TailsWithScales

A new monitor pet. This post is being written in the hopes it will be seen by someone who may have limited experience or no experience. Actually it's really for anyone. I'll request it be stickied (hopefully) so it doesn't become buried.

There have been some really concerning ads in the monitor classified lately that have caused me to write this. The current one being a "tame" crocodile monitor (V. salvadorii).

So lets start with that word "tame" and why that's a dangerous word to use in ANY classified ad. The reason is monitors are just like a human being in that their personalities can and do change with ownership. Large species even more so because they usually do not like change. Just because an animal is calm or "tame" with the current owner DOES NOT mean it will be that way when you get it. I've purchased many many monitors who have claimed the animal to be "tame" and even "dog tame" and when I receive the animal it's anything but. And normally, with time and acclimation it doesn't change. My advice is this when looking to buy a "tame" varanid. Take that word with a grain of salt and toss it over your should. I'm not saying don't believe the person who's selling it but DO NOT expect that the animal you're getting will be that way with you. Potentially ever. Another thing that can be done is if the seller is so confident their animal is tame then ask for a guarantee on that. Meaning if the animal isn't tame after acclimation then ask for some of your money back or to send the animal back. I'm willing to bet the animal will not be so "tame" anymore. This is regardless of species.

Next is the true difference between captive born and captive bred. The way these words are viewed has changed as people try to sell off a monitor for more then what it's worth by claiming it to be something it's not.
Captive Born (CB) is an animal born in captivity. Where this is VERY misleading is a wild animal can still be captive born and sold as such for a higher dollar amount. The catch is it was captive born in a farm in whatever country the animal is located. So what used to be considered "farm hatched" has now been changed to "captive born" to make the animal more appealing and usually sell for a higher dollar amount. This is not captive bred animal and is close to wild caught as you can get.
Captive Bred (also CB) is an animal that came from captive parents. Where this is another tricky one is once again "captivity constitues animals even being kept in farms who could have bred to produce eggs and again are just very close to being a wild caught animal as they're basically brought in to the wild farms from the wild, some even already gravid or producing follicles, and allowed to lay then the resulting offspring are imported, house for a bit then sold as captive bred.
Captive Bred /Born (CBB) is a term that the animal came from fully captive parents and was incubated and hatched in a complete captive setting. 99% of the time a true breeder WILL have proof of most of the process is not all of it. This including breeding, ovulation, egg laying, and the resulting eggs /pipping. If the breeder doesn't have any of this especially egg laying /pipping photos I'd be very cautious and negotiate a lower price on the animal. Most monitor species ARE NOT being bred in the US and when they are it's heavily documented because it does happen rarely. Species that are truly CBB are the Australian species and the reason for this is the Australian trade lines have been closed for ............................. 15 to 20 years so no new blood is being brought in. Zoo's do have the ability to obtain new animals however the guidelines for such are extremely strict and a long - costly process is involved. So ask for proof of the animal being truly CBB. If not provided negotiate or just exercise a lot of caution.

Just a little side note on exporting just to give some figures. The most commonly exported varanids are Niles, Black throats, Savannahs and water monitors. The regulations are in place but not heavily enforced. My research has found (with help form others) that 150k Savannahs are allowed to be imported per season (based over 12 months), 100k BT, 100K niles and 150k water. So in one years time half of the 500k exported from their home countries are brought into the US. Take a wild guess as to how many of those animals actually survive to make it to market?? It costs and imported about $5 US or less to get one Savannah. That was a couple years ago that these base numbers were obtained but alas it's more then likely gone up as all things do.

Next is seller husbandry. This can vary greatly from the buyers and as such can create some problems with new charges when they're not being kept in optimal or close conditions. It's heavily advised you ask a lot of questions about the animal BEFORE sending the seller any money. Granted yes, they can and sometimes do lie but most buyers can tell when someone might be fibbing. I also strongly suggest checking the BOI. If the sellers husbandry is worse or equal to yours then when the animal is received do just a couple bars above what the animal is used to for the first week or two then bring everything up to par. The reason is a sickly monitors system can actually go into a form of shock if the changes are to drastic and this can lead to further illness and even death. If the sellers husbandry is better then yours it's strongly advised that you raise your standards and match it for the same reasons. Ask a lot of questions and maybe even tell the seller your husbandry. Most sellers appreciate this more then you know.

Also be completely mindful that as a monitor ages it sometimes changes drastically in personality. A once tame baby /Juvenal can become extremely aggressive as a sub adult and then change again once it reaches adulthood. Just like humans change, so do monitors. Once they start hitting sexual maturity that's when the main temperament changes happen and can be a 180o difference from what you knew. Expect your monitor to change. If it doesn't be pleased.

Monitors over 3 foot ARE expensive!! You may only pay $100 to buy the animal but the over all cost per year is high plain and simple. Do not just factor in the price of caging and the animal itself when thinking of buying. You need to factor in the animal, caging, lighting /heat, furniture /substrate, food, and electricity. Also your time. Monitors do require daily maintenance and some species even require daily feedings. If you cannot allot at least 30 min to an hour a day you may want to reconsider. First time buyers can easily become overwhelmed with the costs and daily care then remorse sets in and problems happen. So take a good look at the whole package before bringing a new monitor life into your home.

I think this all about covers it. If I do happen to think of anything else I'll add it later. I'm not really looking for this to be turned into full discussion. It's more for buyer information. When you've dealt with so many rescues as I and many others have it's hard not to want to put something like this out there in the hopes it may avoid someone making a large mistake and getting in way over their head.