Most rewarding monitor to keep as a pet?

[Tannaros]

with tree monitors?

Yes.

Ackies are native to Australia, and since there is a strict ban on exporting of animals, the ones you find are generally captive bred.

The same can't be said for tree monitors. If you'd eventually want one your best bet would be to contact a breeder directly, or with someone's already acclimated pet.

 

[TegusRawsome80]

Yup, exactly^^^

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

yeah i get you

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

If i were to get a tree monitor, i don't think i would really care too much about handling it.. just watching it and feeding, etc. although a handlable/ one that could explore a bit would be cool..

 

[TegusRawsome80]

No way you'll be able to let a tree monitor roam around like a tegu. Or an ackie for that matter. Very different animals behavior wise.

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

What would it do?? If it was full grown, it wouldn't wedge itself into something?

 

[TegusRawsome80]

What? They're very fast and quite a bit smaller than tegus. They aren't animals you buy to cuddle with.

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

lol thats why i said I would not buy it to handle. I'm saying if it's not too small to get lost I don't see what would be so bad in letting it walk around for a half hour or so

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it's irrelevant anyways, i'm not planning on getting one.

 

[TegusRawsome80]

Okay. My point is it likely wouldn't "walk" around for an hour. I've kept ackies before and they didn't exactly casually walk around haha. And tree monitors are easily stressed and notoriously flighty. Whatever though.

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

lol okay

 

[Tannaros]

lol thats why i said I would not buy it to handle. I'm saying if it's not too small to get lost I don't see what would be so bad in letting it walk around for a half hour or so

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it's irrelevant anyways, i'm not planning on getting one.

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When you think of animals and their companionship behavior/disposition, you have to take into account their natural history.

For example, tegus naturally are more flighty when they are young. This is primarily due to successful individuals avoiding essentially anything that could eat them in the wild. Conversely, it becomes rarer and rarer for a very large predator to come into a novel scenario where they need to feel threatend.

When you're looking at tree monitors and dwarf monitors throughout most of their lives they tend to be vulnerable - and therefore they are more wary when it comes to novel experiences and generally seek to avoid them rather than seek them out when compared to perhaps a larger predator or one with a less stressed environment.

TL;DR smaller animals tend to be naturally inclined to be flighty and thereby less prone to lackadaisical wandering or exploring.

I think if you'd want a monitor you could handle your best bet of the two would be an ackie. They live socially from what I know, and therefore should be more tolerant to handling.

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

It makes sense. Thank you for your response!

 

[Grendel]

In my humble opinion a monitor that grows large has more potential for "tami g" but that is because if its large it is unlikely to be scared of you or other things. But with a large monitor comes issue of housing, waste, feeding and potential injury. I myself have an ornate monitor and he is much better now at just over 2feet then he was at 16inches. But he has a lot to grow ( adult 5-7feet)I also have a young peach throat monitor that will grow to 4-5feet.

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

The peach throats are real pretty, I don't think i'll ever get a monitor though. If I were to get one it'd be an ackie for their energy, or a tree monitor for watching them.

 

[savannahmonitor.net]

I know this is all opinion, and I'm not planning on getting a monitor, but I'm just curious what you all think is the most rewarding monitor to keep as a pet. Rewarding, in a sense of most handleable, "affectionate". Let's hear your thoughts.

without really reading the other replies...

I am more of a hands off kind of keeper, I only very occasionally touch my lizards at all.

I also am of the train of thinking that affection and reptiles should never appear in the same sentence. Attaching human emotions to wildlife is not what I prefer to do.

So having said that, virtually all Varanid species would be hugely rewarding to keep, provided that adequate space and proper husbandry was applied. To me there is no more awesome reptile alive.

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

I see, I think the savannah monitors are really cool, as well as ackies and tree monitors.

 

[Jstew]

I love my black rough neck to death. She's full of personality and wouldn't hurt a fly! But rodents are another story

 

[BatGirl1]

I was holding a black throated roughneck monitor at the recent expo in manchester. Seemed very calm. A fellow member, dubya, had suggested them to me as an alternative when looking into black tree monitors, which on more than one occasion I've been told they are not very social with people and pretty much dislike being handled. As it stands my argentine black and white (niles) is my favorite lizard, as he is very intelligent, yet calm and sociable. He is inquisitive but in a good way. I have had an iguana and various turtles before and currently for lizards (besides niles) have a cuban knights anole and bearded dragon.

 

[Dubya]

D, I so wanted to buy that Rough Necked Monitor you were holding. The price was good, but I have to hold off till I can make room for a large aboreal cage. I had one long ago before I knew enough about monitor care, and it died due to my ignorance, but I have learned much more since then.

 

[BatGirl1]

Yes I remember you told me about that. He(she) was so cute and seemed very nice. But bf already got me the jungle carpet so... and we just got finished getting niles all set up in his custom "big boy " cage. I don't have the money or space (right now ;p) haha