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Question about Monitor Prices?

casey15

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110
Okay, I've been wondering something, almost everywhere I see monitor hatchlings like Niles and Savannahs, and other large monitors for a very low cost, I normally see Niles for around $20, but all the smaller monitor species that are much easier to keep are way more. Is this just because they can get alot of wild caught Niles/Savannahs easily so they sell them so cheap because people keep buying them? Why is it most smaller monitor species are extremely hard to come by? Like Ackies, are they so expensive because they are difficult to breed, and they can't be WC because of Australian laws? Why are small monitor species so rare, when they are in high demand? Why do places keep selling Niles and things to people who have no clue how to care for them for $20? Why do people even buy a Nile if they know nothing about it? I spoke with a person, who wanted a Nile and they said "I doubt they need a cage THAT big! I'm going to keep him in a 4x2x2 or maybe a 5x5x5 if he gets bigger."

Why? Why do people just randomly buy a pet? With NO research? How hard is it to do a Google search?!
 

james.w

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The cheap monitors are all WC. The small more expensive are CBB, therefore higher prices. There aren't a lot around because there isn't a huge market for them.

As far act why people buy what they buy, why are you buying one? You have already admitted you know what you need to provide but aren't going to provide it from the beginning. How is that different from those who don't know.
 

Dana C

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Sadly over 75% of the niles, Savs and others are dead before they are a year old. The smaller and what I consider beautiful monitors are not easy to breed and expensive, as you know, to begin with. That they are expensive is a good thing as the price keeps Ma and Pa Kettle out of wanna be owners group.
 

casey15

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110
james.w said:
The cheap monitors are all WC. The small more expensive are CBB, therefore higher prices. There aren't a lot around because there isn't a huge market for them.

As far act why people buy what they buy, why are you buying one? You have already admitted you know what you need to provide but aren't going to provide it from the beginning. How is that different from those who don't know.

No the quotes are what another person said about niles, I don't own or intend on getting a Nile I was giving an example of impulse buys. Did you actually read the question or just skim? Cause you mentioned in the your post they reason is since they are wc which is what I said.
 

james.w

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I know you aren't getting a Nile, you are getting a Sav and putting it in a fish tank with not enough substrate. This is what I was referring to.


I know you aren't getting a Nile, you are getting a Sav and putting it in a fish tank with not enough substrate. This is what I was referring to. Someone who knows the correct way to do things but doesn't do it, is worse than someone who doesn't know.
 

casey15

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110
james.w said:
I know you aren't getting a Nile, you are getting a Sav and putting it in a fish tank with not enough substrate. This is what I was referring to.


I know you aren't getting a Nile, you are getting a Sav and putting it in a fish tank with not enough substrate. This is what I was referring to. Someone who knows the correct way to do things but doesn't do it, is worse than someone who doesn't know.



I know the correct things to do and I'm doing them, it's not a "fish tank" by the way, his final adult size enclosure will be an 8x6x6, I'm just keeping the tiny 3 inch baby Savannah in the tank as a temp home. This is not an adult Savannah, its a baby, smaller than a Gecko . The glass tank is 6x2x3, I was told it was 55 gallon but I got it today and its WAY BIGGER, couldn't even fit in the car, I'm having it delivered. I could put 2 feet of substrate in there easily in that, but this is for a BABY. I've seen MANY do the same thing, If I was unable to give a cage this size, I wouldn't be on this forum. I joined to learn more, I know the right things to do and am doing them.
 

james.w

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Well since you seem to have all the answers, I will just wish you luck.
 

casey15

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110
james.w said:
Well since you seem to have all the answers, I will just wish you luck.

I don't think I have all the answers, I'm sorry if it came across that way, I was just saying, is it that bad to keep a baby in there just for a little? By a little I mean a month or two tops. I'm still trying to plan out a good enclosure, that will last, I keep scrapping every idea and restarting.
 

james.w

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Since you don't have the monitor yet, the best thing to do would be to build the adult enclosure and make sure you can get temps and humidity correct. Once it is all set, buy the monitor. They will always be available. All you need is a simple box that is sealed and will hold approx 2' of dirt. Don't make it more difficult than it is.

Check out savannahmonitor.co
 

casey15

New Member
Messages
110
james.w said:
Since you don't have the monitor yet, the best thing to do would be to build the adult enclosure and make sure you can get temps and humidity correct. Once it is all set, buy the monitor. They will always be available. All you need is a simple box that is sealed and will hold approx 2' of dirt. Don't make it more difficult than it is.

Check out savannahmonitor.co. if that isn't the correct site let me know.

your right, that is just what I'm going to do, it does seem dumb not to know that I think about it. I'm waiting to get the monitor, right now he's staying with a friend of mine both she and her husband make are reptile breeders, they have Tegus and they know how to keep monitors. They are the ones who sold me the monitor, they're keeping him for a while. I've already bought him from them I have him on hold, but I am waiting to bring him home. I know he's getting taken care of properly with them. I want to make sure I have the temps all on target, before I bring him home. I don't want to be screwing around with temperature if he's in the cage.

Hey I had a question about doors? I was thinking of making them high set doors that slide open, if I set them high enough for 3 feet of soil? I've been told hinge tops are not good for a cage this tall, the sliding would be easier to clean inside the cage right?
 

james.w

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Sliding doors are the easiest in my opinion. Drop down doors work well to as long as they can drop all the way down so they are flat against the front of the enclosure.

Where did they get the Savannah from?
 

casey15

New Member
Messages
110
Okay, sliding it is. Do you think I should use plywood or glass? I know their claws would scratch the glass up,but maybe glass for viewing? Or plywood doors and I could just put in a glass window
 
Messages
100
Glass is cool and all, but since this is kinda an opinion piece because you're the designer glass would be a great choice if you had a more fancy cage type. Plexiglas and acrylic panels are flexible and strong, and if you have treads you can just pop the panels out for easy cleaning. But you can do what you want just a suggestion :)
 

casey15

New Member
Messages
110
james.w said:
Sliding doors are the easiest in my opinion. Drop down doors work well to as long as they can drop all the way down so they are flat against the front of the enclosure.

Where did they get the Savannah from?

They got the Savannah from another breeder they know, they also sold him one of their Columbian Tegus.
 

yulyani

Member
Messages
106
dear casey, I will try to post you my monitor prices so you can get clue,...
1) MJ my biggest water, I got him from wild caught baby,...I bought him as about U$ 30
2) smutjelly and michael also the WC water,...I got them as U$ 15...but smutjelly is still snappy until now hahahahaha :D
3) MOLI is the raised from baby water from the reptile expo, I bought her as about U$ 65
4) Rokomo is the adult dumeril,....raised from baby,...U$ 150
5) Kremlin the dumeril is a gift from my friend

At my country monitor lizard is not too expensive, except with the rare species like salvadorii, but I prefer to keep the "land species, not the tree species" because their husbandry is easier than the tree species......
 

NorCalAl

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
76
In my case, just getting my ackies to the point where they will lay eggs (7 eggs in the incubator now) is a very time and money intensive process. From the cost of the monitors, to the 1000+ crickets a week (no, they don't eat 1000 between them. More like about 600, but die-off and the beardies eat, too), to pinkie/fuzzies to calcium to heat to $800 enclosure (who cares if I could have made it myself cheaper, that's not the point), they are an investment.

There's quite a bit of discussion right now among the dwarf monitor breeders to bring prices up to a more reasonable level. If you think ackies and related are too expensive, they are probably going to go up.

The other thing is the numbers of eggs produced vs that hatch. I've been told dwarfs are the easiest to get eggs from - the most difficult to get babies. All in all, they are pretty inexpensive when you consider the costs.
 

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