First Monitor

Hey I'm new to the forum but not to reptiles.
I did have a question though. I just picked up my first monitor today. It's an ornate nile baby. I did research before hand and I know they get large and are aggressive. I just wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions about their care. The care sheets I have seen are kind of general and conflict with each other. Just wanted to see if anyone had or is keeping one and had some little tricks or advice. I'd appreicate any information.
Thanks

I keep savannahs, which in a lot of ways are a whole different kettle of fish. However, I've run into a bunch of websites with bad monitor care info as well as a few good ones. Here are my recommendations:

www.mampam.com has a species account of varanus niloticus that covers some of Daniel Bennett's observations and advice on captivity (he basically says "Don't bother," but then gives a little bit of information about what to do with them in captivity).

www.varanus.net has a forum dedicated to captive monitor care. It can be a little bit hostile to newbies, but if you can prove a dedicated interest and have a thick skin, there are plenty of good people who give good advice.

Also take a look at nessiesmom.freeservers.com. This is a site run by a couple who had some extraordinarily tame nile monitors. Sadly, most of the monitors are no longer alive due to a viral infection that swept their collection. The site and the tips still live on, though.

I won't assume anything about your level of experience or dedication, but I do hope that you know what "large and aggressive" means in terms of monitors. I've seen/tried to handle subadult niles before, and I consider myself lucky to still have all my limbs and digits attached. These guys have claws for days and a nasty tail-whip when they feel like their life is in danger, which for most of them seems like all the time. However, if you're really okay with that (with a username like "burmer" you probably understand what caring for potentially dangerous animals means), I've been told that niles are beautiful display animals.

Hope this helps.

Des Harmon

Thanks alot. I appreciate all the info.

i just got a baby nile about 6 weeks ago and i have found u really do have to handle it every day and if they are too active for you to hold put it in a warm bath tub with like 5 inches of water and let it swim for a while (watch it they get tired fast) and give it a pinkie or 2 a day along with some crickets. allow plenty of bedding so the nile can dig too

Thanks for the suggestions. I gave him/her about four inches of mulch to dig around in. He lets me handle him some days without a problem and some days he lets me know he doesn't want to be messed with. I found a real good book on Niles by Robert Faust, it has some great info in it.

that nile monitors have such a bad reputation. I adopted mine from my brother (silly teenage boy who became bored). My Monty NEVER did bite. I did catch a tail whip across my shins once. Can't really blame him, we had to evacute because of a hurricane & we sat in the car for almost 11 hours. When we got to a friend's place I put him in a warm bath to soak & one of her cats pushed the door open. Monty freaked out and ran under the bed, I chased after him & caught a good one right across my bare shins. I took him into my classroom & let student hold him (they wore welding gloves because he did have some claws!) He never hissed, bit, or acted aggressive in any form or fashion! He died about 2 years ago. I had moved & gave him to my brother to watch while I was getting settled...not sure how or why he died...my brother knows if he was at fault he will get the asswhoppin' of his life! I had him for almost 7 years! Hope your little nile brings as much joy and adventure as mine did.

Just avoid all the troubles of biting, hissing and tail-whiping and get a Varanus dumerilii aka:dumeril monitor.
All I've ever kept, and I'll ever keep.
My daughter named him Nemo:

He is very handome!! How old is he?