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meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/2987181
The poor thing has never been fed anything other than chicken livers and chicken gizzards, bought from the grocery store.
No wonder the little fatty is a fatty. lol
He's definately getting switched over to whole foods...rabbits and baby pigs (which my large Burms eat) and he'll get supplemented with chickens, quail and ducks.
That's disgusting...poor bunnies and baby pigs...etc...
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/2987181
The poor thing has never been fed anything other than chicken livers and chicken gizzards, bought from the grocery store.
No wonder the little fatty is a fatty. lol
He's definately getting switched over to whole foods...rabbits and baby pigs (which my large Burms eat) and he'll get supplemented with chickens, quail and ducks.
will it take him a long time to lose the wieght after he is fed a healthier variety or how does it work for reptiles?
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/2987182
That's disgusting...poor bunnies and baby pigs...etc...
Sorry, but everything has to eat. If it makes you feel any better, I don't feed live animals to any of my reptiles.
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/2987183
will it take him a long time to lose the wieght after he is fed a healthier variety or how does it work for reptiles?
To be honest, I haven't the slightest idea. I've never had an obese reptile, of any kind.
He's also never had any kind of calcium supplement either, which they must have. We'll see how long it takes him to slim down, once he starts getting healthy foods and a good calcium.
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/2987187
Sorry, but everything has to eat. If it makes you feel any better, I don't feed live animals to any of my reptiles.
To be honest, I haven't the slightest idea. I've never had an obese reptile, of any kind.
He's also never had any kind of calcium supplement either, which they must have. We'll see how long it takes him to slim down, once he starts getting healthy foods and a good calcium.
well good luck with him, I hope he gets back to being healthy and in shape
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
I had no clue those things were so valuable. Back in 96 a buddy of my brother gave him his reptile collection when he had to leave town. 2 red slider turtles, a caimen and the Monitor. My brother didn't have room for the Monitor so he gave it to another friend. I used to have a picture of the thing. The friend was 6' 2" or so and he is holding the lizard up vertically and the Lizard has it's head turned so they were nose to nose and it still had probably a foot of tail dragging on the floor.
This guy set up an old above ground swimming pool in a room in his house for it. As docile as the liz seemed it ended up turning on this guy one day while he was in the pen changing the water. the guy saw the thing coming and got part way out of the pen before the lizard got a hold of his leg. THE LIZARD ENDED UP PULLING HIS LEG OFF!!!
Now for the rest of the story

This guy had lost his leg below the knee in a car wreck and as luck would have it the lizard grabbed his prosthetic leg and pulled it off as he was trying to get out.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/2987225
I
This guy had lost his leg below the knee in a car wreck and as luck would have it the lizard grabbed his prosthetic leg and pulled it off as he was trying to get out.

This might sound cold...but at least it wasn't his real leg....
 
crimzy

crimzy

Active Member
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/2987176
James Clark...the guy in the picture, where that quote came from, is the guy I know from Shedd.
As I said, I'm not that stupid guys.
I also have a 14' Burmese Python...do you all believe, because you see online, that they can get 30' long?
Just an FYI Andy, I've taken care of 25' long, 300 lb Burmese Pythons. Are you suggesting that yours is full grown?
My last point on this subject, because it's clear that you are doing what you want regardless of the advice you get... I've seen you rip newbs on here to shreds when they suggest that they may put a clown trigger in a 300 gallon tank. I've seen you crush a person who wanted to keep a snowflake eel in a 50 gallon tank. What is your basis for suggesting that all the references are wrong and that your lizard is full grown? Is it just because that's an easy way to rationalize something like this?
Just because you've been around for a while doesn't mean you're doing the right thing. Good luck. I hope that thing doesn't injure you or anyone else in your household when it catches the scent of those ferrits, cats and other little furry animals you have running around.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/2987230
This might sound cold...but at least it wasn't his real leg....

The whole story is a riot, Semi thread hijack
This guy had a hired hand who was a mexican and didn't speak a lot of english. He called the lizard Sastino or something like that (Spanish for dragon) and was scared to death of the thing. He is telling the story and I was crying I laughed so hard. He wouldn't even go into the part of the house where the room was with the lizard. He hears the guy screaming and figures the lizard is eating him so he comes running in with a shovel to kill it. Meanwhile back at the Lizard ranch the guy has grabbed a mop handle and is trying to get his leg back back out of the pen but is having a heck of a time hopping around on one leg. The hired hand burst into the room and the door catches the end of the mop which causes him to fall into the side of the pen (Above ground swimming pool frame) so now it gets knocked over to the point part of it isn't on the floor and the Lizard gets lose. The hand throws the shovel and heads for the hills. The guy with one leg hobbles out using the mop as a crutch and neither thought to pull the door shut so the thing would at least be limited to the room.
They slept in the guys camper that night and the next morning they went in a window to get his leg out of the pen. The guy went in repaired to kill the lizard but it was back to its same old mellow self, just hanging out in the kitchen where it could get some sun. Very unpredictable critters.
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/2987176
James Clark...the guy in the picture, where that quote came from, is the guy I know from Shedd.
I don't doubt that you know him or have talked to him. but I DO doubt that a proffessional zookeeper told you it was a good idea to keep a monitor lizard. why don't you tell the truth and tell everybody that at the same time he gave advice about keeping one, he probably qualified it with, "I definitely would not suggest keeping one as a pet".
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/2987317
LOL...I wonder if he still has the leg eating lizard...
Him and the Lizard have left the planet.
The lizard died when he had to leave town for a few days and forgot to leave the heat on for it. He lived in Escondido Ca which is near San Diego and doesn't get very cold. He was told the things need a lot of humidity and dehydration was probably the real culprit. The reptile guy suggested some smaller monitors that make great pets but like others have mentioned here these are better left to the experts.
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
Originally Posted by crimzy
http:///forum/post/2987236
Just an FYI Andy, I've taken care of 25' long, 300 lb Burmese Pythons. Are you suggesting that yours is full grown?
My last point on this subject, because it's clear that you are doing what you want regardless of the advice you get... I've seen you rip newbs on here to shreds when they suggest that they may put a clown trigger in a 300 gallon tank. I've seen you crush a person who wanted to keep a snowflake eel in a 50 gallon tank. What is your basis for suggesting that all the references are wrong and that your lizard is full grown? Is it just because that's an easy way to rationalize something like this?
Just because you've been around for a while doesn't mean you're doing the right thing. Good luck. I hope that thing doesn't injure you or anyone else in your household when it catches the scent of those ferrits, cats and other little furry animals you have running around.
I'm not doing what I want, not heeding suggestions or advice from professionals. I'm disregarding the scolding I've taken here, by people who haven't the slightest idea of what I'm talking about.
I've never stated that my snakes are full grown. What I do think you're exaggerating about is the size of the Burm you say you took care of. I'd love to see pics of this, because I also know the gentleman who has the largest Burm in the world (personally owned or zoo owned) and his is only 23'.
Also, before you start spouting off about how you hope it doesn't catch the scent of all the furry animals in my house, it'd be wise to probably ask what I have first. The only "furry" thing we have is a dog. The ferrets were placed with another family, after we fostered them. The Raccoon was set free, after being housed by a wildlife conservation society.
I would like to see where you say where I've "crushed a person" who wanted to keep a SFE in a 50gal tank, permanatly. Clown Trigger, in a 300 gal tank? Alone, yes...I've seen you advise people not to keep certain fish with tankmates as well. Hello pot, I'm kettle.
My basis for suggesting some referrences are wrong is because I talk to people who know what they're talking about...not just believeing everything I read. People with some hands on experiance, not ones that sit at home, do some reading online and then run their mouth about how I'm such a bad person.
Search for Burmese Pythons, or Retics for any matter...you'll find all kinds of good info about how they've been seen at 35' long. If you believe that, then there's definately something wrong.
Originally Posted by Pontius
http:///forum/post/2987296
I don't doubt that you know him or have talked to him. but I DO doubt that a proffessional zookeeper told you it was a good idea to keep a monitor lizard. why don't you tell the truth and tell everybody that at the same time he gave advice about keeping one, he probably qualified it with, "I definitely would not suggest keeping one as a pet".

Ummm, actually, he personally owns 9 different species of Monitor, some up to 70lbs and most breeding pairs, along with 20+ large snakes, a 5' Iguana...I could fill a page with, listing his collection.
I could really care less who believes what or if you don't believe me.
I posted this because I was excited about getting him and thought I'd share.
You're probably the type that also says Pits and Rotties are killers and will eat your babies too.
Anyhoo...sorry if I offended anyone by posting this.
As far as I'm concerned, this thread can be closed and/or deleted now.
I'll stick to talking to the people that actually know what they're talking about and don't criticize just for the hell of it.
 
U

usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/2987151
I've been in contact with my friend, at Shedd, where they have one. The largest Croc. Monitor to have ever been documented was a wild caught, that was 9' 6"...3/4 of that being tail. He said that the size of ours now will most likely be adult size and he will grow no larger.
Heather has been on the phone with her friend at St. Louis Zoo, getting insight from professionals.
And, the 50lb weigh in, which is what I was told from the previous owner, was a little exaggerated. He's right around 25lb.
You guys know me...I don't do anything too stupid. If I thought I wouldn't be able to provide great care for him, I wouldn't have gotten him. I am, however, very glad we did. The guy we got him from was not taking good care of him, AT ALL.
In the less than 24 hours that we've had him, we've noticed that he's overweight to the point of obesity and he's having some breathing issues.
Along with me talking to my guy, at Shedd, Heather has gotten in touch with a girl she knows from St. Louis Zoo. Hopefully, it won't be too much trouble to get back up to 100%.
Look at the pics, below, then find other pics of people keeping much more common Monitors (Niles, etc). He's not bigger than them. Just because you read somewhere that these things get 15' long doesn't mean they do. How many times do you see where people have stated that Reticulated Pythons and Burmese Pythons get 35' long?
PICTURES!!!





Huh, not what I was thinking. I was thinking Steve Irwin type crocodile...not whatever he kept specifically, but something along those lines. Very neat looking creature. I wish you the best if you are going to try and keep it. Hope it doesn't kill anyone.
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
Originally Posted by AW2x3
http:///forum/post/2987515
You're probably the type that also says Pits and Rotties are killers and will eat your babies too.
no, though when keeping dog breeds that are known to be used as "fighting dogs", one has to be careful in making sure that fighting is not in the dog's bloodline. if it's not, then pitbulls are very gentle and fun loving dogs. if fighting is bred into them, they are dangerous.
but, a dog is a domesticated animal, a monitor lizard is not, so you're kind of comparing apples and oranges. even with a "bad" dog, a responsible owner can keep it under control. I doubt you can keep a 7-12 ft monitor lizard under control if/when it's natural instincts kick in. hell, you said yourself that it already tried to bite you.
do what you want. I'll look for your story on Yahoo in a year or two.
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
You're more naive than I thought. You scold, I have a rebuttal and you have nothing to say in your defense, other than taking one line out of long post, made by myself. I don't feel the need to waste the time, nor the energy to continue the discussion.
As I've already stated...for all I care, this thread can be closed. I'm getting tons of supportive advice from very experianced, long time keepers, including a herpatologist with the St. Louis Zoo, who also personally keeps Monitors. As I already stated, I'd rather talk to people who know what they're talking about, as opposed to someone who hasn't the slightest idea what a Crocodile Monitor is, without having to look it online.
Also wanted to say thanks to the supportive individuals here and thanks to the ones who enjoyed looking.
 
S

saltman23

Guest
that is a awesome looking monitor. what other kind of reptiles do you have AW2x3?
 
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