Spencers monitor

[Trench]

Hi
I am wanting to get a spencers monitor and would like to know peoples experiences with these species like-
feeding response, I have seen two vids of spencers monitors being feed and in both these vids they casually took the rat and swollowed it, not like the lace monitors response- charging after the rat with their mouths open and when they get/catch it throw it down their neck as fast as they can go are the vids I saw correct or were these both exceptions to the rules?
ease of handling
tank size (for one)
temps

and any other info I might need
Thanks

 

[imported_Varanus]

Feed times would be when large monitors are at their most dangerous IMO. Best described as unpredictable , dependant on temperatures, frequency of feeding and "food brain". I've had/have both Spencers and Lacies and found that any particular animal can be a calm feeder one day and a nutter at the next feed. Buy some tongs and keep a wary eye on the animal at all times would be my advice and don't get lulled into a false sense of security. Handling is really down to how patient your prepared to be by allowing the monitor to approach you in the first instance; cage size, I'd recommend 2.5Mx2.5M as a minimum for an adult (more space the better, really).

They're good fun BTW!

 

[Trench]

Ok
good thing I checked about those vids then ay
what temps do you keep yours at?
Thanks

 

[imported_Varanus]

They can be very calm during feeding, even so, never trust them. I kept my adults at 55-65C (younger animals at 45C-55C) as a hotspot with an ambient of 25-22c (brumation as low as 5c). Set them up as terrestrial, though they will climb, but not to the same extent as Lacies. Plenty of damp substrate, the type that holds a good burrow, as they love to dig. With my adults, I went close to the metre mark. Here's my female with her burrow (close to 3 metres in length and over 60cm depth).

 

[Trench]

wow they are have a big range of temps cool pic
Thanks for the help
how often do you feed yours?

 

[black_headed_mon]

awesome lookin spencer. jealous!

 

[Trench]

if anyone has any spencers monitor hatchys for sale let me know

 

[snakelady96]

Very good info imported_varanus
Ill share my experiences too (ive only ever had the one and he is still a baby)
I find my boy is quite shy when it comes to feeding and likes me to be away from him (even though ive caught him out a few times). I feed him diced beef, chicken, mealworms and occasionally some boiled egg. At the bottom of his feed dish i put a thin layer of calcium so he gets he boost every day. His enclosure is 4ft by 2 ft by 2ft and he has 3 main hiding spots. In his enclosure e has a uv lamp at one end and an infa red heating lamp on the other. For substrate i am currently using white washed sand. His water dish is one of those extra large feeding dishes but i use it as his water dish as its big enough for him to lay in but not deep enough that he cant get out. I clean his water dish out every second day as it does get sand in it from him laying in it during the day. With heating i have built him up a sort of tower just made out of wood blocks (from home hardware) and tiles so when he wants he goes to the top and he can bask in the heat. During the day time i have the infa red light on for about 4-6 hours a day (depending when im home) and uv light is on about the same but i dont really have them on at the same time. At night i turn on his heat mat which is burried right under the sand which is 4 inches thick (approx) and only takes up half his enclosure. During night you need to lower their temps. I feed my boy everyday so food is there if he wants but he doesnt eat every day- sometimes he wont eat for 2 days then pig out for 3-4 days then not eat then eat again, its a bit of a weird eating schedule. Handling wise- i dont really handle him unless im moving him because he is only little and doesnt understand i want t be friends but since i got him he has shown a huge improvement with tursting me, now he will watch me what i do through the glass and sometimes when i get him out he'll stand still and flicker his tongue a bit.

Well thats about it i can think of off the top of my head, if you havent already maybe get the book 'Keeping and breeding Australian Lizards,' it has alot of good info and pics of enclosure set ups

Good luck getting your Spencers!

Snakelady.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Thanks Snakelady!

Personally, though, I'd stay well away from an all meat diet and stick with whole food (mice, rats, quail ), chopped, at first, when the monitor's smaller. The consequences of a meat based diet are dire and a very real risk. Check out RSP's informative post on his Lacie with MBD if in doubt.

 

[snakelady96]

Yeah i have seen the post very upsetting but good to see the lacie is now in good hands.
Thanks for your advice also, i was thinking to try some pinkie rats for him cuz hes getting to stage where i think he could swallow a small one. Any other tips imported_varanus on other foods i should be offering him?

 

[ingie]

That enclosure photo looks fantastic imported_varanus!!

One of my spencers is a really shy adult who likes to feed in private. The other Spencers is only about 6 months old and he watches me and charges at me for food like a crazy adult lacie! I think it comes down to the animal and the mood they are in so just always be careful and don't get your fingers too close to the food! Amazing animals though, definitely one of my favourites!

Snakelady, if your Spencers can't eat a whole rodent yet (mine could eat pinky rats when I got him at a few months old), try cutting up a small mouse or furred rat into bite sized pieces and just feeding that instead of all the other things. Just flesh from beef and chicken doesn't contain all the goodness that an entire animal has. Your little fella will be much much healthier if you keep it simple with whole rodents, chopped or non chopped.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Any other tips imported_varanus on other foods i should be offering him?

Hope I didn't offend and sound like a smart ****! I'd personally go whole adult mice cut into bite sized pieces rather than pinkie rats as there's less calcium in a pinkie. I've found that, if you offer whole vertabrate foods, you can do away with calcium supps ("how much is to much?"), though I still like to offer some UV source. Also, once I offered verts, I found they lost interest in any insect offerings.

Hope this is helpful!

 

[snakelady96]

Thanks ingie! I will give it a go tomorrow and update yous all in the arvo after work if he enjoyed his chopped rat

 

[imported_Varanus]

One of my spencers is a really shy adult who likes to feed in private. The other Spencers is only about 6 months old and he watches me and charges at me for food like a crazy adult lacie!

I wonder if that could be a gender thing, Ingie?! I've found all my females to be quiet shy and retiring when it comes to food (both Spencers and Lacies) , while my males have been the opposite.

"Goblin" has been an exception to the rule, however!

 

[snakelady96]

Maybe my boy is actually a girl then! O.O lol

 

[ingie]

Could be! The adult is a female, and I just call the little one a boy because he acts like one. He was very shy when I got him but I never touch him and he has become really bold. Will have to watch out for him as he grows

 

[MathewB]

imported_Varanus got a pic of the whole set up?

 

[nagini-baby]

my girl is a psycopath to feed... definetly borrow steves "crikey"

 

[imported_Varanus]

imported_Varanus got a pic of the whole set up?

Not the whole enclosure, unfortunately. It's an old cement water tank, 5 mertres in diameter with 2 metre walls. A bit of a bugger to hurdle when a large male Spencers is in full flight and "food brain" mode!

These are all I have. Doesn't help much, I know, but basically a sand/ leaf litter substrate with assorted rocks, old termite nests, hollow logs and the odd stump for burrowing under. They seemed to appreciate the old termite nests, I used to add new pieces when I could and they'd spend hours digging into and tongue flicking them (good environmental enrichment).

 

[RSPcrazy]

Most defiantly feed them hole small animals (rats, mice, quail, etc), avoid meet only diets, my lacie (Lacy) is the perfect worse case scenario (besides death) of what can easily happen from bad diet.

I am very lucky to still have my little Spencers. I came home on monday 10:30am to find 2 people in my house robbing me, they took my pried and joy Roughie, but they didn't get time to grab my Spencers (Tonka), she was in a container ready to go though.

Here are some photos of her new enclosure I made up that night, at a different house.

The substrate is play-sand mixed with coco-peat, it helps hold a bit of moisture.

All the logs are curved, so she can hide under them.

Here's a photo of how big Tonka is, she eats 2 pinkie mice every meal, plus any woodies she finds in her enclosure.
This photo is in her old enclosure, but the same water bowl, so you can compare the size. I think she's a she anyway.