Small monitors?

[Jacknife]

I have found striped tails monitors are easy to maintain as long as they have a hot spot and low humidity. I found they are easier to maintain and breed than bearded dragons.

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Striped tails monitors are a good option. Easy too breed and to maintain. They breed like rabbits under the right conditions

Thats a good call, though you need an advanced license to keep them in Vic.

 

[nir.n]

I did some more research and looked through the forum again(this time got up to threads from 2006)
I didn't get answers for those questions:
What temperatures should be in the enclosure from basking spot(some say 40-45 degrees and others say 60-70) to cold side.
At what age is it possible to tell their sex(i'm interested in a male and female/2 and cant afford the chance of getting 2 males).
Should chicken/beef be part of their diet? should pinkie mice be part of their diet? I'm basically asking how to feed them and how many times(adults and juveniles) because I read too many versions.
I've never been a fan of woodies or crickets, they jump/climb everywhere but I guess with ackies I can't avoid them. Is one of them enough?(crickets or woodies) and if so which one is better? would you just let them run in the terrarium, place in a slippery bowl or feed with tweezers? And how will you make a bowl slippery without hurting the monitor?(without using vaseline or other substances that might harm the monitor). In addition to the crickets/woodies there will a constant supply of mealworms and giant mealworms(can they be given frequently and as a main part of the diet?).

Any help will be appreciated! I know i'm asking a lot of questions but I want to be ready and have everything figured out before getting a new animal.

Thanks in advance!

 

[jedi_339]

I did some more research and looked through the forum again(this time got up to threads from 2006)
I didn't get answers for those questions:
What temperatures should be in the enclosure from basking spot(some say 40-45 degrees and others say 60-70) to cold side.
At what age is it possible to tell their sex(i'm interested in a male and female/2 and cant afford the chance of getting 2 males).
Should chicken/beef be part of their diet? should pinkie mice be part of their diet? I'm basically asking how to feed them and how many times(adults and juveniles) because I read too many versions.
I've never been a fan of woodies or crickets, they jump/climb everywhere but I guess with ackies I can't avoid them. Is one of them enough?(crickets or woodies) and if so which one is better? would you just let them run in the terrarium, place in a slippery bowl or feed with tweezers? And how will you make a bowl slippery without hurting the monitor?(without using vaseline or other substances that might harm the monitor). In addition to the crickets/woodies there will a constant supply of mealworms and giant mealworms(can they be given frequently and as a main part of the diet?).

Any help will be appreciated! I know i'm asking a lot of questions but I want to be ready and have everything figured out before getting a new animal.

Thanks in advance!

I'll try to answer a few things from my limited experience with gilleni and soon to be caudolineatus,

My basking spot for the gilleni is at about 75 degrees, however they have a two tiered slate hotspot, so while one sits at about 75, the other probably sits closer to the 55-60 mark (though I haven't bothered to measure the cooler of the two). If I were you I'd be aiming at the 55-60 mark, but so long as they have a good gradient between the heat and ambient room temp they should be fine.

Sexing can be done a number of ways, none are 100% reliable for inexperienced people such as ourselves, I used the hemipenal transillumination technique and even then I had to go and ask for another few opinions, your best bet would to get someone who knows what they are doing to help, but this technique works best when the monitor is both relaxed and young, so I've been told.

I feed mine cut up chicken hearts and small pieces of flesh (no bone) from chicken necks every now and again, it isn't recommended to feed them these meats as a staple because they lack the organs, roughage and other associated vitamins, minerals etc. that the monitor would normally get from whole prey items, In saying that it answers your next question, cut-up mice are good for them because they include all the other parts of the animal, bones, organs, fur etc.

I've never fed my monitors woodies, mainly because I don't keep them, however generally speaking crickets are the main prey item I feed, I just throw them in dusted with calcium powder every second or third feed when I remember. No need for a bowl or container for the crickets, they will actively hunt them down, however it is never advisable to throw in more than they can eat in a few minutes, I know of someone who had their gilleni's toes eaten by crickets when too many were left in there.

Meal worms / giant mealworms are not good for a staple, they are fine if fed every now and then, they are too fatty (so I've been told) and monitors can be prone to obesity in captivity if overfed (especially males). I also feed mine newly metamorphosed giant meal worm beetles which they seem to love, however that's once again only occasionally as I don't often catch them fresh.

I don't know if I answered everything, however there's a bit of info for you to have a look at.

Cheers

J

 

[nir.n]

Thanks for the answer! It does help a lot!
The more I know the better
I read that pinkies are enough because the "other parts" don't get digested anyway. Any comments about that?
And again, any help would be appreciated! I really want to know the age at which the monitor can be sexed and the methods that are used.
I'll take any tips and help!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Stevo2]

A great reference for you to get your hands on, that answers most of your questions, is "A Guide to Australian Monitors in Captivity".

http://www.geckodan.com/index.php?page=bookshop?pg1

I have a colony of black headed monitors and find them hassle free - a couple of basking spots in their large enclosure (not sure of the basking temp and they self regulate anyway), dusted crickets, pinkies for the male (the females flick their tongues in dislike at pinkies and run away, lol) and turkey mince with added calcium and vitamins.

 

[Crazycow232]

gday mate

Basking temp should be around 55-70. cold side should be around 25-30. Woodies are better as they have more meat and less shell and are also easier to care for. It is better if you feed them whole animals like mice rather than just plain meat. The bones and fur will give them more nutrients than plain meat. You might be able to get away with plain meat but you will have to put vit and cal powder on more often.

Hope i helped.

Good luck

 

[Rogue5861]

I would say cold end temps of 25-30 during winter and 30-35c over summer. Basking spots of between 55-70 (my ackies spend more time under the 55c one then the 70c, but the 70c is over a stack they spend a lot of time in).

Feed 60% woodies, 5% crickets and 35% mice (chopped up or 5-6 day old pinkies). Dust calcium every 2-3 feeds.


Rick

 

[nir.n]

Should I feed in the same way the younger ackies? I just dont think my parents would like the idea of me chopping mice in my room so ill stick to 5-6 year old pinkies haha.
No chicken/beef? Can the crickets be frozen?
Also I would appreciate any information about sexing the monitors and age.
Thanks in advance!

 

[pinefamily]

Whole prey (chopped or otherwise) is preferable to chicken or turkey. No beef. Turkey chicken or kangaroo are good lean options as an occasional feed. Our ackies are all juveniles and only starting to eat food other than crickets.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[pinefamily]

If you have nothing to contribute to this thread, you should not post anything.