Care Sheet for MonitorsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.67 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 02/24/2006 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Monitors |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Lizardmomma |
Years Experience: | 5 to 10 Years |
Species: | Yellow Tree Monitor (Varanus melinus) AKA Quince Monitor, Yellow Monitor |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | A Yellow slender bodied monitor that can grow up to 5 feet total. There are black spots on the body and the tail can be banded. The teeth are sharp like razors and can draw blood easily however the bites don’t hurt as much as you would think. They are skittish and handling them can help calm them. However if yours is wild caught like mine was have patience as to how long they take to calm, I have had her for 2 years and there are times that she still wants to run and hide. They have long sharp claws that will scratch up your arms so keep that in mind. Tail whipping and bowel evacuation are also defensive mechanisms. Males have hemipenal bulges and females don’t. I have a female so I can’t say for sure, but in most species of lizards the males have enlarged femoral pores and the females have smaller femoral pores. |
Mostly Active During: | Both |
Substrate and Water Needs: | A large water dish that is big enough for them to "swim" in, which needs to be changed daily as they will get it filthy with dirt and feces. I have awoken in the morning to find her sound asleep completely underwater. I found that they love to dig and create burrows which can extend a pretty good distance from the entrance. So I suggest at least 3 or 4" of soil or a soil mix in which they can dig and hide. Include a hide box and make sure to include a lot of branches especially for young ones as they are arboreal and love to climb, the higher the better. The bigger the tank/enclosure the better. |
Lighting and UVB: | I have a combination strip light with florescent and incandescent light bulbs. Never go over the suggested wattage of the light fixture. Day cycle should be on around 10-12 hours and the night cycle should allow for cooling, but not too much. The light bulbs should be ones made for reptiles so they get the added UVA/UVB that is important for proper health. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | A basking spot of up to 125 or more. The rest of the tank should be from around 95 to 80 and the humidity should be kept high. |
Heating and Equipment: | Ceramic heat elements or under tank heaters can be added if the light bulbs don’t sufficiently heat up the tank. Be careful as to how much heat is in the substrate because they need a place to escape the heat. An easy way of maintaining the correct heat levels is by having two thermometers, one near the basking spot and one near the substrate level on the other end of the tank. |
Caging Provided: | I have my 27" monitor in a 75 gallon tank so she has room to run and grow. I have huge rocks holding the tank top down because she escaped from the tank one day. So I suggest tank clamps or something similiar so you don’t have to worry about escape, but don’t make the rocks too light because you don’t want the monitor to get part way out and then have the top fall on them and injure or kill them. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Meat almost any kind, eggs (cooked so the risk of Salmonella is lowered), mice, rats, crickets (when small), fish, giant meal worms and I have found that canned cat food is similar enough to the canned monitor/tegu food to be fed. They are scavengers also so if you see that they don’t eat right away don’t be alarmed. I feed her twice a week but it can vary on size and what you are giving, if you give a big meal don’t feed them the next day if it’s a small meal maybe feed in another day or 2. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | All food should be dusted with vitamin and calcium powder. I also use a vitamin spray everyday. |
Maintenance: | As long as you keep the water fresh, don’t leave food in past a couple of days and maintain heat and humidity you should have a happy healthy monitor. |
Some Words on this Species: | This is a relatively new species only discovered in 1997 in Indonesia. |
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