blue tree monitor

[Adam]

Ok here we go.

Ok so a while back i e-mailed Central Coast Reptiles about there female blue tree monitor they had available. I had a nice talk with the owner and she told me that it is like caring for any other monitor once they are acclimated. (she was talking about fresh imports and how they stress easily) She said that she can easily teach me how to take care of one. Should i go for it and learn how to take care of it? PLEASE LET ME HEAR YOUR OPINIONS!! or read...

heres the tree monitor's picture

http://centralcoastreptiles.com/pics/bluetree_fem.jpg

[JLExotics]

From what I understand Tree monitors are NOT easy to care for! They are like the chameleons of monitors and chameleons can be VERY difficult! Post this over at ks.com in the monitor forum! Bob aka treemonitors.com will let you in on all the information you need to know! I also hear Terry doesn't exactly have the best rep. I'd recommend taking a look at fauna as well. Remember anyone can learn to care for anything. Jumping the gun may cause the loss of an Innocent life.

[Reptilemama]

I LOVE my tree monitor, but he's not exactly the easiest to care for. Hates to be handled, needs high humidity, eats like a pig (which can get expensive), and never has learned that he can't jump through the glass to get to the roach bucket, so I can;t stand in front of his cage with it for long- have to get those bugs in there fast! :D

[ItsJustJosh]

i've kept and bred black tree monitors. I compare them to ETBs. Once they're acclimated, and their needs are met, they are not too difficult.

They have relatively fast metabolisms, and cage cleaning is a frequent thing. They eat a lot, but the plus to this is that they also eat damn near ANYTHING.

If you don't feel comfortable doing it than don't, but if you honestly think you can handle it, do some homework, and give it a shot.

[Adam]

well im going to do more homework, i also like black tree monitors too. He says this monitor has been captive raised and is ready for breeding too, and i have no problem with clean the poop and the rest of his needs daily.

any idea on how big of a enclosure they need, i know they are abroreal so they are Always on trees.

[Reptilemama]

My green has a cage that's 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 30 inches deep, and I wish I could give him something bigger. He uses every inch of it. Blues get bigger, I beleive, and would need more room. If I could, I'd give mine a small room!

[Omar]

v. mac are not good starters, and are generally not a hands on monitor. As all, or 99% of the ones commonly found are imports, that makes thing a lot worse. If you really want to get into monitors, go to your good buddies at nerd, I recomend getting one of their cbb arguses. They are awesome to work with, most don't get too big with breeding females at 3ft even, and they are awesome tripoding animals. Either those or ackies, I mean the arg might be a little much, but once you got everything going they're great. I mean they can be handled, EAT GREAT, and are not to prone to husbandry probs so you could make it with some fault granted it's not too bad. But yeah, the tree monitors such as the blue trees can be a prob and they get DEHYDRATED hella easy. I mean if not kept aquadetly they can and will die usaully from dehydration, among other things. Just my opinion, I've worked with them, and I think my friend has a breeding project with these or pras, but I'm not sure, maybe both. Good luck.

[Adam]

Thank you all for your opinions, i think i want something a little bigger than the ackie, i am going to go with the argus monitor, can i have more info on them?? i mean i could look info up but what fun would that be-lol

[Omar]

Awesome choice man! Args rock! Later on look for v. flav, they are args with less size and attitude, but args them selves are awesome. NERD is breeding them, you should ask them about them next time you get a chance, I do not have time to go into full detailed care, but I can tell you a few things. One, I recomend a sand/dirt/part clay mixture for substarte, a good amount pending on size to support burrows. a hot spot in the upper 120's-130's, but ambient hovering above 85 ambient air temp. Also allow for upper 70's at one point so they can thermoregulate. Size is varible peding on sex among other things. You can have anything from a hefty 3fter- a 6ft male. Diversity is good, but I recomend mainly rodents, and when they're smaller a part insect diet, but they can also take roaches and such at a larger size. That's what I would do, and remember, different people keep em in different styles, but that's how my friends, and some breeders I talk too keep them, so I would go that way, but if you want you should ask nerd as they breed em and can you give you a word by word caresheet.
Good luck,
ps, I've only raised a sand cross for someone to a size they wanted it and then gave it back, so sorry I couldn't go into more detail, but I have worked with a lot more.
good luck.

[Adam]

is the 6ft mostly tail, and they stay "slender" oppose to water monitor size right?

[Omar]

well define slender. I mean waters do not regularly get as large as some, some do in captivity. You often see obese waters, and I mean obese by 20-40lbs even. Have you ever seen the water at walters world?? fattest peice of crap ever! with that said, you can expect a 6fter, although rare, but you can juding conditions are right. Now depending on how much you feed it, it won't really be big and fat fat like a huge water, it will more likely be bigger and a bit leaner/muscular looking, not to underestimate as an over fed one could have the same aeffct. As I said, I've raised one, worked with a bunch, but it would be best to talk to someone who breeds them. Frank Retes breeds hundreds of args, flavs, and crosses, and produces some of the best high colored red ones I've seen to date. He is also one of the most, if not the most knowledgable people in monitors I've talked too, if you want good info talk to him, also other breeders like one I've mentioned previously hint hint lol 8)