# New spencers monitor!!!



## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 14, 2013)

Picking up my new hatchling spencers monitor from the airport this afternoon! So excited, he'll be my first monitor. Still looking for a good name though. Any suggestions? Ill post pics as soon as I pick him up


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## Monitor Madness (Mar 14, 2013)

Very jealous of you. I love these guys and would love to get one. Can't wait to see your pics


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 14, 2013)

Excuse the bad quality, just the pics off my ipod haha. Any tips and advice is greatly appreciated  big thanks to Tony (Antmisk) for the beautiful little guy!!


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## Illium (Mar 14, 2013)

How big a tank would you need when its an adult?


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 14, 2013)

Ill be getting something a lot bigger, might try set it up outside. but the next tank will be 2mx1mx1m


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## Illium (Mar 14, 2013)

Im only asking since as soon as class 2 comes along im after one. Iwant to build an enclsoure in the mean time.
Awsome little dude though.


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## Dendrobates (Mar 14, 2013)

They are awesome monitors to keep! They grow very quick, if it's a male expect it to be nearly as long as that tank in 18 months time.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 14, 2013)

Oh lordy, haha. He's an absolute dude, so good! Wanting to try get him feeding off tongs soon and gonna train him up nicely so he's not too grumpy when he hits maturity. I heard they can be a bit full on as males.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 14, 2013)

Any advice is appreciated as this is my first monitor, so don't be afraid to put your two cents in!


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## =bECS= (Mar 14, 2013)

Nice 
I got 2 from him last week


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## Chris1 (Mar 14, 2013)

oooh, very nice!

ummm,...you could call him Spencer, lol!!


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## =bECS= (Mar 14, 2013)

I would have the substrate a bit deeper. Mine already have a few tunnels dug in theirs, they spend most of the day basking or digging when they aren't eating, you ofter see their heads pop out from new hiding places. Just make sure anything heavy is touching the bottom of the enclosure, not on top of the substrate, so it won't dig under it. 
Keep it heated and it will eat anything and grow fast. 
Another one I got from a different breeder last year is huge now compared to these lil guys, hard to believe he was this big less than a year ago!

They weren't interested in pinkies, still not. But they go nuts for woodies and crickets and today I fed them mince meat with calcium powder mixed in and they loved it. Tony was feeding them minced chicken necks too but I haven't offered that yet.


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## DeadlyDanny80 (Mar 14, 2013)

Awesome pics... Those guys rock...


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks!! Yea I'm gonna buy another thingy of red sand and chuck that in soon, he's an absolute gem! His animals are pretty attractive. So mince meat with calcium powder? Done. Ill give that a try, he's just on dusted crickets ATM, he's little. So ill be getting pinkies and mince meat tomorrow. His basking point is 60 and the cold end is about 26-28 .


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 14, 2013)

Haha definitely loves his tank tho


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 14, 2013)

Ill post some more pics when he eats!! Haha so cute!!


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## Grunter023 (Mar 15, 2013)

Nice. They are on my to get list for sure. Thanks for sharing.


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## =bECS= (Mar 15, 2013)

They also ate boiled egg. Im going to try them on some chopped up day old chicken tomorrow


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## hector (Mar 15, 2013)

Stay away from mince meat and meat from supermarket. Stick to chopped up adult rodents/day old chicks and insects. I would also put heaps more sand and a few more hides in there along with a 50-60c basking spot and youll have a happy monitor.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 15, 2013)

Yea I got new hide dens last night, he isn't using them though? Lol, but I got a little roo mince just as a weekly supplement to give him some variation in his diet and I'm giving him dusted crickets and chopped pinkies at the moment, see how he goes, but he seems real comfortable with my presence around the tank, he doesn't run into his dens at all. It's so different to a Lacie or something. But yea, I won't be using the mince as a staple food, just as a treat.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 15, 2013)

He didnt want any mince today, so in 2 days ill try him on a pinkie chopped in half.


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## reptile_keeper_luke (Mar 15, 2013)

=bECS= said:


> They also ate boiled egg. Im going to try them on some chopped up day old chicken tomorrow


You really want to give it raw egg, boiled would get rid of all the goodness in the egg that the monitor needs.. Also try get it on whole food items, pinkie mice + day old quails would be good.
and as 'hector' said.. Stay away from mince unless its a once in a blue moon treat.


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## reptile_keeper_luke (Mar 15, 2013)

Also very happy for my little brother getting his first monitor


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## =bECS= (Mar 15, 2013)

Yeah obviously roo mince isn't a staple but they loved it. They seem to prefer the boiled eggs when they are younger plus they are less messy. I vary the diet as much as possible and have previously kept them for years, however only recently got back into keeping herps.

Anyway here's what you have to look forward to Reptilefreak95 (in around 8 months time) its the one I got in June last yr. Hes on top of 2 of those concrete bessa blocks to give an idea of size and not impressed with his new bare enclosure while his hides are being finished off. 
The sizes you mentioned that you might go up to, are roughly the size of hercules (don't steal his name  lol) new enclosure, it's 1500x800x700 and should do him for another 12 months.

Another little gem that have kept mine extremely happy is something a friend of mine Troy Martin told me about. 
Take 2 floor tiles (not porcelain) and some heatcord, spread the heatcord evenly over the back of one tile with the plug hanging out long enough (I drill a hole into the side of the enclosure and run the cord through it before making the tile) and tape it all down using silver sarking tape, (the thin one with thread in it not the one with tar masters sells it in smaller rolls) make sure you press it into the grooves so its a bit like a coil and it spreads the heat evenly. Then attach the other tile on top of it and you have yourself a heat tile, i put them under a hide buried in the sand and they always choose that hide to sleep in overnight, has worked with every Spencers I have ever kept, never had any problems with them, their bellies are kept warm so they digest food quickly and always been active and keen feeders


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 15, 2013)

OMG! so awesome! haha yea im gonna call him Finn  little bro suggested it and it stuck haha. so roughly how long is that guy? he looks pretty good for his age. Yea, i might give that a go, hes got the big concrete pavers that hold heat really well all night, so ill definately be doing that when he moves up in his tank size, it sounds awesome!


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 15, 2013)

Heres a few pics i got of him feeding today! he was really calm, and he isnt using his dens at all? hes got four and hes checked them all out, but he still wants so sit out in the open and even sleep in the open, and he doesnt run away or anything. hes so happy to just run around! haha, really awesome little guy! so happy with him. he even let me feed him from the tongs. i was taking pics of him, and in one photo you'll see he just wandered right up and had a sniff of the camera! haha  so chuffed. hes awesome.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 15, 2013)

In that last one, thats where he sleeps, i took that when the lights turned on and he was about to wake up. of all the places. i put in dens and hidey holes and everything and he just likes to sleep there. haha ah well. He's happy.


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## Addicted (Mar 15, 2013)

Nice enclosure, where did you get it?


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## =bECS= (Mar 15, 2013)

Herc's around the 45cm mark, I haven't measured him for awhile, hes always too busy huffing and puffing and acting all tough when I open his enclosure. He knows when I have tongs its food time and comes running, if I'm spot cleaning he just carries on like he's a rebel tough guy and its a turf war...... but its all bluff  Spencer's are mostly bluff and will tail whip rather than bite.
Yeah the lil guys are so tame, its funny when they grab the crickets and run up the rocks to rub them before chewing and swallowing them. 

Finn will choose where he is comfortable to sleep, but its good to offer lots of places to hide. 
Notice hes picked a small corner to curl up in, one of mine sleeps just outside the hide in the small space between it and the wall where the sand is still warm from the tile, the other has dug a hole inside the hide and sleeps directly over the tile.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 15, 2013)

Yea I noticed that! Haha thanks "addicted" I got the tank from Peter child of reptiles inc. really good flat pack, best quality I've ever seen. Highly recommend it. Took like less than ten mins to build too and I'm a moron when it comes to building haha


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## Addicted (Mar 16, 2013)

Awesome, might have to get me some. Finn is a little dude. Did you pack a spare pair of pants when you picked him up from the airport? :lol:


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## Darwin-boy (Mar 16, 2013)

Does the breeder have any more?


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 16, 2013)

Antony you funny man  haha and no I think I got the last one.


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## =bECS= (Mar 16, 2013)

Darwin-Boy they were bred by Antmisk on here, I don't think he has any left but if you contact him he will put you on a wait list. We contacted him around a year ago for these ones, before the monitors were even bred and eggs were laid. Had just missed the last clutch so it was a bit of a wait but definitely worth it


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 16, 2013)

A totally agree, they're great animals, and his hatches are always good.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 17, 2013)

Yay! He just ate a pinky off the tongs and a few crickets too!!!!!


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## Reptilefreak95 (Mar 21, 2013)

hehe weighed him, hes 31 grams, and hes feeding on whole pinkies and dusted crickets now, both he'll eat off of tongs  what an awesome dude, haha so happy


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## phatty (Mar 21, 2013)

Awesome guys great lookers there

Sent from my GT-I9210T using Tapatalk 2


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 3, 2013)

so, hes refused food for 3 days now. should i be worried? or is this normal for this little guy?


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## hector (Apr 4, 2013)

What's the temp of the basking spot, should be near 60c, Have u put more sand, hides in and feeding him rats/mice yet? (Chopped up adults)


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 4, 2013)

yea, his basking is 60 hes got heaps of sand and hides, and hes on pinkies and crickets.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 4, 2013)

but hes fed today again  guess he just wasnt hungry haha, please excuse the nervous newbie worries. first monitor, couldnt ask for anything better really


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## hector (Apr 4, 2013)

Good to hear hes eating again. Pinkies aren't that good for monitors. They need the developed bones, organs and fur of adult rodents.


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## Bananapeel (Apr 4, 2013)

Such a fantastic looking monitor. Love how stoked you sound! 
Keep updating pics! 
So jealous!


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 4, 2013)

hes only 15 cm long dude, he cant eat adults, hence the calcium suppliments haha. Yea, hes a wicked little guy, im gonna try chop up an adult rat so he can get bones and stuff so its a bit healthier. and im pretty sure ill be looking for another one day in the near future! haha hes absolutely amazing, so lucky to have gotten him.


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## =bECS= (Apr 5, 2013)

Try chopped legs and feet of day old chickens 
One of mine had 3 pinkies the other day! Pig lol


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 5, 2013)

WOW, mines on one atm haha, growing quick though!  theyre awesome, im so stoked!


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## =bECS= (Apr 5, 2013)

They werent interested in them for awhile, I got sick of wasting them because they barely touch the sides for the bigger boy, so I brained the pinkies a few times and now they smash them 

They've taken to the day olds too so give them a try.


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 5, 2013)

day old quails?


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 5, 2013)

can u show me a pic of Hercules in your hands? i wanna get an idea of how big he is


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## =bECS= (Apr 5, 2013)

I've given them day old chickens legs and feet ( herc has the rest  ) but you can chop whole day old quails too.

Hes alseep now, I'll try get one tomorrow if I have time


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 5, 2013)

Yea, i just got adult mice to chop up for him, he should love it, but ill try day old quails then, see how he likes it  That'd be awesome if u could post a pic, mines grown a lot, hes 42 grams now  so chuffed haha just wanna see what im in for over these coming months,


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## =bECS= (Apr 6, 2013)

Herc didn't want to play today (he thought he was getting a feed when I opened his doors) so this is the best I could get, hes around 60cm:


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## =bECS= (Apr 6, 2013)

....and heres a few updates pics of the other two for good measure


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 6, 2013)

aww wicked! cant wait till Finn as big as Herc! haha nice ones!


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## =bECS= (Apr 6, 2013)

Hercs still a baby  
Wait until they're around 18 months with big fat chunky legs and tails, round chubby bellies and are as long as your arm :lol:


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 6, 2013)

hahaha!! can u post pics of your others?


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## =bECS= (Apr 6, 2013)

Herc is the oldest I have now. 

I kept spencers along with sandies, beardies, diamonds, bredlis and bhps up until a few years ago but sold up all my herps after having a baby and losing time and interest. 

Shes 5 now and I have some Spencers again lol so I also cant wait until they get bigger, I miss having a big chunky monitor walking around the place B)


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## Reptilefreak95 (Apr 7, 2013)

haha aww thats awesome! BHP's are the best, i got beardies, a darwin carpet, a bredli, my BHP and two beardies, then Finn  haha


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## james.carroll (May 15, 2013)

hey mate, he's awesome. where did you get him from? what time of year do they tend to be available?


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## Reptilefreak95 (May 16, 2013)

I got him from "antmisk" on here, he breeds lots of dfferent monitors every so often and hes great, idk when he beeds them but ask him, he'll be able to hook u up


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