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Care sheet written by me. Good luck.
Nile Monitor Care Sheet
Common Name: Nile Monitor
Latin name: Varanus niloticus
Difficulty level: Advanced
Note: If you have less then 3 years consecutive monitor keeping, you should think twice about owning a Nile Monitor: These are large, powerful lizards that almost never calm down. Their paranoid attitude leads them to see their keepers as threats all their lives, and they have no hesitation about defending themselves with blows from their tail, ripping with their talons, or bone-crushing bites from their vice like jaws - not to mention projectile defecation and regurgitation on their perceived aggressor.
Native to: Africa, from Egypt to South Africa. Found anywhere there is water.
Size: Nile Monitors are typically 4 to 6 feet, although 8 foot specimens are known but rare.
Life span: 10 to 15 years if given proper care.
Housing requirements:
Enclosure: The best rule of thumb for this is you want at least 2 sq. foot of space for every one foot of adult monitor. That’s inside open cage space. From the top of the enclosure to the top of the substrate. A hatchling /juvenile can easily be housed in a 4’ long x 3’ deep x 4’ tall enclosure but that will not last long with proper care. Adults can and will take a room sized enclosure. You can build or buy a large enclosure.
Temperature: The cool side of the cage should be between 75° - 80° F, with ambient temperatures 85° to 90° F on the hot end with basking spots that reach 110° to 130° F. Night time temperatures can fall to normal room temperature but leave the heat mat on 24 /7.
Heat/Light: A warm basking spot should be provided for this monitor by radiant light. Racks of flood /spot lamps work well for this, plan on 3 to 4 lamps at 60 to 120 watts each. Adjust the height above the basking spot to reach the ideal temperature. Supplemental heat can be supplied by large, robust heat mats such as Kane Mats. The Nile monitor should be able to rest its entire body on the mat. You will need a Helix or some other form of heat controller!!!!! You want the heat mat to reach 100°. Ultraviolet light is not necessary.
Substrate: Dirt provides the best substrate. It needs to be deep enough to allow the monitor to construct tunnels and burrows naturally. This provides not only security, but helps with regulating humidity and temperature. Go to places like Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick up non-chemically treated soil, sand, and peat moss. Mix the soil and peat moss (add water if needed) then add the sand slowly together until it clumps in your hand but doesn’t drip. Fill the monitor's cage to a depth of two or three feet. You can also get mulch (cypress) and use that instead of dirt but be sure to have humidity gages so that you can ensure proper humidity. You can buy a mister to spray if the cage with if it’s having a problem holding humidity. By using the mulch the cage will need to be sprayed everyday. You can also spray the top of the soil to ensure it doesn’t get to dry which can strip the cage of humidity and dry out the monitor.
Environment: Aim for humid-tropical air without making the cage wet. Humidity levels should be about 75% for this species. Monitors become less active in the dry season; a dry cage coupled with readily available food will lead to obesity and health problems. Logs and sticks, particularly hollow logs, provide exercise and entertainment. All monitors climb so be sure to provide logs /branches that are thick enough to be used. A large cat litter pan can be used for providing water. Live /fake plants will quickly be destroyed by a curious and active monitor and can be toxic!!!! It’s advised to not use them. If you choose to use fake plants be sure to only buy plants purely designed for reptiles.
Diet: Juvenile monitors can be raised on a diet of insects dusted with vitamin and mineral powder and appropriately sized rodents or all the adult foods chopped everyday. Adult monitors can be fed a staple diet of frozen-thawed mice, rats, chicks, who fishes and shelfish and bunny kits every other day.
Maintenance: Clean up feces and urates as soon as you notice them, inspect the cage at least once daily for cleanliness. Replace the water when it becomes soiled or dirty and scrub out the dish. The top substrate can dry out, but make sure it remains moist (not wet) underneath. Add a few buckets of water to the cage as necessary to keep the substrate slightly damp.
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