Monitors and dehydration:

[ShaneLuvsMonitors]

Despite the massive leaps in monitor husbandry a lot of beginners to varanid keeping in general are not getting why we keep humidity high for monitors.

Dehydration i dont know exactly how varanids lose moisure but they do and a lot of there behaviour is built around conserving and preventing this moisture loss.

Ill start with using a CF pet shop bosc for obvious reasons:

Bosc hatches in ghana moved to a holding container with no access to water of any kind.

Bosc spends a few days like this in transport before arriving at a pet shop.
A typical temporary bosc setup for a monitor in a petshop consists of woodchips a very low basking temperature a lot of ventilation and a water bowl.

Bosc bought by a bloke of the street takes it home based on pet shop advice 125f basking spot 75f cool end woodchip substrate and a low humidity...

Kept like this the bosc will proberly live at least a few years because they are extremely hardy animals and can take a lot of punishment but eventually it will kill them plain and simple.

I would say this about the average fate of most imported monitors regardless of species.

Now what can we do about it?

Deep Substrates

Typically i and a lot of keepers use soil/sand 75/25 good ratio to aim for holds a burrow well and is good for humidity...
Now then Depth:

- If your monitor can not bury itself completely in your substrate its not deep enough
- If it doesnt stay damp deep down for a long time its useless and just as bad as woodchips.
- If it wont hold a burrow its a waste of time how can your monitor build a home in it if it wont stay together?

Vents seal em up they allow all of the humidity to leave the vivarium extremely quickly and guess what it takes moisture out of your monitors system with it this is not naturally how a monitor loses moisture and causes dehydration.

Now then a frequent response to this is what about oxygen? Well what about it? unless youve built your viv totally air tight your monitor can breath no problem.

Humidity guages are great at telling you one thing what that humidity is right in one spot.

Seal your bathroom up wack the heating on full and run a bath Hot, humid sticky uncomfortable right? when you open the door to your viv if that heat and humidity does not smack you in the face... your vivs to dry.

[jemma741]

Well said

[azza23]

Well said pal i love reading stuff you write so imformative, I think you should of say a peice on temperature aswell, as to many people forget how important substrate temps are and air temps dont really matter, because so many people rave on about ambient temps but aslong as your substrate temps and basking spot is spot on the air temps will correct themselves




(see you have tought me well )

[ShaneLuvsMonitors]

To be fair mate thats just a starting point there is a lot more to it but ive got more notes and stuff to trawl through.

good idea on the temperature one ill get on it as well.

[monitor mad]

Originally Posted by ShaneLuvsMonitors

Despite the massive leaps in monitor husbandry a lot of beginners to varanid keeping in general are not getting why we keep humidity high for monitors.

Dehydration i dont know exactly how varanids lose moisure but they do and a lot of there behaviour is built around conserving and preventing this moisture loss.

Ill start with using a CF pet shop bosc for obvious reasons:

Bosc hatches in ghana moved to a holding container with no access to water of any kind.

Bosc spends a few days like this in transport before arriving at a pet shop.
A typical temporary bosc setup for a monitor in a petshop consists of woodchips a very low basking temperature a lot of ventilation and a water bowl.

Bosc bought by a bloke of the street takes it home based on pet shop advice 125f basking spot 75f cool end woodchip substrate and a low humidity...

Kept like this the bosc will proberly live at least a few years because they are extremely hardy animals and can take a lot of punishment but eventually it will kill them plain and simple.

I would say this about the average fate of most imported monitors regardless of species.

Now what can we do about it?

Deep Substrates

Typically i and a lot of keepers use soil/sand 75/25 good ratio to aim for holds a burrow well and is good for humidity...
Now then Depth:

- If your monitor can not bury itself completely in your substrate its not deep enough
- If it doesnt stay damp deep down for a long time its useless and just as bad as woodchips.
- If it wont hold a burrow its a waste of time how can your monitor build a home in it if it wont stay together?

Vents seal em up they allow all of the humidity to leave the vivarium extremely quickly and guess what it takes moisture out of your monitors system with it this is not naturally how a monitor loses moisture and causes dehydration.

Now then a frequent response to this is what about oxygen? Well what about it? unless youve built your viv totally air tight your monitor can breath no problem.

Humidity guages are great at telling you one thing what that humidity is right in one spot.

Seal your bathroom up wack the heating on full and run a bath Hot, humid sticky uncomfortable right? when you open the door to your viv if that heat and humidity does not smack you in the face... your vivs to dry.

Well said straight and to the point

[ShaneLuvsMonitors]

Originally Posted by azza23

Well said pal i love reading stuff you write so imformative, I think you should of say a peice on temperature aswell, as to many people forget how important substrate temps are and air temps dont really matter, because so many people rave on about ambient temps but aslong as your substrate temps and basking spot is spot on the air temps will correct themselves




(see you have tought me well )

*cough* surface temps *cough*

[ShaneLuvsMonitors]

Originally Posted by monitor mad

Well said straight and to the point

Like i said bud going no where

Having no monitors isnt going to stop me

p.s. i still want a CB kordy

[azza23]

Originally Posted by ShaneLuvsMonitors

*cough* surface temps *cough*

Thats why i'll leave the writing to you

[Barlow]

A great post Shane. It's unfortunate that most people don't have a clue about stuff like this, but posts like this at least make the information available for them. I hope all is well mate, I've only just got myself back online today.

[Gregg M]

Shane,
I really wish more keepers seen things properly. Many people do not realize how important substrate humidity gradients really are. Here is a response I got after explaining why glass aquariums and screen lids are not acceptable for most reptile species and will cause long term, low level dehydration over a span of a couple of years.

Originally Posted by geckograham

Almost forgot, dehydration that takes a few years? Pull the other one mate, it's got bells on!

This is the "back in the day" mentality that helps to keep hubandry from progressing.

It is peoples lack of basic reptile physiology that cause the huge amount of crappy information to be coughed up on the internet.

Reptiles need to retreat into cooler, high humdity burrows/substrates in order to escape dry, hot areas frequently during the day so they can maintain proper hydration. Drinking is just not enough. If they can not do this, they will dehydrate slowly. By the time the keeper sees signs, renal failure has already started. After that is is all down hill. And slowly too. It is most likely the reason for the untimely death in most species of reptile.

Originally Posted by azza23

Well said pal i love reading stuff you write so imformative, I think you should of say a peice on temperature aswell, as to many people forget how important substrate temps are and air temps dont really matter, because so many people rave on about ambient temps but aslong as your substrate temps and basking spot is spot on the air temps will correct themselves




(see you have tought me well )

Abient air temps are important. As you point out, if you get your basking and substrate temps right, they should fall into place. Keepers should be aware that the ambient air temps in your reptile room are just as important as cage temps.