Ackie Monitor
- Thread starter DaReptileBoy
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Pilbarensis
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So he was keeping reptiles from the age of 5 then. This does remind me of a previous incident on these forums...
DaReptileBoy
Well-Known Member
what do you mean from a previous incident and i will have a basking spot all well i know you guys are trying to help but i am really getting sick if this forum so i might quit :/
DaReptileBoy
Well-Known Member
i was going to use a bulb
In a clickclack? You'd get no gradiant, a melted tub if you actually met the temperature requirements for a basking point and an overheated monitor. That is not a suitable environment
Sorry, Reptile Boy. We don't mean to sound so rude. Over the years, we've seen a few younger people do some rather silly things without researching them and unfortunately it's made us skeptical.
We're not trying to say you aren't capable of keeping monitors, we're saying that it's rather more difficult that your average lizard, and we strongly suggest you do a lot of reading before you think about picking up the animal. I would suggest you don't keep it in a plastic enclosure. It'll melt, and probably be too small. You can get a lot of smaller glass/melamine enclosures, often second hand as something younger snakes have grown out of. I would suggest if you're going to house a young monitor in something smaller before it grows up, use something like that. Or put it in a bigger home from the off.
More importantly, you should turn the heating on for a week first and keep an eye on different temperatures in the enclosure. (I give this advice to all new reptile keepers who ask me, but it is more important for montiors). Make sure it's getting hot enough. Make sure the enclosure is big enough that there's a cold spot at the other end. Consider adding UV. You should pick up a book or two on them. I own a copy of "keeping and breeding Australian Lizards" edited by Mike Swan. I think such a book is a valuable read. Find as much information as you can, consider joining your local herp society where you can often ask for advice from experiences keepers, and it means you know some locals if you need help. Remember that monitors are more likely to scratch and bite than your Bearded Dragon, and can be deceptively strong. Make sure you know how much they eat, when they eat, and where you're going to get your food. Read and try to understand the NSW reptile keepers code, since you'll have to follow it for enclosure size.
After you have done all your research, consider filling in the gaps on the forums. For example, My book says monitors need 40-50 degreesC, and I've heard everything from 55+ to 65+ for basking temperatures, so asking what temperature people use is a good question. Or if you haven't understood something, people don't mind helping out. The problem is that your post feels an awful lot like you are hoping we'll give you all the answers. We don't like feeling like nanny's (and yet it happens so often). So we speak bluntly and we tell you what YOU need to do, because it's not our responsibility to give you the right information, it's your responsibility to find it.
We're not trying to say you aren't capable of keeping monitors, we're saying that it's rather more difficult that your average lizard, and we strongly suggest you do a lot of reading before you think about picking up the animal. I would suggest you don't keep it in a plastic enclosure. It'll melt, and probably be too small. You can get a lot of smaller glass/melamine enclosures, often second hand as something younger snakes have grown out of. I would suggest if you're going to house a young monitor in something smaller before it grows up, use something like that. Or put it in a bigger home from the off.
More importantly, you should turn the heating on for a week first and keep an eye on different temperatures in the enclosure. (I give this advice to all new reptile keepers who ask me, but it is more important for montiors). Make sure it's getting hot enough. Make sure the enclosure is big enough that there's a cold spot at the other end. Consider adding UV. You should pick up a book or two on them. I own a copy of "keeping and breeding Australian Lizards" edited by Mike Swan. I think such a book is a valuable read. Find as much information as you can, consider joining your local herp society where you can often ask for advice from experiences keepers, and it means you know some locals if you need help. Remember that monitors are more likely to scratch and bite than your Bearded Dragon, and can be deceptively strong. Make sure you know how much they eat, when they eat, and where you're going to get your food. Read and try to understand the NSW reptile keepers code, since you'll have to follow it for enclosure size.
After you have done all your research, consider filling in the gaps on the forums. For example, My book says monitors need 40-50 degreesC, and I've heard everything from 55+ to 65+ for basking temperatures, so asking what temperature people use is a good question. Or if you haven't understood something, people don't mind helping out. The problem is that your post feels an awful lot like you are hoping we'll give you all the answers. We don't like feeling like nanny's (and yet it happens so often). So we speak bluntly and we tell you what YOU need to do, because it's not our responsibility to give you the right information, it's your responsibility to find it.
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