Crocodile monitor care sheet

[yrrej]

First of all, this species can exceed 10' in length and is somewhat arboreal, meaning an enclosure must be tall as well as wide. many owners and institutions have cages which are 8' in the smallest dimension, and often taller than wide. They need a hide box, preferably off the ground, and prefer a basking area off the ground which is relatively wide, like a large limb, or even wide and flat, like a sheet of plywood.

Secondly, there is usually a vast difference in temperament between wild-caught and captive-bred. The former tends to be suspicious, aloof, and resents handling, while the latter may become dog-tame with continuous handling from birth. This is an important distinction because croc monitors have long, wide teeth, somewhat like knife-blades, and tend to sever anything they bite. in other words, small appendages have been amputated and gaping wounds are common. Extraordinary care must be taken with even small individuals.

Third, crocodile monitors don't always get along together, even when of the opposite sex. The wounds they can inflict on each other may be horrendous. The most successful breedings over time seem to have been done by maintaining adults in separate, adjoining cages where they can engage in a 'howdy' period before actual introduction. however, even this offers no guarantee of successful breeding, as individuals have differing temperaments, and this widespread species in new Guinea may have different strains that don't recognize each other.

Croc monitors prefer a prevailing humidity of at least 70%. if the humidity is lower than this, they may spend a lot of time in water soaking and may damage themselves trying to get out of the enclosure. They need a hot spot of 110 - 120 degrees Farenheit and prefer daytime temps in the low 90's and nighttime temps in the low 70's. most successful breedings have been carried out with animals getting natural sunlight.

Although not truly aquatic, apparently they have adapted to flooding common in their homeland and can submerge, and even sleep, underwater. To all appearances, they have no aquatic adaptations, as the tail is 2/3 of the entire length, very skinny, and somewhat round in cross-section.

This species prefers a diet of mammals or birds, typically mice, rats, or rabbits, depending on the size of the individual. Birds are either chicks, quail, or chickens. in spite of apparently living quite close to the ocean and streams in many areas, they typically don't care much for sea food. An adult may be fed larger meals twice a week, or smaller meals once a day.

other than the fact of chewing each other up, croc monitors have few health issues given their basic husbandry needs. older animals may develop cataracts, and wild-caught lizards usually carry parasites, which don't seem to cause them any problem.

From a genetic standpoint, based on DnA studies, this species seems to belong to the same group as the lace monitor and komodo dragon. young lizards may hatch out at 14 - 16 inches, which is actually longer than the dragon, so there is potential for great length, although the body weight is relatively light for a creature this size. i have talked to 2 people who saw captives over 12' in length, 2 who owned crocs over 11', and there are at least 2 in captivity in the uS of over 10'.

Almost nothing is known of their distribution, natural habitat, and habits in the wild. Because the tend to be arboreal in dense forest, they have proven difficult to even locate, much less study. joel Fluty and i have embarked on a quest to consolidate the known information on this species based on direct contact/care. Anyone wishing more info or willing to contribute to our database is free to contact us at:

jdavis02@elp.rr.com or
reptileranger@yahoo.com

[yrrej]

i have a newer, much more in-depth care sheet for this species available if anyone is interested. i will be happy to send it on. my e-mail is

jdavis02@elp.rr.com

[i.am.idc]

Originally Posted by yrrej

i have a newer, much more in-depth care sheet for this species available if anyone is interested. i will be happy to send it on. my e-mail is

jdavis02@elp.rr.com

Please PM me or email me this caresheet

[Jellyman]

Does anyone on this site own a croc monitor? ive never seen one for sale, i bet there are only a few in the country

[krox2008]

i think there are 2 people who own them on hear m8 i no 1 of them is mad4monitors and i carnt remember who the other 1 is

[diesel]

There a baby in CPR at the mo, "little" baby.

[Jellyman]

Hey there is a croc monitor for sale on Tyrannosaurus Pets. Its £2000

[reptileranger]

Originally Posted by krox2008

i think there are 2 people who own them on hear m8 i no 1 of them is mad4monitors and i carnt remember who the other 1 is

I live in the US and own a breeding pair. My first 3 eggs are due to hatch in May or June 2010. Unfortunately I can't ship oversees, sorry. You can keep up with the latest on these babies at my site: Reptile Ranger reptile training and education

[monitor mad]

The other owner is "philipniceguy" on here , we also have one at the shop a male of just over 6ft

[kazza1827]

Originally Posted by monitor mad

The other owner is "philipniceguy" on here , we also have one at the shop a male of just over 6ft

hi,what shop mate im in newcastle to is it local?i would love to see one,dave.