A few quick, random questions about Monitors.

Hello everyone! I have a few quick, random questions about monitors [if the thread title didn't give that away].

First of all, about the Ornate Monitor: Is this guy legal in New York State? New York currently lists the banned species of monitor species by species. I think they meant to illegalize anything that gets 6ft or more, but there are some conspicuous absences.... namely the Lace, Perentie, and Komodo. Also missing is the Ornate monitor. Does anyone know if NYS still regards this guy as a Nile subspecies? Or is it officially declared as being separate? If it is still considered a type of Nile monitor, it would be illegal.

I seriously doubt I'd be getting an ornate any time soon anyway, 7ft of lizard may be too much for me. But: Does anyone here have experience working with these guys? I hear that their personality is better than normal Niles... though that's not saying much. From what I have gathered: 1. CBB Ornates are MUCH easier to work with that WC ones, and 2. if you give an ornate a LOT of space [like, a whole bedroom, or unlimited access to the entire house], they actually calm down reasonably well. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

And 2. about V. gouldii and its crosses. How is this guys attitude? According to this the flavi subspecies actually has a very good attitude. Does this extend to the generic gouldii and its hybrids as well? How are the argus/gould's hybrid like to work with compared to purebred Argus?

Oh, and finally, how hard is it to find Storr's monitors and purebred Flavis in the US?

Thank you all in advance!

Im not sure about New york state as a whole on the ban of large monitors, but in know for a fact you cant have them in the 5 boroughs. As far as ornates vs. normal niles, i wouldnt say personally there temperment is different between the two, but getting a cbb vs a wc is going to make a world of difference regardless. I worked with a couple of adult ornate niles at a rescue for awhile (keep in mind they were rescues so who knows how they were brought up) and they were what i consider "monitor tame" as in they still whipped, hissed, and clawed you if you picked them up, they would gape but not bite. Thats my experience with them. As far as the sand crosses, they are smaller than a pure bred argus, but they are just as fiesty and fast and they will eat and eat and eat! Finally im not sure about where to find storr's monitors in the us, but i do see pure flavi's at hamburg, pa shows every once in awhile, though i have yet to seem them online yet personally.