"Easiest" Monitor??

my boyfriend has been drooling over monitors for sometime, especially the mangroves and savannahs..

I'm just curious to know what you guys believe is the better "beginner" monitor, we're looking for a smaller species, and a generally better tempered one as well.

We both have reptile experience, but the most aggressive reptile we have is a very untame 5' White Lipped Python (D'Alberts).

Suggestions are very welcome

-Karin

Ackies.

thanx, will look into them...

any specific reasons you would recommend them to the beginniner monitor keeper?

Well... There are really only two reasons people own Monitors...

1) They're fascinated by the biology, the evolutionary adaptations, the physical structure and behavior and need to own at least one (it never stops at one) to satisfy their curiosity and admiration for the genus...

2) They want to watch it eat their little sister's hamster. This second reason is, of course, the wrong reason but it is a frequent reason... much like with hot snakes and crocodilians, many niles are sold to idiots every year.

Since you asked a question which implied that you were serious about owning the animal and supplying for it's every need and granting it proper care, but expressed some hesitation due to your lack of experience, I assumed you were in the first group.

Ackies display all of the big monitor activity, intelligence and complicated behavioral patterns, but stay at a very manageable size. Further, they're not *too* picky about their environmental concerns (temperature is usually easier to regulate than humidity), tend to respond well to being handled and are only avaliable as captive bred individuals... I have no personal problems with imports when sold to educated consumers and properly cared for, but CB is generally reccomended for a first attempt at keeping a group.

They can be a bit more expensive than other monitors, usually around a few hundred dollars each from a known quality supplier but it's well worth it.

I know that ProExotics has a decent care sheet on the species that expresses the above points in a much better manner than I could hope to, you should check it out and give it some consideration.

about the Dumeril monitor. That was my 1st monitor and I find that they are the EASIEST of all to maintain.

thanx, i will also look into the Dumerils later tonite

But i did go to proexotics and read up on the Ackies, and they are pretty convincing about them being the best first monitors...

does anyone have any personal experience with them that they can share? and also if anyone has any pics of their setups for full grown ackies???

Experiences with Ackies...

They are active monitors, but not shy. They are calm and easy to handle, but not too boring.

They are pretty darn easy to feed - ours stay quite content on a diet of roaches, crickets, mealworms, superworms, ground turkey, and pinkie mice.

They do not require a ton of space. We house an adult pair in a 75 gallon aquarium with about 250 lbs of dirt in it.

They do not require UV of any sort. They DO require HOT basking areas.... Around 130 degrees. This is easily accomplished with a $30 ceramic heat emitter.

And here's a terrible pic of our ackie setup.

Here's another one of our favorites.... The Asian Water Monitor. Although I would strongly recommend NOT getting one of these for your first Monitor.

And here's our resident Peachthroat Monitor. I'd be tempted to recommend one of these guys for a first monitor - but they are generally pretty flighty, and ours likes to bite with little or no warning. Then again, every monitor has it's own personality, so who knows.

I'm not being snappy, but I'd watch it if I were you seamus...
I could tell you copied this because

A) I noticed the article was talking about niles
B) I had already read the article

Sorry, but plagerism is not such a good idea.