You really need to decide what you ultimately want. If it is a Bell’s Lace Monitor and you have several years of successful lizard husbandry of a range of smaller species behind you, then you are likely capable of caring adequately for a Lace Monitor. You understand what is involved in husbandry and therefore what you need to research. There are some excellent books around these days and someone like Crocdoc could point you in the right direction.
Alternatively, if you feel the least bit in doubt of your capabilities at this point in time then take on a smaller species with similar things in common with lacies. Things like both terrestrial and arboreal for a significant amount of their time, quick moving in a cage etc. I reckon the choice gets down to two – Black-headed and Spencer’s Monitor. Either of these will help to develop your large monitor husbandry skills and allow a smaller step up to keeping a Lace Monitor. If it were me I would be choosing on the basis of which I liked most, as you will be along time looking at it.
Monitor teeth are recurved and knife-like, with serrated edges, and a mobile upper jaw that facilitates engagement of all the teeth into the prey item. They are designed for slicing so they can tear chunks off items that are too big to swallow whole e.g. a dead kangaroo. Even smaller monitors can do some real damage for their size.
Thanks for the gloves comment Saximus. The gloves that you me3ntoned in post 16 Ranga are primarily for protection fromclaws and while they might ameliorate the damage inflicted by a bite, a sizeable Lacie would would easily bite through them.
Blue