The monitor lizard is not a beginner reptile.
Varanus acanthurus (Ackie) has been described as a ‘beginner monitor’, but ‘beginner monitor does not mean ‘beginner reptile’. Monitors should be considered an advanced progression of reptile keeping, with more difficult monitors being considered even more advanced progressions.
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Monitors represent a varied genus of lizards from the relatively short and fat
Varanus exanthematicus (Sav), which burrows under the ground, to the very long arboreal
Varanus salvadorii (Crocodile Monitor). They are also found in a variety of habitats, from the northern deserts of Western Asia, like
Varanus griseus (Desert Monitor) to hot tropical rainforests, like
Varanus prasinus (Green Tree Monitor). Some monitors are poor swimmers, again like
Varanus exanthematicus (Sav), while others are always in or near the water, like
Varanus niloticus (Niles) or
Varanus salvator (Water Monitors). The bottom line is: there is no ‘one husbandry fits all rule’; however, there are general principles that are universally accepted:
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The importance of thermal regulation is a universally accepted principle of keeping monitors. Everyone agrees with the importance of providing a wide range of temperature choices within the enclosure that the monitor can choose from to include a low in the mid to high 70°F (25°C) range and a high in the low 90°F (33°C) range together of a basking spot of over 120°F (50°C).
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Another universally accepted principle of keeping monitors is the importance of whole foods in the diet. Whole foods are defined as the whole body of an animal. All other foods should be considered ‘junk food’ and not be included into the regular diet and only given as a rare treat (rare treat does not mean multiple times a week). With a staple diet, supplementation is not required. Exception: insects- dusting or gut loading is beneficial.
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A universally accepted rule of thumb for
MINIMAL enclosure space is length of the species wide by twice the length long. For considering a full grown Water Monitor's final enclosure, this would be 3m (9’ 9”) wide by 6m (19’ 6”) long. Of course, everyone claims to love their animals and if they truly love their animal, they would not give them the
MINIMUM. Other considerations must also be made. Is it an arboreal species? It will need a tall enclosure. Is it a burrowing species? It will need an enclosure that can support the weight of all that dirt so that the animal can burrow. Is it a semi-aquatic species? How are you going to provide all that water for it to swim in? Will the enclosure support all the weight of that water? How are you going to change or filter that water (which becomes VERY nasty and dirty)? Last, but not least, how are you going to keep all that water from soaking the entire enclosure when the animal is constantly going in and out of the water?
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Screen Tops are universally recognized as bad. They allow heat and humidity to escape. Even some desert dwelling species of monitors need more humidity than one would imagine. The amount of humidity actually needed is species dependent.
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Aquariums are universally recognized as bad, because they are open at the top and usually go together with a screen top. If you are living in North America and Europe- definitely stay away from them.
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Lighting is a controversial topic. Some prefer more natural light cycles, while others prefer 24 hour lighting; both have produced positive results. Some people are proponents of
UVB, while others do not feel it is important; while
UVB is not needed in a properly nourished monitor to survive, others see the benefits of
UVB for reptiles.
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Specific care for and needs of individual species should be thoroughly researched; even species within the same complex can be different, while some complexes can be very similar. There is a wide variety of sources that can be found concerning the care of monitors. Natural histories of the animals can provide great insight into their care when used together with other sources. Care sheets should be viewed with suspicion, because many are identical for different species and 'one husbandry fits all monitors' is not true (they just change some words around and the name of the monitor). If you do good and proper research, you will not need a caresheet.
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Questions that should be answered before acquiring a species:
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*Is the species known to burrow?
*What type of substrate should be used? Will the enclosure support the substrate?
*Is the species arboreal and what kind of support will I need to provide for that?
*Is the species shy? What kind of hiding places and concealment should there be?
*What additional cage furniture must be provided?
*What size and how tall of an enclosure will it need now and when it is full grown?
*Will the enclosure require a pool? How will it be filtered/cleaned/emptied? Will the enclosure support it?
*If I plan to breed it and the male/female are not compatible, do I have the room for the separate enclosures they will need?
*Does it specialise in a certain diet and can I get it? Are there suitable substitutes?
*Do I have the money that will be needed to feed, house and warm an adult?
*Where is there a veterinarian that can properly care for my animal?
*Does the law permit the species?
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Things that should be accomplished before the species is acquired:
*Obtaining proper permit for the animal, if needed.
*Building and furnishing a suitable enclosure
*Testing of the enclosure to see if high, low and basking temperatures are correct, along with the proper humidity.
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There are a number of controversial husbandry ideas that were purposely left out of this post to make it more universally accepted.
