Pygmy Mulga Monitor vs Storrs Monitor

[mun1984]

Hi all, just thought some of you might want to see a side by side representation of a gillens and a storrs.

The mulga is a 3 year old male, and the Storrs is a 5 year old male. Took these photos when i just purchased the Storrs some time ago, have fattened it up considerably since then.

Cheers!

 

[reptyle]

Looking good mate, hoping to get myself some gillens at the end of the year.
Thanks for the pics

 

[dan88]

can you please point me in the direction of someone who is breeding gillens this yr? thanks

 

[Varanidae]

Rob Porter has some for sale at the moment

 

[dale1988]

where do you get monitors from as babys lol im in queensland what are they like as pets?

 

[Tayla152girl]

awesome looking moniters i would love some of those guys too, they are hardly ever for sale on here

 

[mun1984]

@ Reptyle, Tayla, thanks for the compliments! Yeah, they are really hard to find here too. I've actually sold the gillens already, and swapped it for a female Storrs.

@Dan, yeap, i only know of Rob Porter too.

@Dale, I got both monitors as mature adults. The storrs is amazing. I hand feed him every feeding. The gillens is way more shy, not handlable at all.

Keep looking and happy hunting people!

 

[dan88]

wheres rob porter at? or does someone have an email or something for him please?

 

[mun1984]

Sorry Dan, I lost his contacts. Try searching for him at reptilesdownunder classifieds. He advertises under the same name.

 

[Aceman]

Storr's monitor

Interesting comparison of the two species. I owned a V.gilleni several years back but they are very rare over here in the UK. It is amazing

how variable the markings are on V.storri. They truly vary from a drab brown lizard to much prettier examples with more spots and speckles. I am sure there are more than 2 subspecies.

Take a look at the pic of my male attached. You see them like this in Europe sometimes but more often the drab variety. When they first hit the UK about 15 years back they were a £1000 a pop and i could never understand why people paid it just for the pygmy factor. i guess some are just much prettier than the others.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/594/backvs.jpg/

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Or there is absolutely no way that is a Gillens monitor. (Edit: oops meant Storr's not that it is a Gillen's either.)

In Quensland there is and add on AHC currently from a guy selling a some young Gilleni (Well they are either young or he cannot sex them) just search the adds and ring him. I am freighting 2 from him in a week or maybe two. Cannot wait.

 

[spongebob]

Take a look at the pic of my male attached. You see them like this in Europe sometimes but more often the drab variety. When they first hit the UK about 15 years back they were a £1000 a pop and i could never understand why people paid it just for the pygmy factor. Then i found this guy and he was worth paying for! Must be a locale form or i guess some are just much prettier than the others.

Do you mind me asking what you paid for this "storrs"?

 

[Aceman]

Hi is absolutely a Storr's monitor. You get them with speckles and spots as well sometimes, we see them like this in Europe on occasion. Fact is most Storr's are very unattractive but you get exceptions.
I will send a shot of his tail too to prove what i am saying. Classic Storr's with spines in the right places. (see link to pic further down)
Let me draw your attention to some other photos posted by a well respected keeper that refers to "Storr's monitors showing unusual markings" Varanus storri Look at the very bottom right for the pic (NOT the top pics).
Notice how these males have the same cream speckles and spots all over.

Also this picture by a previous keeper is very like my male but not at all like the one used in the initial comparison (which is almost uniform brown)
Storr's monitor (Varanus storri) at the Australian Reptile Online Database | ReptilesDownUnder.com

Another example is here where the breeders actually comment on the huge variability of V.storri markings and you can see an illustration on the right of the text. Compare the male in the bottom pic to the animal used as a comparison vs gilleni at the beginning if this thread - it is far more beautiful and also similar to my own animal and the examples given. Note also the marked difference between the two V.storri examples in their photos. http://www.canadiancoldblood.com/storri.html

The sunset had screwed my initial shot so i will attach a new one of my own storri showing his actual background colour. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/594/backvs.jpg/ - note typical storri tail. You will see he is just like the examples i have shown you. Admittedly the colour is unusual (the photographer even includes that comment in the first caption) but they are storri nonetheless.There are drab Storrs and there are pretty ones - a very variable species. It is possible there are more than just 2 subspecies but at the least there is a prettier locale with a smaller range. Opinions on taxonomy change all the time.

Lets look at some Ackies now http://www.australianaddiction.com/FR_ackie.jpg http://www.hoglezoo.org/meet_our_animals/animal_finder/picture-677?_nox_ http://www.proexotics.com/sept_24_03_pics/monitors/Original Files/e yellow ackie juvie 8-03.jpg

Clearly an entirely different species to my own animal and the other examples i have provided. V.primordius, another dwarf spiny tailed monitor, is also clearly distinct from either acanthurus or storri http://www.flickr.com/photos/smacdonald/2621703102/in/photostream

 

[richardsc]

i used to have a pr of storrs identical in pattern to that one,storri storri,some have awsome coloring and patterning,others are more drab,i know a few folk who breed both types,there definatly out there

 

[gillsy]

Mun is that the giant form storrs or just a standard storri storri

 

[Aceman]

Thanks richardsc, appears not everyone is aware of the wide variation in this species.

 

[mun1984]

@gillsy, sorry! Have been inactive for quite awhile, don't know if you're still interested but its a normal Storrs.