Mitchell's Water Monitors

[Simon_Archibald]

You'd probably want an enclosure between 8-10ft long x 3ft wide x 3ft tall. I'm told they are very active lizards. This is for Merten's I'm talking about, not the Mitchell's.

It's also suggested not to have a substrate that is likely to fill up the water vessel as the substrate will constantly be dragged in by the monitors

Simon Archibald

 

[Sdaji]

I wish I had the space for merten's! They'd be second on my monitor dream-wish list!

 

[Magpie]

I beleive their average size is around 4ft TL.

Dunno about average, but the ones I have seen were bigger than that. And yes, they were very very active, chasing each other round and round, thru the water, over the logs etc.

 

[Ricko]

yeah i have seen a few adult mertens and they are absolutely awesome monitors. very big bodied the ones i have seen. (only seen adults no juvies)

 

[Sdaji]

Never seen a juvie mertens? I've seen heaps, but very few big ones. People I've spoken to who keep them always say they have so much personality, even more than most monitors, which is a very bold claim!

 

[Ricko]

a mate has a big male that has a tonne of personality and is the calmest monitor i have encountered, then he has another one a female that just hisses and tries to tailwhip you if you go near her very beautiful monitors though.

 

[URS]

G day, we have been keeping and breeding Mertens water monitors here for about 7 years now and yes these monitor would have the best personality by a long way.
We keep in the same enclosure 2 males & 3 females, 1 male & 2 female water dragons and they all get along fine. Our biggest male would be about 130cm long.

We have a number of pictures of adult and hatchling Mertens in our picture gallery if you want to take a look http://reptile.senet.com.au/monitor.html
We keep them all in a large enclosure that has a 2000ltr pond that is heated to 26c they all so have access to an lagre out side enclosure were they will spend there time when every they want.

I will try and find sometime this week amd take some pic's for you all.

Yes Mertens are by far our favorite monitors here and get spoiled rotten.

Regards URS

 

[sobrien]

Thanks for all your help.
It seems they require bigger captive areas than I thought.
Raspberries, Oh well, one day!
P.S. Thanks Tim, pics would help out a lot!

 

[hugsta]

mmmm, will have to work on that one to sobrien. Will have them one day though. No questions asked.

 

[Fuscus]

When URS showed me through his place, I watched him give the big male an affectionate scratch on the back. A really spectacular and well-kept monitor.