Spencer’s monitor

[Imported_tuatara]

if it's what you truly want sure, i can see why you want to skip all of the stuff you don't want(ei dwarf monitors, then mertens, etc), just a bit weird for someones first monitor to be one that can grow 6 foot.

 

[Scutellatus]

if it's what you truly want sure, i can see why you want to skip all of the stuff you don't want(ei dwarf monitors, then mertens, etc), just a bit weird for someones first monitor to be one that can grow 6 foot.

Where are you getting 6 foot from? They have an average 120cm total length. That is 4 foot and add above average on to that and you've got the most of 5 foot.

 

[Stompsy]

we survived

And it was wayyyy more fun.

 

[Tobe404]

Where are you getting 6 foot from? They have an average 120cm total length. That is 4 foot and add above average on to that and you've got the most of 5 foot.

I was thinking the same.

 

[Imported_tuatara]

I was thinking the same.

i've heard from quite well known monitor keepers before that they can reach lengths of 6 feet, then again you also hear of six foot stimmies now and again

 

[dragonlover1]

if it's what you truly want sure, i can see why you want to skip all of the stuff you don't want(ei dwarf monitors, then mertens, etc), just a bit weird for someones first monitor to be one that can grow 6 foot.

we did something similar,went from a Gillens to a pair of Lacies,pretty big jump hey? But then we have more than 15 years reptile experience

 

[Richard Biffin]

Personally, I think get what you're keen on first. A gillens wont teach you much about Lace monitor husbandry, so you may as well start at the pointy end as long as you've done your husbandry research first and have chatted with others who keep the species in question. just my two cents.

 

[Neil j]

Unable to upload pics but got my spencer and his amazing. Feed him two large mice and and a chicken heart. Handles beautifully. His great.

 

[Tobe404]

How old is he and how big? I might of missed it, but I don't think I saw that anywhere.

I'd probably feed cut up chicken necks over chicken heart pieces as the necks have bone/cartilage in them. My Yellow Spotted absolutely loves them.

Also dusted Roaches and/or Crickets are a good source of food too.

 

[dragonlover1]

Personally, I think get what you're keen on first. A gillens wont teach you much about Lace monitor husbandry, so you may as well start at the pointy end as long as you've done your husbandry research first and have chatted with others who keep the species in question. just my two cents.

I'm not sure you get the point Richard.You really need to understand small monitor behaviour before you understand large monitor behaviour,same thing but on a bigger scale.Lacies do not behave the same as a Gillens,we have both,but I don't trust the lacies as I trust the gillens

 

[Imported_tuatara]

You don't need to understand the behavior by getting one though, either. Lucky for me if I ever was to get a large species I'd probably already have a few dwarf species, I prefer them over most larger species.

 

[Nero Egernia]

Why does everyone have to decide what another person should keep? We're not in their shoes. We don't know their background. The person in question is the only one who can decide whether or not they're capable of caring for said animal. There's no point acquiring something you never wanted. If I "played it safe" when I first got into pythons and started with a hatchling Stimson's instead of jumping into the deep end with a temperamental adult carpet python I would've had a very disappointing keeping experience. Passion, research, and common sense can go a long way.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

There's no point acquiring something you never wanted.

Exactly right. I believe if I had of started out with something simple, say like Murray River turtles, I'd have wasted a decade of precious time to achieve nothing before getting into a species that actually needs research and conservation effort. I know it's not exactly the same with monitors and snakes, but time is something you don't want to take for granted with turtles who can easily outlive us and some species take 20+ years just to sexually mature. Only a person can decide for themselves what they truly like/want/desire, what they ultimately want to achieve and they should go for it, commit to it and strive to succeed. Nobody should tell someone else "you should get this or perhaps not get that" next minute you're asking a stranger what car should I buy and what breakfast cereal is the best.

And passion... that's probably the key word... If you don't truly want something, the passion won't be there, the experience won't be positive and you won't put 110% into it, it'll feel like a chore, a mistake, you'll have regrets and just end up pulling the pin, you and your animals will ultimately suffer.

Deep down everybody knows what they really want, it's simply about how much ticker you have and supreme dedication.

 

[Smittiferous]

I'm not sure you get the point Richard.You really need to understand small monitor behaviour before you understand large monitor behaviour,same thing but on a bigger scale.Lacies do not behave the same as a Gillens,we have both,but I don't trust the lacies as I trust the gillens

Colour me confused, that reads in a rather contradictory fashion....


Lots of people start on larger monitors first. I did, and I found my sandies to be more of an open book than the tristis I got later on. Its the idiots who go and get a big feller without understanding what they're getting themselves into that end up coming undone.

 

[dragonlover1]

Colour me confused, that reads in a rather contradictory fashion....

you got me there mate,I may written that after a few bevvies

 

[Smittiferous]

you got me there mate,I may written that after a few bevvies

Don’t drink and forum mate, I used to do it somewhere else, bad things happened. They made me senior admin... it was terrible!

 

[pinefamily]

Either that, or we all post after a few. That way we'll understand each other, lol.

 

[Neil j]

How old is he and how big? I might of missed it, but I don't think I saw.

His not huge for 1.5 but healthy. I feed him chicken hearts turkey mice and large mice. Will be sure to use some chopped chicken necks as well.

His so easy to pick up out of cage but a little skittish in hands. I’m finding he just wants to be left alone hiding underneath his artificial grass mat. I’m going to partion of his cage and add some digging substrate for him after I see him shed out nice white.

 

[pinefamily]

I'd ditch the grass for sand. Our Spencer's is on the playsand from Bunnings, with a few rocks and a tile stack. If you want yours to tunnel, you can buy special sand that holds its shape. Alternatively, put in a piece of pvc pipe buried in the sand, with an elbow at each end poking out.

 

[bluedragon]

I'd ditch the grass for sand. Our Spencer's is on the playsand from Bunnings, with a few rocks and a tile stack. If you want yours to tunnel, you can buy special sand that holds its shape. Alternatively, put in a piece of pvc pipe buried in the sand, with an elbow at each end poking out.

with the bunnings play sand when it drys what does it look like ive always seen play sand like in clumps