Info on Spencer's monitors please.

[Rocket]

Just wandering if any Spencer's Monitor (Varanus Spenceri) Breeders out there could give some info out.

Especially-
-Desired temps
-Main Staple Diet
- whether SA Climate is Suitable for them to be kept outdoors
- and any other necessary or handy info on them.

I understand they reach an average TL of 1.2 metres.

Thanks
Shawn

 

[tommomotto]

know people that keep em outside in sa but move em in for the winter or set up hot box for them to winter in.

 

[Rocket]

Thanks Tommo.

Any other people that could share some personal experience or do people think that another type like Gouldii would benefit better from our SA Climate?

Shawn

 

[Rocket]

So Nobody keeps Spenceri or Gouldii?

 

[hornet]

give it time, should get replys tonight when people get home from work

 

[bulldogwoma]

spencers

i know they require a basking spot of about 35deg, they love chicken mince , crickets and woodies,when young. i suppose adults will eat rats and mice. you could keep them in the south pole ,as long as you keep the heat up for them !!!

 

[cris]

I think they should be fine in SA if you provide them with heating.
You want a basking spot of at least 50C just like most other monitors.
Spencers are nice in that they dont seem to bite defensively as lacies and other monitors do. Although you need to be real careful when food comes into the equation and watch your toes :lol:

Feed them on anything meaty like rats, chicken, roo, beef, fish etc. whole prey should make up the bulk of the diet or atleast mix up differant pieces of the animals so they get a balanced diet.

I would consider a 4x2m enclosure a reasonable minimum for an adult but im sure they will live in something smaller. Bigger is always much better.

 

[mick w]

i have kept them outdoors in sa in an aviary type cage half roof half wire in the back corner i had an area were they could retreat that had a heat mat for the cool nights and nearby i had a heatlight witch they loved in the cooler months i found threw the summer months they used the natural sun light to warm upthey are a great moniter copped some nasty bites when feeding but myfault for not concentrating my cage was 12ft + 12ft by 7ft high

 

[Rocket]

The cage I have available is approx. 7foot Long x 5 foot wide x 6 foot high

Not suitable?

Thanks for the responses.
Shawn

 

[cris]

Mick, got any bite pics?

Personally i wouldnt get a spencers monitor if 7' x 5' x 6' was the lagest enclosure it would have, but i think it would probably survive without a problem. The distances they travel in the wild are usually measured in km's so you should try to keep them in a big enclosure IMO.

They are also good diggers so you will need some type of floor(not wire i have been told) or walls that go down along way, i would be guessing atleast a meter but not to sure.

 

[Rocket]

Ok, thanks Cris.

Maybe I should just get a heap of beardies or something BUT I am set on a Spencer's Monitor.

No probs with the flooring- I can easily get something organised in either wooden flooring or something, No?

Shawn

 

[cris]

I think you should stick with the spencers monitor i just think you should be trying to get a bigger enclosure for it as an adult.

A solid wooden floor would be OK unless it starts to rot or get eaten by termites, i used concrete for mine and just put about half a meter of dirt ontop of the slab for digging in.

 

[Rocket]

No Probs Cris,
Got any pics of yours?

I was planning on: Using a solid wooden floor with the sand being about a metre worth of sand around the whole cage.

Cheers
Ill see about another sized avairy.
Shawn

 

[cris]

I just got some pics, i was going to get some more pics of inside but he was hungry :lol:
I still have to add more stuff for him to dig in and some more logs and stuff.

 

[hornet]

looks good chris, should come check it out 1day

 

[Rocket]

Hes awesome Cris!!!!

Now I want one even more. How often do you clean the enclosure?
Do you breed em?

Shawn

 

[cris]

I dont breed them, well not yet anyway. There were some on the herptrader for $250
I clean up any mess he makes when i notice it, they seem to always crap in the same end of their enclousre away from their favorite hide.

 

[Rocket]

Thanks alot Cris,

Will see how I go. I understand they can be kept with Shinglebacks?? They had some together at Reptile City but that Spencer's was a sub-adult.

Shawn

 

[l222l3rodiel222l]

haha thats probablly the spencers i bought a couple of weeks ago, its about two years old. how olds yours cris. the one i bought hasnt been handled much so i been trying to handle it as much as i can, in two weeks its already calmed down abit. As wild and angry as it gets it never bites. its a perfect lizard to get for a pet if you get it as a hatchling.