# Lace Monitors



## danw (Oct 8, 2005)

Just wondering if anyone keeps them???If you do what size enclosure would a singular one require?Also are they hard to maintain?and what do you feed them in captivity?
Thanks


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## indicus (Oct 8, 2005)

Hi Danw...i believe; bigger the better regarding the size of the enclosure....
Their; as you know, a large monitor......and ideally a reasonable sized outdoor enclosure,
would be the go. While it's small a large indoor cage would be fine; unfortunatly some people,
choose to let them spend their entire lives in such enclosures.....considering 'wild adults' have such large home ranges; and may travel several kilometres per day.
They are fairly easy to maintain...a varied diet; mine eating anything from catfood, lean mince, eggs, chickens, rats/mice...and rump steak which they turned their nose up at; after i cleaned the freezer yesterday...lol. I must say if your planning to get one; try to get a juv and put some time into getting it quiet. As adults, they canbe a handfull; and serious injury could occur if care isnt taken....especially at feed time when thats the only thing on their mind....which may turn out to be your hand.....having said all that; their awesome varanids, which i'm sure you'll gain alot of enjoyment out of keeping.


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## Simon_Archibald (Oct 8, 2005)

These are amongst my favourite of monitors that I've kept...truly awesome creatures...everything Tremain has said is spot on as usual....I can't wait to get some more 

Simon Archibald


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## danw (Oct 8, 2005)

awesome...thanks for all the info it is really helpful as always!


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## serpenttongue (Oct 8, 2005)

Lace Monitors are as good as it gets, i can't get enough of Lacies. They can be kept indoors for their first few years of life, and while young you should try to hold them frequently to get them used to you. Also, it is a good idea to have their indoor enclosure open from above instead of glass sliding doors at the front of the cage. Glass doors makes it hard to round-up Lacies and it always makes things tricky at feeding time as they can burst out of their cage to get the food before you've even had chance to introduce the food to the animal.

Lacies can become quite lovable and they tend to laze around like a big old dumb dog(not that they're dumb, they're actually quite smart  ) As adults they tend to slow down and not put up too much of a fight when being handled or disturbed, and it's a good idea to cut claws as they get older as they're extremely sharp!

They can be a bit messy and often smear their faeces onto cages walls etc they also have considerable strength and will move cage furniture around when they're bored.

Beware when feeding sticky foods like raw meat or wet rodents as they often wipe food along the ground when trying to force it in their mouths and the raw meat and wet rodents will pick up ground debris that will be swallowed.


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## danw (Oct 8, 2005)

if you were to keep them indoors for the first few years of their life how big enclsoure would be needed?


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## serpenttongue (Oct 8, 2005)

I have some Lacies that are 1m long and their enclosure is 1.4m long, 60cm high, 65cm wide. There's plenty of room for them to move around and they're completely happy.


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## danw (Oct 8, 2005)

ah k awesome..thanks heaps


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## danw (Oct 9, 2005)

sorry one last question how much food would a lacie need in one week (say a metre long one)?


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## serpenttongue (Oct 9, 2005)

1 young rat(big enough to fill its gut) will last a week for a 1m lacey. But you can give more, say 4 adult mice at once or throughout the week or a young rat at the beginning of the week and then another at the end of the week. I just give them an amount that fills their gut. Lacies digest food quickly and grow quickly when young, but beware of obesity.

By the way Dan, are you located around Sydney? I know an excellent Lacey breeder if you haven't found one yet.


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## indicus (Oct 9, 2005)

Hi Danw,
A subadult lacie will consume quite a bit of food if given the opportunity.
This isnt a bad thing; as they are still growing.....
For a lacie a metre long; i'd offer it food every few days imo; especially in the warmer months;
when they are most active and tend to eat alot; when it gets colder they tend to stop feeding....Try to vary the diet each time eg: a juv rat today; a handfull of mince day after tomorrow; and maybe a small chicken; a few days after; they are real pig eaters. If i had more then one in the same cage; i'd put a small amount of food in each day on top of the above; to ensure each gets enough....also you'd have to monitor one isnt getting hassled; and gets his share...That said; they can be are prone to obesity.... especially as they age...I tend to keep an eye on their overall health. If the tail is nice, plump, and round where it joins the body; they should be doing well.....All this considered they can go considerable time without alot of food.....Some wild ones you see may look real thin in the dryer months; and gain condition in the wet season; due to the amount of available food...:wink:


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## danw (Oct 9, 2005)

thanks all for your info...it's been invaluable!


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## Greebo (Oct 10, 2005)

Can you house a pair in an outside enclosure? (providing the cage is big enough)


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## Simon_Archibald (Oct 10, 2005)

Not a problem Greebs...

Simon Archibald


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## indicus (Oct 10, 2005)

Hi Greebo...Yes you can house a pair in a outside enclosure.
Some people; house several animials in the same enclosure.....
The only time it can be a hassle; is feed time; where they can compete
for a food.......


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## indicus (Oct 10, 2005)

hehe...sorry Simon; beat me to it


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## Greebo (Oct 10, 2005)

Thanks for the quick answers. I was worried that the males might be a bit territorial.


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## Simon_Archibald (Oct 10, 2005)

Not a prob mate...I've just started another thread that should be right up your alley ;-)

Simon Archibald


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## Simon_Archibald (Oct 10, 2005)

Greebs...I've kept multiple males together which was during the summer period for about 2 months (1 was misidentified as female) and they didn't have a problem at feed time or other...enclosure was 4mx3m...couldn't say if this is common or if I was just fortunate in that instance.

By the way, how's that water dragon going? Any pics of the little guy?

Simon Archibald


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## Greebo (Oct 10, 2005)

He's going well. He has a nice girlfriend to keep him company now. I will see what I can do about some pics.


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## BeardyBen (Oct 10, 2005)

saw a beautiful big lacie in the royal national park by bundeena last weekend approx 1.3 metres (including tail) scared the hell out of a kookaburra who took off quick smart out the tree it was climbing sorry didnt have the camera


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## Brodie (Oct 10, 2005)

Does anyone know how old the monsters at ARP are?


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## Simon_Archibald (Oct 10, 2005)

No but the word monster pretty well describes them.

Simon Archibald


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