Best beginners monitor

[Emma96]

Hi all I was hoping to get some input on the best first monitor lizard to own.

I currently keep pythons, geckos and a blue tongue band always wanted a monitor but held off for a while. I really like the looks of a Black headed monitor because they aren't to small or massive but found it hard to find some caresheets on them so unsure if they are good.for beginners. I'm not intreinter in anything small or huge and really looking for something in the middle.

Any advice would be great plus basic care for suggested montiorw

 

[Herpetology]

Blackheadeds have a reputation for poor handling and very flighty

Ackies imo are THE best beginner monitor in terms of handling, size, temperament, and housing requirements

 

[Abstractivity]

I was looking for Ackies originally before I got my snakes and was told by a breeder that instead of Ackies, Pygmy Mulga Monitors were the best temperament wise (though many ackies I've held at the breeder were very good handlers. I'd say it's just luck of the draw and if you want one handle it beforehand. Unless you want a larger monitor then it may be a little more difficult to handle when it gets older.

 

[Sdaji]

If you want an animal to play with, don't get a monitor. They're brilliant animals, many species are very enjoyable to keep in terms of watching their behaviour and just admiring how cool they are, but they're not good handling animals. If you want a handling lizard you're better off with a Beardy, you just go past them, but better is a cat or rat or something.

Black-headed Monitors (or any form of tristis) are super cool animals. Very fun to watch. For the smaller species I'd definitely go for Pygmy Mulgas. Most people prefer the look of Ackies, and while they're also very cool you hear of a lot more cases of them killing each other, which I can't ever recall hearing about in Pygmy Mulgas and I never had issues myself in all the years I spend breeding oodles of them. Some Ackies are find though.

Don't worry about specific care sheets for each species; most of the monitors can be kept in much the same way. A blasting hot basking spot of at least 60 degrees (preferably 70+, I used to use over 80, and yes, that's celcius, and yes, if you touched the lizard's skin while it was basking it would literally hurt your hand), dry conditions, don't be stingy with feeding (also don't let them get fat), don't worry about UV as it does nothing, and unless you're feeding whole rodents, generously use calcium and multivitamin supplements (do this for all captive lizards which aren't eating a staple of whole rodents).

 

[Emma96]

Thankyou for the great information, not really for a handling pet more observation and prettiness

Also what type of enclosure would be best for a Black headed monitor?

 

[Sdaji]

Thankyou for the great information, not really for a handling pet more observation and prettiness

Excellent Monitors will be a brilliant choice!

Also what type of enclosure would be best for a Black headed monitor?

Enough space to run around in, an extremely hot basking spot (probably the most important thing), a tight space to hide in, dry conditions, make sure the hot basking spot doesn't totally cook the whole enclosure. Ideally the cool end shouldn't get above 30, but you'll get away with it going over 30 for some time during hot days, just make sure they aren't routinely forced to sit above mid 30s or ever forced to be in the high 30s for extended periods, preferably ever. They're very heat tolerant and they will take occasional periods of being forced into the 40s without a problem, but it's best not to push it. As far as decorations etc go, it's really up to you. They'll do a lot of running around and foraging, and while they'll thrive in a fairly small enclosure they'll be a lot of fun to watch in something larger and they'll enjoy it. You can use whatever rocks and wood etc etc you like as long as it's not going to collapse on them or otherwise hurt them. They'll explore and climb over whatever you give them. If you have the space and can manage to feed them, you'll love them. My lifestyle hasn't allowed me to keep lizards for a while (especially monitors which ideally should be fed every day, and need to be fed during the day as opposed to late evenings) but if it's an option for me this is a species I'd love to be working with when I get back into lizards.