lace monitor q's

[taylor111]

hey
i am looking at geting a lace monitor and was wondering if a 3m x 4m x2.5m cage would be ok for an aduld

 

[taylor111]

bump

 

[taylor111]

how big to lace monitors get in total length i hace been told 2-3 metres is that right

 

[taylor111]

and how big would a monitor have to be to put it in its final enclosure 3m x 4m x 2.5m

 

[DA_GRIZ]

that size enclosure should be fine.

about 2 metres for males unsure on female i recomend you talk to serpenttongue or crocdoc(not sure if thats the exact username) i have talked to both of them and are both very helpful.

 

[taylor111]

cool


its werid that peoplearnt going mad about a 15 year old getting a lace monitor

when ever i try to get info on these guys people go crazy

 

[DA_GRIZ]

i wouldn't bother with people like that i want a sand monitor and will most likely get one and me and mum are already planning on a lace monitor when i get a class 2.

only thing is if u get one make sure you can handle it they can give a very nasty bite

deffinatly talk to serpenttongue he is a good bloke and is nearly always willing to help

 

[Dave]

:lol: I had a bloke who had a go at me about a hatchie spencer and the guy was the same age as me and had a pair of spencers?

i wouldn't bother with people like that i want a sand monitor and will most likely get one and me and mum are already planning on a lace monitor when i get a class 2.

only thing is if u get one make sure you can handle it they can give a very nasty bite

deffinatly talk to serpenttongue he is a good bloke and is nearly always willing to help

 

[taylor111]

lol

yea my family said i could have the spair room for when its an adult

and how big would it have to be to put in a 3m x 4m room

 

[taylor111]

bump

 

[boconnor]

I don't see too much wrong with a 15 year old getting a lace monitor as long as they have done some sort of research and have a good idea on the animal. If you don't know the size they grow to it sounds like you have done little research.

cheers
Ben

 

[taylor111]

from what i have hered females get to about 2m

 

[taylor111]

bump

 

[crocdoc]

I wouldn't knowingly sell a lacie baby to a 15 year old.

Why? Two reasons:

1. They're a big, active animal that requires a huge enclosure, loads of electricity (if housed indoors) and a prodigious amount of food, which gets very expensive very quickly. That's all fine while you're living with your parents if they're very supportive of your hobby, but at 15 your life is about to start changing a lot. Different interests and probably different living arrangements will all start happening soon. What happens to the lizard then? Suddenly you have an adult lace monitor that no one wants, so it gets passed around from person to person. They're an intelligent reptile and they like having routine in their lives, so it's cruel to continually rehome them.

2. They're dangerous. This is coming from a person that has two incredibly 'tame' monitors. The tamer they are, the more dangerous they are because people become complacent and take chances. I think lace monitors should be considered in the same way that venomous snakes are and fall under the same guidelines and regulations. If a venomous Australian snake bites you (particularly the highly neurotoxic species), provided you get appropriate medical care your chances of a full recovery are good. If a large male lace monitor bites you it will not kill you, but your chances of permanent damage to an important part of your anatomy (your hands) is high. Forget the cool scar, a solid bite will sever tendons, blood vessels and nerves and even microsurgery is not going to make things right.

In answer to your questions about length, males can get to around 2 metres, perhaps a bit more, but the vast majority of them don't get past 1.8 metres. Females max out at around 1.4 metres, maybe a small bit more, and about half to a third the weight (or even less) of an adult male.

 

[serpenttongue]

I don't see too much wrong with a 15 year old getting a lace monitor as long as they have done some sort of research and have a good idea on the animal.

The problem is, some 15 year olds can be quite mature for their age, while others are still very much children.

At 15 years old i was the latter, unfortunately. But i still had a strong fasination and obsession with Lace Monitors, fuelled only by images of them in reptile books. It wasn't until i was 23 that i got my first Lace Monitor, and after having it for 1 year i finally came to the conclusion that i was not ready for this species. Mainly because i was still very much 'hands on' with my reptiles and always wanted to hold it. This led to the animal always being defensive towards me. About 3 years later i was ready for a lacey again and started off with a few hatchlings.

Keeping lace monitors is definately a relationship built on trust. You need to give the animal a lot of time to itself, never be reaching in to grab it, and also never be invading it's personal space (lifting up it's hide where it believes itself to be secure and undetectable).

 

[serpenttongue]

Suddenly you have an adult lace monitor that no one wants, so it gets passed around from person to person. They're an intelligent reptile and they like having routine in their lives, so it's cruel to continually rehome them.

So true, and i feel this is something that often gets overlooked. Acquiring a lace monitor is a big comittment. So often do i see 'for sale' ads for lacies from people who can no longer house the animal due to it's size. The animals growth and potential size should always be taken into consideration when contemplating buying a lacey. I feel sorry for lacies that go from one collection to another. When a lacey enters my collection, it's here to stay. It will live out it's life with me.

 

[owcurat]

As far as spatial requirements go 2.5 times total length of the animal squared (ad 20% for each additional animal) is a good MINIMUM standard for the surface area of an enclosure for most lizards bare in mind lace monitors are highly arboreal and therefore need a very high enclosure. This is the standard used in NSW fauna parks and as such was designed in consultation with professional herpetologists. Couldn't agree more with above coments re the dangers of housing large monitors (I have seen first hand the damage they can do).

 

[taylor111]

The problem is, some 15 year olds can be quite mature for their age, while others are still very much children.

At 15 years old i was the latter, unfortunately. But i still had a strong fasination and obsession with Lace Monitors, fuelled only by images of them in reptile books. It wasn't until i was 23 that i got my first Lace Monitor, and after having it for 1 year i finally came to the conclusion that i was not ready for this species. Mainly because i was still very much 'hands on' with my reptiles and always wanted to hold it. This led to the animal always being defensive towards me. About 3 years later i was ready for a lacey again and started off with a few hatchlings.

Keeping lace monitors is definately a relationship built on trust. You need to give the animal a lot of time to itself, never be reaching in to grab it, and also never be invading it's personal space (lifting up it's hide where it believes itself to be secure and undetectable).

i read all about that and think i could handle leaving it allone

 

[serpenttongue]

i read all about that and think i could handle leaving it allone

That's the right attitude.

Yes, they're definately a 'look but dont touch' animal.

 

[taylor111]

they are the best looking monitor by far and yea i think i could handling them