Sand Goanna Help Please

[Tristis]

it looks more like a tristis to me. this is a sand monitor

[junglepython2]

I'm going for a sandy for what its worth, its head doesnt look ackie to me.

Maybe send it to slateman for the southern cross comp :wink:

[cris]

Looks like a sand goanna to me too, dunno what sub species though.
Just feed it mainly on whole rodents and as mentioned a large enclosure with very hot basking spot and lots of good hides and digging opportunity.

Be careful if you have been handling rats too, it might think you are food if you smell like a rat and they have big teeth.

[OdessaStud]

His tail feels slightly prickly I hope this pic helps a bit more
Eh!!!! thanks guys

[Tristis]

its a tristis ornitalis (?? spelling??) freckeld monitor

[cris]

its a tristis ornitalis (?? spelling??) freckeld monitor

Yes i think that now too

[freerider]

Nah I think it's a Varanus Scalaris (spotted tree Monitor)

[nathanbrisvegas]

tristis orientalis looks nothing like a sandy

give it branches to climb hollows to utilise ect feed it woodies and crix small mice ect

same temps for basking sapot ect

[nathanbrisvegas]

also contact the person u bought it from as a sandy and tell them that it was wrongly sold as a sandy and that they were wrong .


very nice flavi tristis

[herptrader]

A very nice looking monitor.

Given that it is a juvenile and does have the line through the eye I would say in all probability it is a sandy.

I would also assume the person you got it from, particularly if they were the breeder, is more likely to know what it is than a bunch of APS members with nothing better to do on a Friday apart from surf APS.

Lots of heat at a basking site, some UV if you can (I am thinking the Aussie Sun MVB's from the Herp Shop ;-) ) keep it well fed with food dusted very regularly with Calcium (and some times Herp-t-vite sp??) and it should thrive.

[OdessaStud]

Thanks for your help everyone Ill go with herptrader and a few others as well as the breeder well call it a sand monitor.How big do they grow and what is the best feed to give her,the Aussie Sun MVB is how much is is please educate me.

[ssssnakeman]

im no expert but your sandy seems to have a longer sort of flatter snout than the ones ive seen lately,beautiful animal anyway.
ive got heaps of pics of mine as i reckon sandies are probably one of the most photogenic of all the animals i have here
baz

[Pythoninfinite]

tristis orientalis.. As I said before, definitely not a sand goanna - sandies have a laterally compressed tail and very different markings. That is nothing like V. gouldii ssp of any age, totally different shape & colour. The head, tail & markings place it straight into the V. tristis orientalis basket.

Jamie.

[herptrader]

Originally Posted by OdessaStud

Thanks for your help everyone Ill go with herptrader and a few others as well as the breeder well call it a sand monitor.How big do they grow and what is the best feed to give her,the Aussie Sun MVB is how much is is please educate me.

Have a look on the lighting page at http://www.herpshop.com.au

Basically it is a globe that puts out signficant heat and UV and is pretty much ideal for creating a good basking spot for medium to large montor species. (Their suitability depend more on the size of the cage rather than anything else.)



Beware of imitations - you will find similar globes on the market which could be just as good but they are usually more expensive than the Herp Shop.

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[matt.monitor]

Hi,

I agree. Definitely not a V.g.gouldii nor V.g.flavirufus.

Have you got a close up pic of the top of the head? Otherwise if interested you can refer to Cogger - Reptiles & Amphibians (6th Ed.):

- the scales located immediately on top of the eyes gradually merge with the larger surrounding scales = scalaris (in this case)

- the scales located immediately on top of eyes are very small and quite distinct from the larger surrounding scales = tristis (in this case)

If that doesn't make sense a photo would make it easier! Otherwise just enjoy your new addition.

Cheers,
Matt

PS: Very nice looking monitor in any case!!!!