Yellow vs Dumeril's?

[CourtneyAllison]

Hi guys I have pretty much narrowed down my research to choosing either a Dumeril's or Yellow monitor (although my first choice is a Peachthroat, but I heard to avoid them unless a very advanced keeper, even though I think I could manage just fine). I want something bigger than an Ackie, but but nothing over 4 1/2 feet because I couldn't sacrifice the space and time to devote to one. It will be my first monitor, but definitely not my first lizzy!

I've tried searching through this forum and a couple others but haven't found any topics on them. So, may I ask what everyone's opinions are of these two species, pros and cons? Would a Peachthroat be too much to handle for a beginner monitor keeper, but veteran herp keeper? Where I might be able to find a CB and how much one would cost me? $$ really isn't an issue, I just want to keep my options wide open.

Thanks so much in advance!

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	Captive Born Captive Born

[mo1416]

I don't have any advice or experience with monitors but you can try looking at http://market.kingsnake.com/index.php?cat=53 for prices and any monitors for sale. Good luck

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[CourtneyAllison]

Thanks!!

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[mo1416]

You're welcome

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[mo1416]

I do know from reading tons of posts on this and other message boards that "ben Siegel" is a reputable breeder and has a good live arrival policy. And if you look at the for sale page he does have some baby yellows for sale.

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[JimiSnakes]

Siegel is a good guy, but remember he deals in wholesale herps. Dumerils are awesome snakes. I have two and they are great. Once feeding, they eat everytime and they never have bitten or even struck out (knock on wood). Great docile, big-bodied snakes. Very easy to maintain good husbandry with too.

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[mo1416]

Originally Posted by BoaCrazed

Dumerils are awesome snakes. I have two and they are great. Once feeding, they eat everytime and they never have bitten or even struck out (knock on wood). Great docile, big-bodied snakes. Very easy to maintain good husbandry with too.

I think she means the Dumeril monitor not the snake
http://www.themonitorspot.com/dumerilf2.html

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[JimiSnakes]

Oh, haha, nevermind then. LMAO. My bad. Psst...go with the snake.

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[mo1416]

Originally Posted by BoaCrazed

Oh, haha, nevermind then. LMAO. My bad. Psst...go with the snake.

hehehehe

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[Dachande]

neither make good beginner monitors. but if your heart is set on either 2 go with the dumeril's.
savannahs stay under the 4 1/2ft mark. ackies, black heads, and freckleds are all good dwarf monitors. if you don't mind asking, why not an ackie? the reds get bigger than the yellows. just under 3ft vs 2ft.

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[CourtneyAllison]

Thanks you guys!

Danchande, my heart isn't set on either species, just what seemed like would work for me. If you say they don't make good beginner monitors, then I can cross them off the list, no issue. I was trying to look for something a bit lessy heavy-set than a savannah, but I checked out the local pet store (the only one I trust around here) and they had one there. He was darling, so active and intelligent and really interaced with me. I fell in love, and it really changed my opinion of savannahs! I think I'll go back again and just check out the price...It will probably be ridiculous, and I'll be be was wild caught, but you never know.

I wanted something bigger than a yellow ackie, but I really liked the look of the red ackies. And 3ft is a good sized lizard as well.

[JuliusSqueezer]

There is really no such thing as a "beginner monitor". Every species can be a handfull for anyone...There are a few of course that require a great deal of experience though beyond reading a few caresheets. For instance, you wouldn't want to jump right in to a Komodo ...and niles are a trick God played on herpers because he hates us I'm not much of a lizard guy at all...but I kinda like the tree monitors (green or black...doesn't matter to me)

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[telefrag]

tristus and glauerti are really neat and dont get so big.

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[CourtneyAllison]

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

There is really no such thing as a "beginner monitor". Every species can be a handfull for anyone...There are a few of course that require a great deal of experience though beyond reading a few caresheets. For instance, you wouldn't want to jump right in to a Komodo ...and niles are a trick God played on herpers because he hates us I'm not much of a lizard guy at all...but I kinda like the tree monitors (green or black...doesn't matter to me)

Oh yea, I completely agree. I just interpret a "beginner monitor" as one that is good for a first-time monitor keeper and isn't as incredibly difficult as say a Komodo or nile or water monitor LOL Don't get me wrong, I would looove to have any one of those, but I know that's an impossibility until I have my own house. (Being 19 and my parents are getting divorced, I'm living at home with my mom so she isn't alone...). I completely agree about the vast amount of experience you need before you get an animal that will in a few short years grow into a 6 foot long killing machine (but man would that be SWEET)

I love the tree monitors too...They are incredibly beautiful..I would LOVE a black tree monitor, but I want to be able to handle my lizard and not get my flesh shredded to bloody ribbons while the poor thing thinks my arm is a tree branch LOL

[chrispaine]

Alot of the info on here is good, But if you didnt already read up on kingsnake then do that, Lots of info. And it was already said but monitors are Alot of work, More then you think. They need to eat alot, alot of heat, good amount of humidity, alot like to dig so they might need dirt, and they are very smart so you kind of have to keep them entertained with their setup. Oh ya and they grow fast. My argusXflavi is getting big fast look.. the one were he is small was taken on 11/9/2005 and the others are from today.

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[Dachande]

i agree with JS as well. but when i say beginner first thing i think is size. because 90% of the time, you have to build your own enclosure. especially anything over 2ft.
ackies tend to be more hardy because they are 100% garunteed captive bred in the US. where as niles, savannahs, and waters are so common because nearly every specimen you come across is wild caught. unfortunatly, so are alot of tree monitors.
being wild caught isn't always a death sentence. especially with monitors. if conditions are right any parasites won't survive long. just pick a good healthy looking one and if done right it will live and grow. and trust me, correct husbandry and they outgrow weeds. so that cage may have to be built sooner than you think if the monitor has the potential to exceed 2ft in the first year. my argus did it in less time than that.

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[CourtneyAllison]

Yeah, I'm really leaning towards a red ackie...Thanks a ton for your help, everyone! I was pretty unclear about how fast they actually grew, so thank you very much for clearing that up as well!!

That's what I hear about most species, and it's too bad...Even if it isn't necessarily a death sentence to wild caught animals, it's still cruel...I can't even IMAGINE how traumatic that would be...I would never keep anything that was wild born.

However, last summer I did rescue a week old sparrow nestling that had been knocked out of her nest along with a dozen or so others during a hail storm in a barn. The cats killed all of them except for this one, and I couldn't leave it so I took her home and took care of her for a bout 4 months. She was very tame, always answered when I called her name, I let her fly free around the house when she was learning how, and I even used to sit outside on the back porch reading a book and she'd fly around the yard (I live in an open, wooded area too), getting used to being outside. I remember once when she and I were hanging around outside and my dog barked and scared her and flew away across the street into the neighbor's yard and I lost her for about an hour....I was definitely not ready to let her go yet, so I went searching for her, calling her name and she flew back to me from the top of a giant willow tree. Okay, she really only ever answered to me when I said "Cheapie Cheapies" in a really high voice and she'd always cheap back at me...

I loved that bird sooo much...She was my LIFE for 4 months...from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. I was with her...but she was wild, not a pet, and I eventually spent 3 days trying to release her. I can't wait until spring when all the birds come back..I hope she'll come back, I'd love to see her again...

(LOL sorry for going slightly off-topic! I was taking a stroll down memory lane....)

Here is a pic of her about a week before I released her...

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[mrcota]

Are you referring to the yellow monitor (Varanus flavescens) or the Quince Monitor (Varanus melinus), which is sometimes mistakenly referred to by the name Yellow Monitor which has belonged to Varanus flavescens for well over a century? If you are referring to Varanus flavescens, I have not heard of one available in the US, they are CITES I and very few have ever been available world-wide.
If you are referring to Varanus melinus, then that is definitely not a beginners monitor for many reasons. If you are going to jump straight into a medium sized monitor as a beginner, I do not recommend it, but Varanus dumerilii is among the best tempered monitor available, plus they are available as captive bred, so you are not causing even more pressure on ever dwindling populations of monitor lizards in the wild, particularly in Indonesia, which is being bled white by the US pet trade.
Please make sure that you learn everything you can about it and have a suitable enclosure before you buy.
Cheers,
Michael

[Dachande]

i've noticed them becoming more available lately.
gorgeous but not for me.
good idea to start small and a little simpler CA.

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