Juvenile lace monitor feeding?!

[Herplove2567]

Hi guys,
i have recently purchased a juvenile lace monitor (6 months old) and she does have a MASSIVE appetite. since wednesday to today (5 days) she has eaten approx 8 fuzzy mice, fresh bird eggs (pigeon and chicken) as well as minced chicken. Her gut is pretty huge and full of all this food, she is acting a bit lethargic at the moment from how full she is. My main questions here are: am i overfeeding? if so, how often do you feed a juve lacey? the hotspot in her tank at the moment ranges between 40-45 and when it exceeds these temps she becomes restless stretching at the walls and digging. i don't know how lace monitors are with gut impaction, but how do i avoid this IF this is what is occurring? or...is all of this completely normal? Any advice would be extremely helpful.
P.s she is about 50cm from head to tail

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[Nero Egernia]

From my understanding your Lace Monitor needs a higher basking temperature (at least 50°C) to help her properly digest her food. Monitors like their basking temperatures hot (50-65°C), and without it, tend to be a bit sluggish and may have problems digesting.

 

[Herplove2567]

i did initially have the basking temp at 50, but my concern grew when she became extremely restless scratching the doors and walls wanting out so i took the second heat light and left the 150w in there.

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in saying that, has the amount I've been feeding her played a part in this (overfeeding) and if so how often should i be feeding her? ill pop the other light back in now hopefully she poops soon. I'm just pretty paranoid

 

[Nero Egernia]

Monitors are intelligent and active lizards. Mine likes to explore her enclosure daily. Do you have lots of hides so that she can feel secure? What is the temperature in the cool end? I don't feel comfortable commenting further as I've little experience in keeping monitors. Perhaps a more experienced member can help you.

 

[Herplove2567]

Security is definitely not a problem for her, she does have hides she sleeps in regularly at night and after a feed, otherwise she sits by the front and watches the world go by. at the moment cool end temp sitting at 45 after placing in the other light. its alright! i greatly appreciate any advice or thoughts.

 

[pinefamily]

I don't know how much research you've done before buying your Lacie but you need to get hold of Danny Brown's book Keeping Australian Monitors in Captivity.

 

[Herplove2567]

research is proving difficult as there are very limited, proper care sheets on laceys (hence why i am here). i am studying a degree in zoology and wildlife science so i do spend a solid majority of my time researching or better talking to the professionals in my area. any idea where i can grab that book though?

 

[pinefamily]

The publishers are a sponsor of the forum. Reptile Publications.
Or I think you can buy the book direct from Danny Brown's website and get a signed copy.

 

[Nero Egernia]

I have a signed copy of Danny's book myself, A Guide to . . . Australian Lizards in Captivity. Love reading it. Another good book to get would be Keeping and Breeding Australian Lizards edited by Mike Swan. Also, 45°C in the cool end is way too hot, low or high twenties would be better. Good luck with your monitor.

 

[Herplove2567]

actually, i think my issue is that she is so small and at the moment in a 5x2x2 (ft) tank. therefore keeping a 50-60 degree hot end and high 20s cool end is nearly impossible. i had a standby 2m tank waiting i think ill put her straight in there so the temps vary more. Thank you heaps

 

[pinefamily]

Easy to get the basking spot higher withe one globe. Just put a rock or two to build up a higher basking spot. The rock(s) will hold the heat too. Just make sure that they are buried in the substrate on the floor of the tank, and they don't wobble.

 

[Herplove2567]

That, is a great idea. Ill modify the entire tank tomorrow. Thanks! I will upload a photo after its done

 

[pythoninfinite]

Yes, 45 is WAY too hot for the cool end, dangerously so. New keepers seem to think that they have to manage the cool end of an enclosure just as they do the basking places. Cool end temps should be left to ambient room temperature, so the animal (of any kind) can get relief from the heat. There is absolutely NO need to keep the whole enclosure under management. The inhabitant gets to make the choice, which is very important.

You are feeding it too much - they will eat until they burst - three times a week will be fine, the amounts adjusted as the animal grows. Don't feed it until it can't eat any more, but it's hard to indicate to you how much that should be since you seem to have very little idea of the animal's needs.

I wonder if you have truly thought out the prospects of having a potentially very dangerous animal as it grows quickly to a significant size - Lace Monitors can, and do, cause very serious injury to unsuspecting or inexperienced keepers, especially those who are naive enough to trust them. Make no mistake, the feeding response is all that will matter if it is hungry and it thinks you may have food, and the slicing bites inflicted by a hungry or threatened Lacie are not something you want to contemplate in your keeping future.

Lacies should be at the top end of a keepers want list, and should only be taken on board when you have experience and an understanding of the long-term implications of keeping a very large, active, intelligent and potentially dangerous lizard. Yes, they are cute and engaging when they are babies, but they don't stay that way for long. Without wishing any disrespect, you are asking some very fundamental questions here, questions the answers to which you should already know before you acquired this animal.

Jamie

 

[Herplove2567]

Okay so, believe how much you want on what research I have undertaken (spoken to my reptile vet, local reptile shop and uni teachers) but yes a lace monitor is the first reptile I am keeping under my class 2 and I am completely aware of their size and dangerous behavioural attitudes. I simply had encountered this problem after obtaining it as I realised a) no one managed to answer how much I should be feeding and b) the whole tank heating up too much. I think ill resort back to my other resources, id rather not be accused of impreparation - Cheers ✌✌✌✌

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FYI - I had asked my local reptile shop about what the temperature range for the lacie should be, (well before even picking her up) with plenty of money ready to buy what they suggested. I enquired about the 50-60 basking spot as I had read and heard - but they told me not to be ridiculous and said - "if it is a sydney bred lace monitor, when does sydney ever reach 50 degrees? Keep it at 40, as thats tops it would reach in the wild" and again, only once encountering a problem realised this was probably not true

 

[saximus]

"if it is a sydney bred lace monitor, when does sydney ever reach 50 degrees? Keep it at 40, as thats tops it would reach in the wild" and again, only once encountering a problem realised this was probably not true

This is a fundamental error made by many people new to the hobby. That temperature is basking spot surface temperature - not air temperature.

I have my Lacey in an outdoor enclosure in Western Sydney and, on any sunny day above about 30°C, I have personally measured surface temperatures in the unshaded sections in the 55-60°C range. Unfortunately it sounds like your local pet store person should stick to providing advice on puppies and kittens instead of monitors.

 

[inkarnate]

Nice and hot for them with an elevated surface.

 

[Herplove2567]

Youre right, I cant wait until my lacie is big enough to keep outdoors. Thats the funny part though - this isnt just a pet store it its the macarthur reptile shop "specialists in reptiles". I was told the same thing at the penrith reptile expo last week by another 'reptile expert' selling monitors. Unfortunate, but im glad I know now.

 

[pythoninfinite]

Okay so, believe how much you want on what research I have undertaken (spoken to my reptile vet, local reptile shop and uni teachers) but yes a lace monitor is the first reptile I am keeping under my class 2 and I am completely aware of their size and dangerous behavioural attitudes. I simply had encountered this problem after obtaining it as I realised a) no one managed to answer how much I should be feeding and b) the whole tank heating up too much. I think ill resort back to my other resources, id rather not be accused of impreparation - Cheers ✌✌✌✌

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FYI - I had asked my local reptile shop about what the temperature range for the lacie should be, (well before even picking her up) with plenty of money ready to buy what they suggested. I enquired about the 50-60 basking spot as I had read and heard - but they told me not to be ridiculous and said - "if it is a sydney bred lace monitor, when does sydney ever reach 50 degrees? Keep it at 40, as thats tops it would reach in the wild" and again, only once encountering a problem realised this was probably not true

Pet shop people are usually sales people, not reptile experts, but will offer you whatever advice it takes to sell you stuff or make them sound knowledgeable. Frankly, even though you might not like members here quizzing you on your choice, I'd stick with the forum, your other "resources" don't seem to be offering you much in the way of useful advice. You'll find a wealth of experience knowledge amongst the members here. I may have been a bit blunt in my response, but your questions point to your having only minimal knowledge of reptile husbandry and enclosure management, and you have chosen a species which is potentially very dangerous and may become very difficult to manage in the long-term. Some Lacies are seemingly benign and apparently easy to handle, even when very large, but they are NEVER to be trusted - there are many keepers out there who thought their relationship with their Lacie was awesome, but who have had, at the least stitches, and in some cases microsurgery and antibiotic therapy to treat the injuries inflicted on them by their reptile friends.

Jamie

 

[Herplove2567]

im not treating my lace monitor like a puppy, if it ends up keeping a wild temperament so be it I'm happy to keep it as an outdoor 'aviary' animal. Trust me, i know first hand how dangerous they can be, i have had 8 stitches on my leg due to a lace monitor bite (it crawled into my tent and found itself cornered). I'm happy to take constructive criticism, thats why I'm here! just the manner of some responses make me feel rather stupid and clueless when I'm definitely not, tis all.

 

[Smittiferous]

One thing I've noticed on here is that there is often a direct correlation between the bluntness of advice and how important it is...