Preparing for my Lacie

[Stath]

Hey all, this is my first thread so I guess it also serves as sort of an introduction.
When I was just starting school i fell in love with reptiles chasing and keeping skink's and what not where ever i could find them, eventually this grew into a colony that started breeding, which led to many tiny tiny escapes from my plastic k-mart terrarium so i finally said enough released them to the wild and went about getting an Eastern blue tongue through the proper channels. While at the store i saw an adult lacie lying on a peice of wood high up but free, i begged to take her home, but alas mother didn't like the idea of keeping something as big as i was, my blue tongue lived a great life of 14 years and passed away recently due to reasons unknown.
But with sorrow comes great joy since now I'm finally in a position to be able to care for the magnificent animal I marveled at on the branch in the reptile warehouse all those years ago

I have, on hold for up to 4 weeks a beautiful juv bells phase lace monitor from a breeder named Roy in Ballarat, and my license application was in the mail a week ago, last thing left to do is get her home ready.
-Edit- Well after some careful consideration, decided to opt for one of Crocdoc's newly hatched wonders, main reason being...... they are stunning!!!

And now to the main point of the thread .
I've spent a while researching and compiling info on monitor husbandry in particular, lacie's but I know there's nothing better then experience, so I'm here to pick the brains of the long time keepers and experts in monitor care.

So to start with i'll let you in on what i know, please correct me if need be.

Most importantly i know respect, these animals are not fluffy chinchilla's and are capable of causing a lot of harm in a split second if things go south.

Monitors need a lot of room to roam, they love to climb, run and hide.
I'll be giving her my blue tongue's old enclosure which is, 1.2x60x60
modified a bit, but i've already got materials for a larger one, I work in demolition, entire kitchens go the tip each week, which meens lots of melamine board for me.
More on my mods to the enclosure in the next couple of days, I'll get a couple of pictures up too.

Young monitors will snack on insects but when they get bigger they need whole prey to keep calcium levels up, MBD is a nightmare.
Also a bit of mince is ok from time to time, and eggs are great treats.

Heat and lighting.
Don't know much here except the basics, a basking spot of 50+ degrees to keep there metabolism at a level were they can absorb calcium, and a cooler side where they can chill, hides in both temperament zones
Do monitors need fluorescent uv's? I'm installing a double fluro batonholder anyway maybe just as a display light.
Also wondering what sort of temperature should be maintained overnight.

Some great threads to do with taming and getting them accustomed to us on this very forum so i won't repost that here.
I was curious though, as to how long I should give her to get used to the surroundings before i start introducing my hand.

Also after any book suggestions.

Well that about covers it, I have 4 weeks to get ready for the new arrival, maybe i can get set up even sooner, please feel free to add anything I've missed and correct any mistakes,
Thanks for taking the time to read.

 

[Reptile_Lover]

mate i hope you have kept other monitors, dont just rush straight into it, also i dont know were u are but hear in nsw there on class 2 license and you need 2 years experince with other monitors before you are able to get 1 and if i read right you just got your license or getting it

 

[Wally]

G'day Stath and welcome to the forum. Looks as though you've been busy researching which is great to see. I won't offer any advice as I don't keep lacies, but hopefully someone like crocdoc will wander by and help you out.

 

[Stath]

mate i hope you have kept other monitors, dont just rush straight into it, also i dont know were u are but hear in nsw there on class 2 license and you need 2 years experince with other monitors before you are able to get 1 and if i read right you just got your license or getting it

Cheers for the concern, no i haven't kept any other monitors before, but i wouldn't say i'm getting straight into it, by recently i meen i made the decision at the start of the year when this enclosure freed up and have been looking into what i might fill it with since, i've read horror tales of people buying monitors without knowing how ferocious there nature really is and people getting hurt while the monitor is only behaving naturally and defending itself, usually ending up in the poor lizard being discarded. I've been preparing for months and things are only just coming together.

And wow didn't know NSW was so strict but i can see why, you guys would barely get those problems.
here they only fall into a basic license, i'll be getting the advanced one though, i'm interested in a few species under that category, maybe a bit further down the track, such as the boyds dragon.

I've always had an affinity for this species, please trust i'm not taking the decision lightly.

 

[BigWillieStyles]

Welcome mate,

I dont keep Lacies, but I expect that its just a matter of lots of research.

The thing that scares me about Lacies is that they are quite big, and you will need to have a decent enclosure (maybe large avairy) when they are fully grown. A well designed outdoor enclosure will allow the animals to get the UV requirements they need with ease and provide free basking for them as well.

 

[Stath]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys.
Haven't given the idea of an outdoor enclosure much thought but i like, definitely do-able if climate allows, would it be too cold for them in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne?
Want to get started on her next home as soon as possible as i expect a lot of growing very quickly, keep the advice coming

 

[Boidae]

You will definately need to put them in a large outdoor aviary when they get older. Male lacies can grow up to 1.8m and females usually about 1.2, they are arboreal and wil need strong branches, for the first few months at least they need to be left alone, besides feeding and changing bedding. Lacies in general are more of a look but dont touch animal, so its best to not handle them at all. I have heard of lacies been successfully kept outside with no supplementary heating, but a basking light couldnt hurt, especially for those cooler nights. You certainly need to have a talk to either Crocdoc or Serpenttongue, both have alot of experience with lacies.

 

[crocdoc]

Sounds like you're on the right track. I'd skip the mince entirely and stick to small whole animals (insects, rodents, day old chickens). The jury is still out on UV, but it appears that they don't need it provided they get a well balanced diet and have access to a really hot basking spot.

Substrate in the enclosure is important - something that can hold humidity well, such as tea-tree mulch, leaf litter or even wood shavings (misted with water to keep humid). Loads of hides for young animals, scattered all over the enclosure so they don't have to expose themselves for long while getting from A to B.

As far as when you introduce your hand to the monitor, that has to be dictated by the monitor and no two are alike. What it comes down to is when the monitor is ready to introduce itself to your hand (other than by trying to bite it!).

 

[Stath]

Cheers all, especially Dave, pretty much cleared up everything i wanted to know.

Good thing you mentioned substrates, completely skipped my mind. If humidity is what i'm after then i think ill go for coco-peat, i've used it in the past to keep tarantulas at about 80% R.H for shedding and its worked wonders, really like the leaf litter idea too, i'll scatter a bit on top of the coco-peat, should help with cleaning as well as looking nice.

There's just one more thing i'm still not sure about, can i keep an outdoor aviary here in the eastern suburbs? Temperatures reach about 3-4degrees in winter, well yesterday even so i was thinking if i gave him a nice insulted hide with a ceremic heat lamp or some other heat source he should be ok.

 

[crocdoc]

It depends on the aspect of your yard. Some parts are cooler than others, depending on how much sun/shade it gets during the day and how cool it gets at night. 3-4C overnight wouldn't kill an adult lace monitor over but frosts do. A heated hide would probably be a good idea, although I'd think of something other than a ceramic heat emitter as they get way too hot to the touch. Possibly an agricultural heat pad with a thermostat or heat cord sandwiched between layers so the monitor can't get at it.

 

[BigWillieStyles]

Im sure you could keep them in a well designed avairy in Melbourne. Just provide some hides/hollow logs for them to take cover in. Im in Albury and have seen them around here and we get freezing temps at night. North facing to pick up the morning sun. You could also think about rotating outside/inside for the different seasons. I imagine an inside enclosure would allow you to tame the Lacie more easily?

I quite like this lacie avairy ----> http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-reptile-discussion-42/new-lacie-aviary-135302/

 

[ingie]

This might sound silly but just be so careful when trying to tame your lacie. One of my teeny tiny ridge tail monitors bites me occasionally if she decides my finger looks like food and her tiny little mouth has a more painful bite than any of the many snakes I have been bitten by - including my 3 year old olive who only bites when she wants to eat my arm at the smell of food! They don't always let go and the teeth are RAZOR like and they clamp on with pulses of extra pressure. If an accie can make me sweat and grit my teeth I can't even imagine what one lacie bite would do. Only takes one! I have heard of a guy in Melbourne when I used to live there, who went into his lacie enclosure and it ripped his calf muscle off and then as he reached back it ripped his hand apart...... I'm not saying don't get one, just be so CAREFUL!

Best of luck, Crocdoc has AMAZING lacies and I am jealous

 

[lizardmech]

Monitors seem to vary so much between individuals I think it can be hard to know exactly what you will have to do until you start interacting with the individual. My Ackies are weird, they calmly take food out of my hand while others I have seen would just bite everything near any food.

 

[Snakeluvver2]

If they ever head butt you or look like they are nuzzling any part of your body! Watch out!

 

[gozz]

Study the animal......look for its reaction to certain things etc cheers

 

[nemesis]

hey just reading over the info and all is good. btw i'm new too!. just looking for some more info on handling the lill buggers. i'v had mine for 3-4 months and hes/she is happy to let me put my hand up under the mouth. have been able to hold (by pure luck) i belive trust and persistance is the key
he/she has also thought my fingers are food recently so i have stopped feeing with tongs and use a bowl instead.
i dunno just would love some more advice on handling i've read heaps on here however there seems to be alot of controversy over it.
oh and crocdoc ur lacies are smashingly awsome

 

[Electric]

est subs.

Thanks for the warm welcome guys.
Haven't given the idea of an outdoor enclosure much thought but i like, definitely do-able if climate allows, would it be too cold for them in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne?
Want to get started on her next home as soon as possible as i expect a lot of growing very quickly, keep the advice coming

Hey there, I'm close to getting a lacie too and have been thinking about an outdoor option. I recon once the monitor has a bit of size about it it would be fine outside. I've seen plenty of them in and around the dandenongs. Have you lined up a breeder yet? I'm trying to find who's out there with a good price but importantly an ethical seller.
all the best.