 2011)

She's really nice all the way up to feeding time. Then she runs at ya to get food. It's rather scary in thongs when it does happen. Her feeding type is alot like a Komodo dragon.
In a way I reckon Spencer's look like small komodo dragons

Personally I'd rather have Spencer's over a northern sandy, which I also keep. But the Northern Sandy was a gift from a good friend, who is rather family then a friend of mine.


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## Pinoy (Apr 16, 2011)

They really are an awesome animal.

Any tips for some one whose never kept them before?

Would they be ok for some one whose never kept a monitor or should I start smaller.


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## Gusbus (Apr 16, 2011)

nice spencers mate


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## Reaper86 (Apr 16, 2011)

Thank you mate


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## crocdoc (Apr 17, 2011)

Reaper86 said:


> How many of you have lost a gravid female or lost a female that just laid a clutch of eggs and does it happen alot?


Although it hasn't happened to me personally, I've been on monitor forums for years, have been in regular contact with a lot of other monitor breeders and have read enough zoo reports on the captive breeding of monitors to be able to say that yes, it does happen a fair bit. The cause is almost always the same thing and that is lack of a suitable nesting area for the female. 

Monitors are fairly easy to breed, but the crucial thing is getting the female to nest properly. Monitors have quite a long incubation period compared to most other similarly sized reptiles so the female is hard-wired to look for a suitably stable place to lay her eggs. They're also a deeper nester than a lot of other lizards, so for a burrowing species like _spenceri _this means a huge amount of substrate. The things a female looks for, aside from substrate depth and nest site security, are temperature (keeping the nesting areas around 30C suits most monitors, but having a gradient so they can choose is even better) and humidity. Even in the dry areas from which an animal like _spenceri _comes from, if you dig deeply enough you'll find humid soil. They also need access to these nesting areas at all times. One of the mistakes often made by keepers is to offer the female nesting options only after she and the male have mated and she's obviously gravid. The nesting decisions are usually made when the female is still undergoing vitellogenesis (yolking the ova in preparation for mating), as they often test dig before they even start mating. 

The usual signs of the nesting options not being dialled in correctly are:
1. (Worst case scenario) the female not laying at all and becoming egg-bound
2. The female holding onto the eggs longer than she should. Under stable conditions indoors, most large monitors take 21-30 days from first mating to laying. Anything over 35 days is starting to become a worry. Outdoors it's a bit different, as the weather and temperature may affect the process
3. The female taking more than a few hours to lay the eggs. Laying a few eggs one day, then a few the next is not normal.
4. The female laying the eggs across the surface rather than burying them

Even when a female doesn't become egg-bound, but holds onto the eggs for a few extra days or lays them over the course of a few days, it can be very bad for her health. It may not kill her the first time this happens, but two or three bad reproductive events usually leads to the female dying seemingly suddenly and if a vet performs a necropsy the diagnosis is usually an infection in the oviduct.

There you go - probably more detail than anyone needs!


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## Reaper86 (Apr 17, 2011)

Thanks for the reply crocdoc. It was very helpful


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## Grogshla (Apr 17, 2011)

stunning animal!!!


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## Nighthawk (Apr 17, 2011)

crocdoc said:


> There you go - probably more detail than anyone needs!


 
The more detail the better when it comes to relevant information


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## insane-warlord (Jun 17, 2011)

hey all i also have a spencer its only a few months old but im having a bit of trouble finding out how to care for them, i have a red sandy base 2 hiding holes and some water in the enclsure a heat lamp and a uv light, wondering what tempreture the tank should be atand what i can feed her atm she is eating crickets off the tongs


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## imported_Varanus (Jun 17, 2011)

Hotspot of 50c-60c, ambients can vary depending on season, though it's common for most to keep their monitors active for the first season, so 28c-22c, though it can also go cooler if you have a good hot spot. Allow enough substrate to allow burrowing. They love burrowing! Crickets, Woodies and chopped up whole foods (such as adult mice and small quail). Importantly, keep handling to a minimum.

Once again, very informative post crocdoc!


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## Timcgt (Jun 19, 2011)

Is your eating crickets off the tongs with you in sight? mine wont even come out if it see's anyone. just backs up until he's safely hidden. where did you get the long tongs from?
Mine is around 4 months old and i keep him in an enclosure inside that is 1.8 long x 600 deep and 600 tall with a hinged lid. i have around 10-15cm of substrate, fairly loose "yabbie" sand. and 3 largeish rocks and one big stick. i have a permanent water supply in one corner that he loves to jump in all the time.
cold end of the tank is around 20-22c and a hot spot of 55-59c with hides the full length of the cage under his rocks so he has a fair choice of where to sleep.


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## Snakeluvver2 (Jun 19, 2011)

Hinged top lid? 
I've had more success with front opening enclosures.


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## monitordude (Jun 19, 2011)

any pics of your northern sandy??


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## Timcgt (Jun 19, 2011)

yea hindsight is a wonderful thing lol. about 2/3 of the lid is hinged and the rest stays put until i clean the enclosure or move some rocks. the non opening bit has the heat lights and the uvb fluro is on the back wall

probably will build a front opening one for him next... does anyone know the growth rate of spencers?

also where can i get some tongs?


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## Snakeluvver2 (Jun 19, 2011)

Probably the same as any monitor. Feed him like a pig and you could them to adult size in a year or so.


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## nadea (Jun 19, 2011)

Timcgt said:


> yea hindsight is a wonderful thing lol. about 2/3 of the lid is hinged and the rest stays put until i clean the enclosure or move some rocks. the non opening bit has the heat lights and the uvb fluro is on the back wall
> 
> probably will build a front opening one for him next... does anyone know the growth rate of spencers?
> 
> also where can i get some tongs?



Tongs can be obtained most pet stores/ebay/online reptile suppliers. Also you really should have front opening enclosure ASAP, the reason they ALWAYS work better is in the wild a 4 month old monitor is a tasty feed for most birds of prey, hence you open enclosure and look down, straight away your a threat and as Snakeluvver2 says 12 to 18 months it should be near full length (In good circumstances that is).


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## Jonlivingthelife (Jun 19, 2011)

Reaper86 said:


> Thank you, she's very important to me. I couldn't imagine life with out my little darling. But when it comes to feeding time, that innocent look of her goes completely out the window. Today, she surpised me to the point of almost scaring me, because she was that quick to grab the food.
> I'm after either a NT male Spencer's or 2 QLD Spencer's or both. It doesn't really matter how the Spencer's monitor looks like, they'll be looked after really well and hopefully will be able to breed them in the near future.
> 
> How many of you have lost a gravid female or lost a female that just laid a clutch of eggs and does it happen alot?
> ...



Could you please explain the difference between a NT & Queensland Spencers ? Very nice girl you have there Reaper86


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## Timcgt (Jun 20, 2011)

nadea said:


> Tongs can be obtained most pet stores/ebay/online reptile suppliers. Also you really should have front opening enclosure ASAP, the reason they ALWAYS work better is in the wild a 4 month old monitor is a tasty feed for most birds of prey, hence you open enclosure and look down, straight away your a threat and as Snakeluvver2 says 12 to 18 months it should be near full length (In good circumstances that is).


 
Ah ok fair enough, roughly at what age will they warm to the idea of people, or at least not view us as a threat and as the giant that feeds them? I will avoid opening the top until he is under one of his hides...... In the meantime i will start on anew enclosure


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