#65690

 Croc Monitor

Saw a nice Croc Monitor at the Hamburg show this past weekend. I mean, it really got me thinking. My Nile is not as much probelm as I had anticipated, although he’ll never be "tame," and seeing how gorgeous this croc was...well....

 #65983

 Croc Monitor

lol ive heard nasty stories about crocs, but ive also heard that niles are more agressive so i dunno about them, they are gourgeous lizards though

 #65999

 Croc Monitor

I know that feeling, I don’t have the room for a large monitor but every time I see a healthy albig I start thinking. Wait til the kids move out. lol Scott

 #66273

 Croc Monitor

Yep I saw him too! OMG he was so gorgeous. I absolutely love the croc monitors, but like you I have a Nile and a whole bunch of other critters. The crocs are soooooooooooo great and have such keen personalities. I really like that about them. I don’t believe that I had the will power to avoid that purchase. He was very exceptional. Here are some pics of my Nile, Mason (first two pics). The last pic is of my fiesty little Ornate Nile.

 #66541

 Croc Monitor

great lookin niles!!!!!:D ive got one myself, but he aint in the least bit tame now that summers here...................matter of fact he bit me good today

 #66579

 Croc Monitor

Thanks Loki. How about yours? How old/what size? Hey, let’s see a pic of the bite....lol...that’s not really funny I know it hurts like hell! Been there. I think I would rather get bitten by a nile than a croc monitor though.

 #67004

 Croc Monitor

I was asking similar question just the other day at this website www.cybersalvator.com in the "other monitors" message area, it’s a great site all dealing with monitors, mostly the asian water V. Salvator, but lots of pics and information. a must for all monitor fans. --jeff

 #68590

 Croc Monitor

my nile is bout a year and a half now and 2ft or so long. id get some pictures up but i cant figure out the stupid photo thingy, and the bite aint bad just a nip and hes not big enough to do any serious damage yet:D

 #68607

 Croc Monitor

Mason is about a year and eight months old. His last measurement was 4 foot and 1/2inches. My Ornate I am not sure of the age on because I took him as a rescue, but he’s approximately 3 feet. The photo thing is really quite easy. When you go to post or reply, click on Get Your Photo List (underneath the message writing block). Once there, scroll down to the bottom of all your photos (if you don’t have any you obviously don’t have to scroll) and click on Add A Photo. This should bring up another box. Click the Browse button (this will open another block) to browse your personal files on your computer to find the picture that you want and click Ok. Choose a category (once you click ok and are back to the green box again) to place the pic in. Then write up a desciption if you want and click the Submit button at the bottom. It’ll take a little to upload then it will show your pic. Exit the box. Reclick on the Get Your Photo List button below the Message box on your reply or new thread. Click on Make Image Link. Another box will pop up. Click on send to message box and viola, you’re done. Sounds harder than it really is. Try it.

 #68874

 Croc Monitor

Are you saying that your Nile is only 20 months old and is already over four feet long? That’s amazing... Mine is over a year and is only maybe 15 inches--and he eats a mouse every other day.

 #68927

 Croc Monitor

Yes, he is. Have had him since he was just out of the egg. He is going through a major growth spurt right now. He eats a medium rat every other day and sometimes jumbo mice in between. He also gets a treat of deer steak every now and again too. How long have you had yours? Have you had him since a hatchling? What did you feed him as a hatchling is you had him then?

 #69240

 Croc Monitor

I got mine a year ago February. He was about 6-7 inches then, so I assume he’s at least 18 months old. I can’t believe the growth of yours. That’s amazing, from what I read. Mine has always eaten pinkies and mice. However, about two months ago I moved him into a 60 gallon aquarium, with 1/3 of it full of water and an elevated substrate. He has grown noticeably since then. Are you sure you’re not slipping him steroids on the side? :)

 #69294

 Croc Monitor

He has always eaten like a pig for me. I always feed my babies mice on top of crickets and/or roaches. A lot of people don’t feed their baby monitors pinkies or fuzzies and I think that is where they go wrong and is why a lot of the monitors grow slower. That’s why I asked what you were feeding. Have you tried lobster or hissing roaches? Mason has never really messed with the roaches. He has only ever eaten a couple adult hissers, but some of my other monitors relish them. I have also always provided a nice high basking temp for him. He has always been more comfortable with slightly higher temps than normal. Basking spot between 118 & 128 degrees with an ambient temp of between 82 & 88 degrees with a cool side of 70 to 72 degrees. When Mason was a baby, I supplemented all insects with Miner-All. I could swear by that stuff. Makes ’em more active, more colorful, and stimulates growth. Other than that, I don’t do anything different that what it sounds like you are doing. It was apparent from early on that Mason was a male (before he was even a year old). That’s one thing that has differed with him than the other niles that I have owned. Here’s a pic of Mason when he was smaller. Do you have pics or yours yet?

 #69404

 Croc Monitor

hows your niles temperment usually? my nile had some trouble trying to figure out how to eat the roaches when i first gave him some, he tried to pick em up while they were flatting themselves on the ground so his jaws just slipped off, like a jawbreaker , but he finally figured out hes gotta turn em over first,i havent given him hissers in a while though, Jade do you breed or buy crix and roaches?

 #69576

 Croc Monitor

Hey Jade I’ll try to get some pictures, but it will take a few days... My Nile is very, very reclusive. He hates it when I look at him. When I hold him, he gets angry and hides for a day or two, so watching him eat is a rare treat. Yesterday was such a day. Remember, I have mine in a 60 gallon aquarium, filled half way up with water, and fake stumps and vines providing a dry "substrate" for him to bask on and be on dry land when he wants. I put a large mouse in yesterday and just watched. The mouse climbed to the top of the stump and snooped around there. The Nile spotted the mouse and slowly swam to the stump, like a croc does. Then he went under water and sprung out of the watter, grabbing the mouse and yanking him under with him. Then he resurfaced, and shook the mouse against a log, smashing its head and throwing it up against the stump. It was beautiful...

 #69772

 Croc Monitor

Loki, Mason (the 4 footer) has an exceptional temperament. I have handle him since he was just a hatchling. The only time he has ever bitten me is when he was sleeping and I dug him out of his burrow (I was cleaning the cage). That was at about a little over 3 feet. That was not too long ago. It was my fault. Usually he puffs up and hisses, I pick him up and lay him right against me and he falls asleep. The ornate (the 3 footer) that I have does not have the best temperament, but at least you know for sure you are getting bitten when you stick your hand in. He bites, thrashes, urinates, defecates, and then when he figures that it’s no use (because I don’t put him down), he settles and relaxes and you are able to handle him just fine. As far as the roaches. Mason doesn’t really like them. The ornate does though. LOL Yeah, sometimes when they go to pick them up they slide off at first, but then grab an end and chomp ’em. I breed my own roaches. Hissers and lobsters. They are both prolific breeders and really easy to keep. Here’s what I do: 30 gal (at least) rubbermaid clear container, cypress mulch for substrate, Bug Stop around the top of the container approximately 3-4 inches thick, egg cartons stacked in the container (like with crickets) for cover and breeding. They are fed a diet of carrots, greens, some fruits, spurilina fishfood, and seaweed. I also sprinkle their food with reptivite every now and then so they are loaded. Nothing goes to waste. Any scraps of food I have from cooking of making salads goes into the roaches. Also, my red tegu won’t eat fruits (which they need to) so I seperate some roaches a couple days before I feed them out to the tegu and feed them fruits (high citrus). Lobster roaches are great for bearded dragons and geckos (smaller lizards). I do not breed crickets. They are too much of a pain, I think anyway. I order them once or twice a month from Worm man. (link below) How about you? Do you order or breed? Sorry I rambled so long. Worm Man Worm Farm

 #69774

 Croc Monitor

Hammer, Glad you got to watch him eat. I feed frozen/thawed to all of my reptiles. When the nile gets bigger and eats rats, they can do quite a bit of damage with a bit to the lizard. That’s why I feed all f/t. You should’ve filmed the meal. That would’ve been neat. I film stuff like that all the time.

 #70394

 Croc Monitor

i don’t breed, thats y i was askin, cause i needed info on setup and so-on, and whats the bug stuff, poison? i only have the nile right now, but i plan on getting a black-throat in august, savin up for the reptile show in sacramento , so im not in any imediate need to start breeding roaches yet. how many monitors do you have, ive seen the pics of the ornata, the common, and those two timors, are those all or are there more?