Sand Monitor Care

[Arka Mukherjee]

Hello everyone, I bought a sand monitor about 6 weeks back and was wondering if anyone can give me any recommendations on how to care for him.

My first topic is based on vitamins. Could anyone recommend some products for Multi-Vitamins and calcium supplements to me and where to get those (It would be easier on Amazon). Wondering if I should get calcium with D3 or without.

Secondly, I have a few questions on his behaviour. He is very active, running around, climbing, jumping and exploring but he seems to have a low food drive. From others recounts most monitors have a more aggressive and excitable approach to feeding. Correct me if i am wrong but is this normal? He has never refused food from his bowl. I feed him every four to five days and have started to feed him with tongs. He is still very skittish but not the reactions i have heard about with other's new monitors. Also he has never threatened to bite me, only been bitten once for grabbing the back half of his body by mistake for maintenance. From what I have heard they seem to be very inclined to bite. I have been trying to get him used to my presence by working on a table next to his enclosure and he can somewhat tolerate me slowly rubbing his back and under his neck(Still with a lot of hissing and puffing). Can I have some tips on training him to be a bit handleable and tolerate me.

The next topic I would like to talk about is the enclosure(Pictures Attached Below). Got a ceramic heating bulb on the left side, a UVB in the middle. My Sandy's claws still seem a bit long, any tips about that? Would love some feedback and please feel free to criticize anything from the above because what matters is giving this magnificent animal the best possible life. Any tips for humidity etc? Planning to upgrade indoor enclosure start next year.

The last topic I would like to ask about is for planning for the future. I would like to create a naturalistic outdoor pit in my backyard for him, (when he manage to gain some trust and gains some more size). I would like to use native plants from the sand monitors range, use sandstone rocks and create fencing from wooden frames with polycarbonate roofing. I live in Lalor Park near the Blacktown area NSW so can I have some tips on when to take him inside, construction, how to stop him digging too deep and appearing in the neighbors gardens. I plan to use heating to compensate for the lack of heat(except for the middle of summer)

Sorry for posting so much but I want to make this perfect as he is my first monitor. Feel free to criticize on anything I said once again and thanks to anyone who is replying!

 

[Tobe404]

Hello,

I'd ditch the CHE and replace it with some sort of Halogen Flood / Basking Bulb. I'd also change that UVB Bulb and get the Coil or Tube type 10.0.

What are the temperatures like? Particularly under the CHE on top of the Rocks? Should be at least 45c preferably up to 60c.

What are the hot and cool side temperatures? Cool side should be 25-30c. Hot side should be 30-35c.

How old is he and what size? What is he actually eating and how often? If it's under 6 months old, I'd be feeding every day.

The supplements I use are the ones below.

https://rivercitypets.com.au/products/urs-ultimate-calcium-150g?_pos=7&_sid=96f9f7ace&_ss=r
https://rivercitypets.com.au/products/urs-ultimate-vitamins-150g?_pos=4&_sid=96f9f7ace&_ss=r
How big is his current enclosure?

For when he gets bigger and goes outside you could use some sort of rainwater tank or aviary.

Make sure the rainwater tank has a base (and it's not rusted through) so he can't dig out.

If you use an aviary, you'll need to put wire / mesh / netting of some sort on the bottom to prevent escape.

Hope this helps.

 

[dragonlover1]

Hi Arka, I don't keep sandies but I do have Gillens, Occies and Lacies so in general similar conditions. Since you are in Lalor Park you are not too far from Kellyville Pets who have a huge range of reptile stuff, normally I don't recommend petshops as they are super expensive but since you are new it might help to check out their range and see what's available and then you can look for alternate suppliers.
I don't use any vitamins for any of my reptiles, I stopped years ago because they are just a waste of money; a good diet is much better.
Calcium with D3 is only necessary if they get insufficient UV, if your UV is high quality you should use calcium without D3. The brand I currently use is Reptile one but once you get them onto rodents/birds you won't need calcium, this is only needed for the insect stage.
The claws should wear down naturally as he moves about on the rocks and sand.
Outdoor enclosures as Tobe says, mesh floor is good. My Lacies live outdoor 24/7 and I put concrete slabs around the edge underneath the dirt so they can dig but can't get out.
One of the things I offer to my little monitors is scrambled egg with chopped pinky mouse on top once a week as variety from the bugs.
Hope this helps and good luck with your new friend, monitors are very intelligent and learn quickly so do the same things every time you feed etc. and they will know you are their friend.

 

[Arka Mukherjee]

His current enclosure is 1200 x 600 x 600
The monitor is around 25 cm snout to vent and he is around 15 months old.
In the full enclosure image between the UVB and the CHE you will see a small object which is the temperature probe and that normally reaches 43 degrees at around 11 -12 and the temp on the cool side is around 24 degrees but heats up to about 28 degrees at around 4 - 5. I haven't tried to measure the temp on the basking spot but it should be in that threshold.

And for the feeding I normally feed him small mice, crickets chicken hearts/necks or rarely a microwaved egg around twice a week. Should I be feeding him more?

And if you can could you please share some tips of how you guys have tamed your monitors down?

I hope to hear a reply!

Hi Arka, I don't keep sandies but I do have Gillens, Occies and Lacies so in general similar conditions. Since you are in Lalor Park you are not too far from Kellyville Pets who have a huge range of reptile stuff, normally I don't recommend petshops as they are super expensive but since you are new it might help to check out their range and see what's available and then you can look for alternate suppliers.
I don't use any vitamins for any of my reptiles, I stopped years ago because they are just a waste of money; a good diet is much better.
Calcium with D3 is only necessary if they get insufficient UV, if your UV is high quality you should use calcium without D3. The brand I currently use is Reptile one but once you get them onto rodents/birds you won't need calcium, this is only needed for the insect stage.
The claws should wear down naturally as he moves about on the rocks and sand.
Outdoor enclosures as Tobe says, mesh floor is good. My Lacies live outdoor 24/7 and I put concrete slabs around the edge underneath the dirt so they can dig but can't get out.
One of the things I offer to my little monitors is scrambled egg with chopped pinky mouse on top once a week as variety from the bugs.
Hope this helps and good luck with your new friend, monitors are very intelligent and learn quickly so do the same things every time you feed etc. and they will know you are their friend.

His current enclosure is 1200 x 600 x 600
The monitor is around 25 cm snout to vent and he is around 15 months old.
In the full enclosure image between the UVB and the CHE you will see a small object which is the temperature probe and that normally reaches 43 degrees at around 11 -12 and the temp on the cool side is around 24 degrees but heats up to about 28 degrees at around 4 - 5. I haven't tried to measure the temp on the basking spot but it should be in that threshold.

And for the feeding I normally feed him small mice, crickets chicken hearts/necks or rarely a microwaved egg around twice a week. Should I be feeding him more?

And if you can could you please share some tips of how you guys have tamed your monitors down?

I hope to hear a reply!

Hello,

I'd ditch the CHE and replace it with some sort of Halogen Flood / Basking Bulb. I'd also change that UVB Bulb and get the Coil or Tube type 10.0.

What are the temperatures like? Particularly under the CHE on top of the Rocks? Should be at least 45c preferably up to 60c.

What are the hot and cool side temperatures? Cool side should be 25-30c. Hot side should be 30-35c.

How old is he and what size? What is he actually eating and how often? If it's under 6 months old, I'd be feeding every day.

The supplements I use are the ones below.

https://rivercitypets.com.au/products/urs-ultimate-calcium-150g?_pos=7&_sid=96f9f7ace&_ss=r
https://rivercitypets.com.au/products/urs-ultimate-vitamins-150g?_pos=4&_sid=96f9f7ace&_ss=r
How big is his current enclosure?

For when he gets bigger and goes outside you could use some sort of rainwater tank or aviary.

Make sure the rainwater tank has a base (and it's not rusted through) so he can't dig out.

If you use an aviary, you'll need to put wire / mesh / netting of some sort on the bottom to prevent escape.

Hope this helps.

I use the Get Your Pets Right 14.0 UVB, do you have any cheaper options for a bar light?

And I probably am going to change the UVB to a bar because he takes any opportunity to hang onto it, it's already loose. Would the fitting for a 10.0 bar be hard to install and can i use the same hole i made for the uvb fitting?

 

[dragonlover1]

I use the Get Your Pets Right 14.0 UVB, do you have any cheaper options for a bar light?

Unfortunately there are no cheap options for tube light. T5 is the best option but not cheap, about $80+ just for fitting and another $60 for the tube but they do last for 12 months so there is value and quality.
You need to up the heat to get him more active 50-60C would be better, you can get a cheap IR temp gun on ebay for about $20.
don't nuke the egg give him raw egg, when small I use quail eggs and then upgrade to chicken eggs, if he can't crack the eggs himself then you should crack the eggs in a bowl but not completely, leave them partly in the shell so he gets the idea to break them himself.
As for taming it takes many different approaches, I talk to mine as I do different things and let them approach me rather than try and pick them up. If you let them decide it works better.
For feeding I feed my little ones every second day, my adult Lacies feed twice a week in summer and once a week or fortnight in winter

 

[Tobe404]

I use the Get Your Pets Right 14.0 UVB, do you have any cheaper options for a bar light?

I reckon if you swap the CHE for a Basking Bulb that will help light the enclosure up.

Obviously, you'll have to mess around with wattages and check temps but given the enclosure size I reckon you'd need a 75-100w at a guess.

What wattage is your CHE?

https://www.bunnings.com.au/osram-r80-spot-reflector-halogen-400lm-75w-light-globe-2-pack_p0467570
https://www.bunnings.com.au/osram-r...alogen-500lm-100w-light-globe-2-pack_p0467566
I've recently started to use the above globes. I used to use the Phillips ones but for some reason you can no longer get them.

If you can't be buggered messing around with UVB Tubes you could use a Coil UVB Bulb as an alternative:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Exo-Terra...sprefix=exo+terra+uvb+bul,aps,290&sr=8-7&th=1
I've never had any problems with them. Although the Coil ones only last for 6 months. Cheaper to start with but need replacing more often.

I feed my Monitors Chicken Liver/Heart/Giblets/Neck. Roaches and Crickets. Mice and Rats (either whole or cut up depending on size).

My Heath Monitor is fed daily as he's only 5 months. He's about 2ft total length I would say. Will cut it back as he gets older.

When I had my Yellow Spotted Monitor, I also used to feed him Wild Spiders/Centipedes/Scorpions/Mice/Birds (whatever I could find really).

Looking back on it though I wouldn't advise it because you don't know what Wild Animals may have been exposed to.

 

[Arka Mukherjee]

I reckon if you swap the CHE for a Basking Bulb that will help light the enclosure up.

Obviously, you'll have to mess around with wattages and check temps but given the enclosure size I reckon you'd need a 75-100w at a guess.

What wattage is your CHE?

https://www.bunnings.com.au/osram-r80-spot-reflector-halogen-400lm-75w-light-globe-2-pack_p0467570
https://www.bunnings.com.au/osram-r...alogen-500lm-100w-light-globe-2-pack_p0467566
I've recently started to use the above globes. I used to use the Phillips ones but for some reason you can no longer get them.

If you can't be buggered messing around with UVB Tubes you could use a Coil UVB Bulb as an alternative:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Exo-Terra...sprefix=exo+terra+uvb+bul,aps,290&sr=8-7&th=1
I've never had any problems with them. Although the Coil ones only last for 6 months. Cheaper to start with but need replacing more often.

I feed my Monitors Chicken Liver/Heart/Giblets/Neck. Roaches and Crickets. Mice and Rats (either whole or cut up depending on size).

My Heath Monitor is fed daily as he's only 5 months. He's about 2ft total length I would say. Will cut it back as he gets older.

When I had my Yellow Spotted Monitor, I also used to feed him Wild Spiders/Centipedes/Scorpions/Mice/Birds (whatever I could find really).

Looking back on it though I wouldn't advise it because you don't know what Wild Animals may have been exposed to.

The CHE is 150 watts but the heat is not concentrated so i will see to switching to a globe. But what's the story at night? I'm not concerned with the temps for 3/4 of the year but the middle of winter, temps get under 10 degrees. Would it be a good idea to switch to the CHE then? And also, how often would i give a mouse/rat if I feed him twice a week?

Another thing, what substrate would you recommend that would support digging and burrowing? I say this because quite often I see him sleeping in his hide with half his body submerged in the sand.

Thanks a lot for the advice.

 

[Tobe404]

The CHE is 150 watts but the heat is not concentrated so i will see to switching to a globe. But what's the story at night? I'm not concerned with the temps for 3/4 of the year but the middle of winter, temps get under 10 degrees. Would it be a good idea to switch to the CHE then? And also, how often would i give a mouse/rat if I feed him twice a week?

Another thing, what substrate would you recommend that would support digging and burrowing? I say this because quite often I see him sleeping in his hide with half his body submerged in the sand.

Thanks a lot for the advice.

Sand Monitors are found all across Australia pretty much, so they are one of the more hardier Monitor species.

If the enclosure is inside, I doubt it is getting anywhere near 10c at night.

I'd just make sure to feed him at least 2 hours before the lights / heat goes off to help him digest his food.

I never had heating at night for my Yellow Spotted Monitor from the day I got him (enclosure was / is in the carport) and he grew up fine.
(Although I did use a sort of heated burrow when he went outside in the rainwater tank.)

Same goes for my Heath Monitor.

The way I feed my Monitors is they get something different every day.

Something along the lines of Chicken heart one day, chicken liver the next, insects the next, a mouse/rat the next, and so on. It's really up to you.

I don't really think there is a right or wrong way. Everyone has their own way of doing things.

For Substrate I usually either use Coir Peat by itself or a Coir Peat / Sand / Soil Mix.

Is everything in the enclosure secured? Because if not and he digs in the wrong place and one of the rocks drops on him. Not having a go. Just making sure.

All good. I just hope some of this ends up helping.

 

[Arka Mukherjee]

Sand Monitors are found all across Australia pretty much, so they are one of the more hardier Monitor species.

If the enclosure is inside, I doubt it is getting anywhere near 10c at night.

I'd just make sure to feed him at least 2 hours before the lights / heat goes off to help him digest his food.

I never had heating at night for my Yellow Spotted Monitor from the day I got him (enclosure was / is in the carport) and he grew up fine.
(Although I did use a sort of heated burrow when he went outside in the rainwater tank.)

Same goes for my Heath Monitor.

The way I feed my Monitors is they get something different every day.

Something along the lines of Chicken heart one day, chicken liver the next, insects the next, a mouse/rat the next, and so on. It's really up to you.

I don't really think there is a right or wrong way. Everyone has their own way of doing things.

For Substrate I usually either use Coir Peat by itself or a Coir Peat / Sand / Soil Mix.

Is everything in the enclosure secured? Because if not and he digs in the wrong place and one of the rocks drops on him. Not having a go. Just making sure.

All good. I just hope some of this ends up helping.

Thanks for replying.

Whenever I put new items in the enclosure i always dig away the sand under them to try eliminate the chance of him burrowing under and getting crushed. The problem is, that the sand isn't very deep in most areas so when I replace the substrate with deeper soil/sand for digging all the rocks and hides will be sunken in. How would I be able to raise these to the surface and while keeping them safe, or should I dig the entrances out and let him do the rest?

With your monitors, at least when they're on the small side, how would you help them shed? Let them soak, increase humidity etc.?

And about the temps, mid winter it does get that low outside and I keep my monitor in the garage which is one of those old garages that isn't attached to the house with wooden "barn" doors, so I am worried about the temps. Or is it just better to move the enclosure indoors?

 

[Tobe404]

Thanks for replying.

Whenever I put new items in the enclosure i always dig away the sand under them to try eliminate the chance of him burrowing under and getting crushed. The problem is, that the sand isn't very deep in most areas so when I replace the substrate with deeper soil/sand for digging all the rocks and hides will be sunken in. How would I be able to raise these to the surface and while keeping them safe, or should I dig the entrances out and let him do the rest?

With your monitors, at least when they're on the small side, how would you help them shed? Let them soak, increase humidity etc.?

And about the temps, mid winter it does get that low outside and I keep my monitor in the garage which is one of those old garages that isn't attached to the house with wooden "barn" doors, so I am worried about the temps. Or is it just better to move the enclosure indoors?

Leave the enclosure how it is for now then. I never used much substrate when my Monitors were small.
(I did put about a foot of dirt in the Yellow Spotteds rainwater tank once he went in that though).

I just give one side of the enclosure a spray every so often and made sure the water bowls were big enough for them to soak in if they chose to.

Are the temps in the enclosure that cold at night though? If it's set up right it should maintain enough heat overnight.
If you're really that worried about the temps and have somewhere to put the enclosure inside. Just do that I reckon.

How often are you feeding him and how much? What size Mice? Maybe I missed it.

 

[Hartleyfirth08]

I would like to use native plants from the sand monitors range,

Don't need to use native plants from his range tbh, at least from my knowledge they don't have any relationships with plants in their range so just focus on plants that will tolorate the conditions you are in and a lizard that will be around it all the time. I don't have any suggestions of plants but I recommend using plants that have very unique smells and textures for enrichment. Would be a good experiment to see what he likes.

His current enclosure is 1200 x 600 x 600

Could be bigger but as long as you have the intension of making a outdoor enclosure it's fine.


Good luck.

 

[crudbucket]

Where’s the halogen?