Rescued a blackthroat monitor today!

[Jason]

Joey (as i have named him) was found in a dumpster about a month ago, and the responsible gentleman who had found him was wise enough to bring him in to a reptile specialty store in Tucson, AZ, Reptile Specialists. They held him for a while and nursed him back to health. while doing so they discovered he was blind as a bat.
He is now settling in to his new bedroom (FINALLY figured out what to do with my extra room...guest rooms are for sissies.) I made sure everything in the room is stationary so he can feel around and familiarize himself with where everything is.
If anyone has any further advice for keeping a special needs monitor, I could definitely use the help. anything that will make his life a bit better would be awesome!
One question i have may just be a matter of opinion; would it be more stressful than beneficial to bring him outside for some nice Arizona sun?
Thanks
-Jason

 

[Rhetoric]

I'm really happy you took it in, I hope you can continue to make its life better. That breaks my heart! Pics when it gets settled? I wouldn't think bringing him outside would be harmful, I'd just make sure its either on a leash or contained somehow that way if it gets spooked it can't run off.

 

[james.w]

Only problem I see with taking him outside is all the noises and smells may stress/spook him. I would join varanus.nl to get some better advice/opinions on keeping a blind monitor.

 

[Jason]

thanks, guys
I really want to try to make his life as stress free as possible. I'm sure being blind is stressful enough on him. I'll get some pics asap. He's such a sweet heart too, very surprising given his past.

 

[james.w]

How big is he?

 

[Jason]

He's about 4 and a half feet. I've got no clue on his age tho, he had obviously not gotten top notch care

 

[james.w]

Do you have any experience with monitors? How are you keeping the temps and humidity right in the room?

 

[Varanus K.Face]

How did he go blind? Was he born that way or did something happen?

 

[Jason]

I do have some experience with monitors. I currently have a savannah monitor and I have researched reptiles and their care since i was in second grade (i'm 28 now). I think the most important thing about reptile husbandry is to never stop researching and cross referencing, there allways seems to be new information out there.

as far as heat and humidity goes i'm still fine tuning everything. I normally keep my house at about 78 ( i hear complaints everytime i have company) and i have several high wattage basking lamps set up. I'm thinking in winter i'll have to add in a space heater. for humidity i have a huge tub full of water in there, also a humidifier. I'll give it a while and find out if i need to add a second one.

I'm not sure if he was born blind. The guy who found him in the dumpster brought him straight to the store to turn him in. It wasn't for a while that they realized he was blind (at first they thought he was clumsy due to an illness) He could have been born blind, It could have been something in the dumpster like chemicals or who knows what that did it, and i'm sure someone who would dump a beautiful creature in such a way was not taking proper care of him.

 

[james.w]

Sounds like you have him setup pretty good. I had a friend who had one that would only drink from a small dish. He had a large pool in the room and the BT would not go near it. Not sure if they are all like this or if his was just wierd.

 

[Jason]

I just picked up a smaller dish today, just incase. Yesterday I stuck his arm in the tub so he knows there's water in there, but I haven,t seen him go in there.

He seems to prefer sleeping on the coolest side of the room. He has successfully found his basking spot withou fail, that puts a smile on my face

 

[james.w]

The guy I know ended up putting his BT in the pool and he nearly drowned he said. Are you providing any UVB for him?

 

[Rhetoric]

Aw it still makes me feel so bad for it. I dont have any BT experience but the other two members seem to have a fair amount of general monitor knowledge. Hopefully you can find all the info you need and continue to help it. Keep is posted, I'll definitely be interested to see how things go for you guys. Good luck!

 

[Jason]

What is your opinion on supplying monitors with UVB, James.w? I have a MVB on my savanna, just incase, I keep hearing it's not needed. I'm picking one up monday for Joey, and I got a harness so i can give him a try outside. If he seems overly stressed I'll probably just give up on the natural sunlight thing and stick to the MVB only. either way he'll be supplied with UVB weather it's needed or not.

His humidifier is doing the trick, It's got a built in humidistat that has settings from 30-60 percent, and also a "stay on" setting. It turns off after a while on the 60 percent setting, so i know it's atleast getting humidity high enough in a couple areas of the room. plus it feels great in there (i think) I seem to enjoy the lizard temp and humidity (i'm surprised i haven't grown scales)

He's eaten without an issue, I've got a designated area for him to eat so he can find it everytime. I'm making a habit of announcing "dinner time" to him so he will know when to check for his yum yums. I've been able to see him thermo-regulating so I'm pretty sure I've got his temps where he wants them. I find it easier to watch my reptiles to pinpoint there preferred basking temps (i'm not one for thermometers other than to get an idea if its dangerously hot or cold) I just make sure they aren't allways under the light, or allways hiding from it. as long as they are spending some time near heat and sometimes away (like they would in the wild) they are happy with the temps.

I haven't seen him IN the bathtub yet, but there is shedded skin flakes in the water, and when i got home today there were wet lizard footprints leading away from it . Hasn't pooped in the water yet, but i got a couple big ole healthy turds around the room yesterday and today.

All in all I'm happy with his progress. He seems happy too. My friend has a dogloo that she doesn't need anymore, I think I'll clean it up and put it in his room, I know he can't really see that he's hidden, but i'm figuring he will feel the surrounding walls and it might make him feel safe and secure.

of course any other suggestions, even if it's a shot in the dark, to make his life as a blind monitor easier and less stressful is appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[james.w]

I'm still undecided on whether UVB should be provided or not. I have a mvb for my Salvator, and a UVB tube in my Melinus cage. I am probably going to put a mvb in the melinus cage too, better to be safe than sorry. Do you have the option of opening a window to provide direct sunlight for him? As far as the hide, I think you may want to try something that is a tight fit, not sure how he would find it but the snug fit would make him feel more secure IMO.

 

[Jefroka]

Extra TLC on him but I know I don't need to tell you that!


...Jefroka

 

[Varanus K.Face]

I agree with james on the hide. A dogloo is too tall and he will still feel exposed. Try a big mixing tub with a hole cut into it. As far as UVB goes, my theory is and always has been if they get it in the wild they should have it in captivity. So I keep all my varanids under MVB...i have seen nothing but good things as a result! Good luck with him!!!