lace monitors

[monique18026]

what size enclosure do you think a fully grown lace monitor would need ?

 

[mckellar007]

3x3x2 minimum, in metres

 

[derekm]

3x3x2 minimum, in metres

I was thinking "your spare bedroom", so that's consistent.

 

[Chrisreptile]

Have you had any experience with monitors monique?

 

[mysnakesau]

monique the general guidance for monitors is that an enclosure needs to be at a minimum twice the length of the lizard from snout to tip of tail. Fully grown lacies usually about the 2m mark so that means you'd need an enclosure at least 4m square. Then you might like to consider height since they do spend some time up the trees.

 

[derekm]

the general guidance for monitors is that an enclosure needs to be at a minimum twice the length of the lizard from snout to tip of tail. /QUOTE]

No wonder acanthurus are so popular!!!

 

[serpenttongue]

My lacie aviaries are roughly 3.5-4m long, 2m wide and 1.8 high. This is plenty of room for them to walk around and climb etc (although i do wish the aviaries were bigger).

Keep in mind that you could end up with a female lacie, which will be considerably smaller than a full grown male.

 

[Jdsixtyone]

How big r they when they are hatchies? And what size cage do i need? I might b getting one.

 

[serpenttongue]

How big r they when they are hatchies? And what size cage do i need? I might b getting one.

Mate, i'm hoping you're aware that these are a big species of lizard and are potentially dangerous. They are not for the inexperienced. Since you are only 12, i can only assume that you are inexperienced (keeping blue tongues/ bearded dragons etc doesn't count).

Also, these animals are on class 2. I believe you need to be 18 years old to acquire this licence.

But to answer your question, they are roughly 15cm long as hatchlings (from memory), and can be kept in a small enclosure at this size, however they grow quickly. They are $500 as hatchlings.

 

[seanjbkorbett]

How big r they when they are hatchies? And what size cage do i need? I might b getting one.

yeah dude i agree with serpent tounge!....would start with a way smaller monitor first dude to get some monitor behaviour experiance first..and wait till your a bit older..be patient,it will be worth the wait,when your your a bit older and you can handle such a large lizard.

 

[seanjbkorbett]

My monitor is just a year old now and i house just him in a indoor enclosure iv made out of a large woordrobe.. 1'50 long,80wide,2mtrs high.

 

[richardsc]

mental note to the inexperienced,today i fed my lacies,3 of them live indoors,2 are rather tame,i still dont trust them,anyways open door to feed and the 2 tamest ones explode out the door,1 four foot female lept on to my leg,the like size but twice as solid male hung onto door frame,now i managed to put food in a tub which the female climbed in for,and coax male back in his cage,these arent 6 food long blueys,monitors have to be given respect,especially larger species like lacies,even tame ones can snap,the tamer they are the more likely they jump out at you,especially at feed time,they can go nuts

 

[ThePaintedLady]

Hi there,
Congratulations on wanting to own a lacie...They are a beautiful species to keep.

I feel honoured every day to study these gorgeous creatures and they are on a Class 2 licence for a reason.
I personally would like to see them on a higher class due to the aggressiveness.

I have seen people who have had Sand Monitors and Accies on their shoulder and walk around with them but I have never seen a person with a Lacie for a reason!!!
I once saw a photo of a person with a Lacie on their shoulder but after a bit more questioning and probing I found out it was dead!

I personally have a few years experience with them both as a captive animal and rehabilitating wild ones when I was with a wildlife group.
I am a vet nurse and still rescue and rehab them at times with another rehab group but the advice I would give is to think long and hard about keeping them as they get more vicious the bigger they get and tend to stand up and take you on..

I currently have a 3 year old female that I bought as a 6 month old hatchie and she has always been flighty and tamed down for a while until recently as she is starting to lunge at me and challenge me when feeding.
This is a normal process as she is maturing and learning where her limits are and hormones are starting to play a part in her mannerisms.

They are best kept in a strong enclosure when small and always have a cave and substitute tree for them to climb as when they are young they spend most of their time up trees.
When they get bigger an aviary as big as you can get would be good. As the others said at least 4 metres square.

They will use their tail to whip you as first defence which is like a barbed file and can open you up.
The bigger they get they will usually rear up on their back legs and hiss and puff up their throat as a warning but can also charge at you with mouth open but I have found will only use their mouth when they really have to.
They prefer to get away.
They are VERY STRONG as well...
When I rescue 2 metre ones I ALWAYS take another person and we both grab an end...
Even my girl now is starting to get very strong for me...

At ALL TIMES PLEASE wear arm length welding gloves when handling as their teeth and nails can open you up VERY EASILY!!!!

If you do happen to purchase one make sure you are shown how to handle them...
Their neck can twist back onto itself and grab you so always grab just behind the ears and at the base of the tail with your gloves on!
Luckily I have not had any close shaves as common sense and self preservation is my keys when dealing with them even the wild ones...
Just because they are quiet does not mean they are plotting where to get you!!

The best way is to start small like the others said with an accie and then see how you go.

Not sure where you are but I am more than happy for you to contact me on the email and I could teach you how to handle them and you can get experience feeding them etc...

Or maybe someone who lives closer to you that has one could help out training you up?

Dont get disheartened...I think they are a great reptile and if thats what you want then go for it but get experience first!
Take Care and I hope I could have helped you in your decision...
Jo

 

[richardsc]

well said painted lady,thats what i was trying to get accross,if your getting a medium to large monitor in the hope of having a tame handable lizard,monitors arent a great choice,sure the odd one may be tame,but thats not the norm,and even the tamest can turn,there powerful animals,even a 3 foot long lacey,there bites arent something you forget in a hurry,there claws the same,even a simple nip draws blood easily,just know what your getting your self into,keeping one indoors isnt going to be fun if your scared to opens its cage for routine maintenence,and trust me,there isnt a messier species to keep in captivity,lol,are u able to heat it when it requires more space as it grows?also feed it?believe me,they can eat copious amounts,if kept right,especially as they are growing,if you have your heart set on it by all means go for it,there lovely animals to keep,just know what your getting yourself into,and above all,with any medium to large monitor species,respect them,there powerful.active,animals capable of causing serious injuries and require considerable amounts of time,space,food,heating and above all care

 

[Goodoo]

They are a fascinating animal. I have a lot of wild ones on my place and I have tried to get close up pictures of them. I always think they will give me a tail whip first but when they swell up their neck and start making hissing sounds I back off.
I know of a Canadian bloke who was working in the area and saw his first lace monitor. He had left his camera behind, but wanted a picture of it. So he climbed a tree after it and somehow got it into a bag. He took it back to where he was staying and took it out and took its picture. He did get a couple of small scratches and only one bite, so was lucky, but the bite did not heal well so eventually went to the doctor and was put on antibiotics.
Last time I heard this bloke was looking after Rhinos in Africa and was still alive.

 

[seanjbkorbett]

Hi there,
Congratulations on wanting to own a lacie...They are a beautiful species to keep.

I feel honoured every day to study these gorgeous creatures and they are on a Class 2 licence for a reason.
I personally would like to see them on a higher class due to the aggressiveness.

I have seen people who have had Sand Monitors and Accies on their shoulder and walk around with them but I have never seen a person with a Lacie for a reason!!!
I once saw a photo of a person with a Lacie on their shoulder but after a bit more questioning and probing I found out it was dead!

I personally have a few years experience with them both as a captive animal and rehabilitating wild ones when I was with a wildlife group.
I am a vet nurse and still rescue and rehab them at times with another rehab group but the advice I would give is to think long and hard about keeping them as they get more vicious the bigger they get and tend to stand up and take you on..

I currently have a 3 year old female that I bought as a 6 month old hatchie and she has always been flighty and tamed down for a while until recently as she is starting to lunge at me and challenge me when feeding.
This is a normal process as she is maturing and learning where her limits are and hormones are starting to play a part in her mannerisms.

They are best kept in a strong enclosure when small and always have a cave and substitute tree for them to climb as when they are young they spend most of their time up trees.
When they get bigger an aviary as big as you can get would be good. As the others said at least 4 metres square.

They will use their tail to whip you as first defence which is like a barbed file and can open you up.
The bigger they get they will usually rear up on their back legs and hiss and puff up their throat as a warning but can also charge at you with mouth open but I have found will only use their mouth when they really have to.
They prefer to get away.
They are VERY STRONG as well...
When I rescue 2 metre ones I ALWAYS take another person and we both grab an end...
Even my girl now is starting to get very strong for me...

At ALL TIMES PLEASE wear arm length welding gloves when handling as their teeth and nails can open you up VERY EASILY!!!!

If you do happen to purchase one make sure you are shown how to handle them...
Their neck can twist back onto itself and grab you so always grab just behind the ears and at the base of the tail with your gloves on!
Luckily I have not had any close shaves as common sense and self preservation is my keys when dealing with them even the wild ones...
Just because they are quiet does not mean they are plotting where to get you!!

The best way is to start small like the others said with an accie and then see how you go.

Not sure where you are but I am more than happy for you to contact me on the email and I could teach you how to handle them and you can get experience feeding them etc...

Or maybe someone who lives closer to you that has one could help out training you up?

Dont get disheartened...I think they are a great reptile and if thats what you want then go for it but get experience first!
Take Care and I hope I could have helped you in your decision...
Jo

well said. .i just dont know why most ppl portray them as only "AGRESSIVE"monitors..and,u can get them tame enough to perch on your shoulder..browse youtube theres some evidence on there.like most animals,its how u raise them that determens if he's going to be agressive or not i believe....i alos believe that they can also be raised not to be flighty or agressive (when older),if u do the right methods..suppose all monitors have different personality's..but still there are methods u can use,wich i have used,and that some other ppl i know have used.. that are working awsome,wich doesnt make mine aggressive and scarey as alot of ppl try to put out.....but dont get me wrong..i do belive caution should be taken sometimes when owning this species,as they are large and can become rather accustom to humans..making them run at u for food..

any way
cheers.

 

[herptrader]

At the VHS Expo there was a Lace monitor that did the rounds for most of the day - most of the time sitting on somebodies shoulder. He/She was not about to slice anybody open.

David Kirshner on Adrian's Reptile World the week before last described in great detail how he tamed his lacies. For him it was more about technique than natural temprament. Trying to summarise he was basically saying that you wait for them to get used to you. In the beginning you hardly see them, then you see them from time to time. Eventually they will get comfortable enough to eat in front of you. The next step is to offer them food from tongs. After that they can become pretty tame.

This is easy to summarise but the process would take years so you are going to need to be very very very patient.

 

[serpenttongue]

Not to dismiss any of the comments already mention, as i agree with them, but i believe all the major concerns with keeping these animals can be avoided if a bit of thought goes into housing them. If set up correctly, with careful attention to cage design, you can literally keep a lace monitor without ever needing to handle it.

You can design enclosures with partitions, which will keep the animal at one end of the enclosure while you clean any faeces, thus lowering the risk of being tail whipped or bitten. When a full enclosure clean-out is due, this can be done early in the morning when the monitor is still cool inside it's hiding box. The box can be lifted out of the enclosure(with the animal still inside) and put in a secure place while the whole enclosure is cleaned.

You can have smaller doors or chutes for introducing food, with the food simply being dropped down into a large bowl just inside the chute. You could also put their food into a bowl early in the morning before they emerge to bask and leave it with them. A healthy lacie can be trusted to emerge and bask as soon as the heat lamp comes on, and will eat the food soon after basking. This lowers the risk of being bitten from a feeding response.

Keeping adults in pits can also limit any risks involved with feeding them. Food can be thown to each individual animal, dropped onto rocks, or offered on long tongs. This is a much safer way than opening an enclosure door with a hungry lacie waiting on the other side.

These are just a few examples, but i'm sure there are more that can be applied, to allow for a harmonious existence between the keeper and the kept.

 

[cris]

Not to dismiss any of the comments already mention, as i agree with them, but i believe all the major concerns with keeping these animals can be avoided if a bit of thought goes into housing them. If set up correctly, with careful attention to cage design, you can literally keep a lace monitor without ever needing to handle it.

You can design enclosures with partitions, which will keep the animal at one end of the enclosure while you clean any faeces, thus lowering the risk of being tail whipped or bitten. When a full enclosure clean-out is due, this can be done early in the morning when the monitor is still cool inside it's hiding box. The box can be lifted out of the enclosure(with the animal still inside) and put in a secure place while the whole enclosure is cleaned.

You can have smaller doors or chutes for introducing food, with the food simply being dropped down into a large bowl just inside the chute. You could also put their food into a bowl early in the morning before they emerge to bask and leave it with them. A healthy lacie can be trusted to emerge and bask as soon as the heat lamp comes on, and will eat the food soon after basking. This lowers the risk of being bitten from a feeding response.

Keeping adults in pits can also limit any risks involved with feeding them. Food can be thown to each individual animal, dropped onto rocks, or offered on long tongs. This is a much safer way than opening an enclosure door with a hungry lacie waiting on the other side.

These are just a few examples, but i'm sure there are more that can be applied, to allow for a harmonious existence between the keeper and the kept.

Good post. I had been trying to think of a time you need to handle a goanna in a way that puts you at risk, all of could think of is if it needs medical treatment or is fighting with a cage mate and needs to be urgently seperated.

 

[mckellar007]

At the VHS Expo there was a Lace monitor that did the rounds for most of the day - most of the time sitting on somebodies shoulder. He/She was not about to slice anybody open.

the lacey at the expo was a rescue, it had been hit by a car and rehabilitated. it was missing an eye, and has brain damage....i was lucky enough to carry it around for a while and spoke to andrew about it(he's the owner) a normal lace monitor would be VERY hard to get that tame, even if you spend every day with it, when its around other people it will still be a little flighty of the new smells and surroundings. laceys are awsome animals that demand alot of respect!!