Varanus Indicus

aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
I've been wanting another Monitor for a long time...especially after not having my Croc anymore, but have definately wanted a smaller species.
I found this girl on the local Craigslist and after some negotiation, I traded a rescued Peruvian Red Tail for her.
She's a Mangrove Monitor (Varanus Indicus), about 2.5' in length and is actually fairly tame. Doesn't mine being handled, scratched, feet messed with, etc. She's happily feeding on pinks, Dubia Roaches, crickets, eggs and ground turkey. I'll try to get her into some fish, as they're mostly a water Monitor...we'll see how that goes.
She's in a 75gal aquarium, for quarentine, right now. I'm gonna start building her an arboreal enclosure this weekend, with a fairly decent sized pond. I'd like to find a male, for her and keep the pair.
The pics aren't that great, but I just got her today and wanted to stress her as little as possible.
She's a little chubber, I think, but we'll work that weight off...other than that, she's perfectly healthy.


Pinky blood! YUM!


 
lovethesea

lovethesea

Active Member
I clicked on this because I didn't understand it. Well.....
ugh....I still think your roomies are............. Accckkkkk!!!

I know, its not a snake, BUT still its slithery and and can still eat small children
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Mostly water,,,,,, Hmmmm. I have this pond in my back yard it would look good in. Who needs a Pitbull, I gots me a watch lizzard

Of course the wife told me if I threw tadpoles in the pond she'd never go in the back yard again, SHE'S AFRAID OF FRIGGIN FROGS!!!!
I somehow don't see her cozying up to a large reptile either.
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
Originally Posted by lovethesea
http:///forum/post/3255417
I clicked on this because I didn't understand it. Well.....
ugh....I still think your roomies are............. Accckkkkk!!!

I know, its not a snake, BUT still its slithery and and can still eat small children

She's not slithery and her body is only about 12" long (she won't get much bigger). I don't think she'll be able to eat small children. Lol
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
the enclosure sounds neat. would be cool to have a little fountain going into the pond.
post pics please :)
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Do they get the same nasty bacteria in their mouths they do in the wild? My brother had one of the big one's for a while and that always worried me.
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
Eh...I'm sure that in the wild, they have some funky stuff, in their mouths. Most monitors are scavengers, if given the opprotunity. Eating dead/rotting animals is what creates the bacteria.
Komodo Dragons, known for their very potent mouth bacteria, actually do not have it in captivity, as they're not fed carrion.
Mangrove Monitors live primarily around water and are big fish eaters, so I wouldn't assume they'd have some terrible bacteria. I'm sure you could end up with an infection, from a bite, but it wouldn't be life threantening or anything.
As with all of my other pets, I run the risk of bites and do get bitten often...a good cleaning and antibacterial ointment always does the trick.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
its like dart frogs. In captivity they are no threat. In the wild they eat those ants and you die. I love monitors but had a really bad bite from one and will never get another. They are so powerful its unreal.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
My brother was really infection prone. He got cellulosis (sp?) once from his African Grey Parrot bitting him. I had always heard the big lizards carried a lot of nasty bacteria in the mouth. Always wondered if it was related to diet or not. The monitor he had he gave to his buddy. I saw a picture of the guy holding it up, it was looking the guy in the eye and the tail was dragging the ground. The guy was like 6'2". That was a big friggin lizard.
One time this ol wino decided to feed the lizard, he gave it fresh chicken. He comes in and sees the water dish is knocked over so he steps over the pen (was in a small above ground swimming pool) and evidently he had some chicken blood on him. Instinct takes over and the lizard goes after him. He gets one leg out of the pen but before he can get the other out the lizard grabs ahold and pulls his leg off. No, really. The guy had an artificial leg just below the knee and thats what the lizard grabbed a hold of. He said he was hoping around on one leg calling for his ranch hand who wouldn't go into that room he was so scared of the thing. Where's a video camera when you need it.
That was the only act of aggression the thing ever showed in all the time he and my brother had it. He was cool to be picked up and would sit in your lap or whatever. Not my cup of tea but fascinating critters.
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
Yeah...that's one thing I'm always aware of. I don't care who you are, how long you've been dealing with reptiles, etc, they're still a wild animal. It irritates me to no end, when I hear people saying they have a puppy dog tame monitor...especially irritated when I see them walking around large species on harness/leash.
I have no illusions that any of my reptiles are tame. Handable and tolerant yes...tame, not in the least. I know if I get in Brutus's cage and smell like food, I'm gonna have 18' and 200lb of Burmese Python on me quicker than I can react an there's not a damned thing I can do about it...the fact that he doesn't ever mind being messed with is irrelevant. Lol
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
LOL...when you get a snake over 6' long, come talk to me, Sweet Pants.
You know I love you, sweetums.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
The way my boy is eating he will be 12 feet by years end. My female started to come around. She will be 10. I will leash them and have them pull me like the tame dog snakes they are. I had a 14' reg
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3255869
My retic is puppy dog tame and i walk him on a leash. Take that fight back!
OMG! Please post a picture of this! So cool.
I wonder why your pet reps bite? I have no problem with my snakes on the biting front. They never snap at me or strike out. I have been bitten maybe less than 5 times over the past 12 years and its always been just my mistake because they tracked on to me instead of prey while trying to feed them.
Do your reps normally act docile but you just get bitten by mistake, or are they more aggressive? Of course I do have what are considered mostly mild mannered snakes. And they do get handled by me a lot.
 
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