Rescue

[Colonel_SB]

Well I was out visiting my G/F today and I came across a local pet store, and in the back they had a little Black Throat Monitor. His cage was a total mess and it was like 3 sizes too small :( he is about 1.5 to 2 feet long and they had him in a 10 gallon thank!!!!!!! It looked like they hadn't cleaned his cage in ages and god was he skinny.... So doing my best to stay calm I called over the person working and tore a strip off him :) anyways after about 15 mins of me tellin him how horendous this set up was he just didn't care, all he said was it was mean and no one wanted to tough him. So I just opened the cage and he wasn't mean just really hungry you know how monitors get when ya open thier cage and are hungry ;). So I ended up buying him (I call it him cuz I donno all monitors are male to me lol) and ways I got him for $200 on my credit card ugh gonna pay for that later but I just felt so sorry for him. When I got him home I cleaned him up got all that filth off him and he doesn't look half bad justa little kinking in the tail but oh well. Now he is in a 50 gallon set up with a large enough water dish to soak and all that good stuff :D he also ate a Fuzzy Rat cuz I didn't have any crickets on me. Anyways I will try and post pics asap, well I finally got my White/Black Throat Monitor.

I also got a question what is the difference between White and Black Throat's?

[proud2bcanadian]

I don't know what the difference is, but that's a great thing of you to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see the pics!

[Colonel_SB]

Thanks, Nicole and I named him Cuddles lol

[rwg]

Hey Darryl,

Congrats on your monitor. I hope I dont sound like I'm coming down on you, but when you buy an animal to rescue it, you are actually validating the pet store's strategy of getting in animals that they dont know how to take care of, and then treating them crappy. Since it sold, dont be surprised if you see another one in there before long. As horrible as it sounds for the animal, if it sat there and didn't sell, you can be sure it would be the last black-throat monitor they would ever get in, possibly saving many other animals from the same treatment.

Take good care of him, and post pics

As for the difference between black and white throated. As near as I can tell they used to be sub-species, but are now considered color variants of the same species. IE there's no significant difference.

rg

[Vengeance]

I have to agree with rwg. As horrible as it sounds, it is better in the long run that the animal die in that store then for you to have rescued it. That pet store will think it is ok to keep animals in sub standard care because they are still selling and they are turning a profit. The only thing you can do to stop pet stores like this is too not buy anything off them. Boycott the store and if anyone ever asks about said pet store just make sure to tell them what you've seen and ask that they boycott that store as well. The only way that these pet stores will ever change their praticies is if ti starts to hurt them in their pocket book because as long as they are making money there arn't going to care how the animals are treated.

[Big_V]

You should have tried to go to the management in the pet store first and complain in that way. But otherwise at least this animal isnt dying of negligance. If I were you Id go back to management or the owner and voice your concerns.
I do commend you for rescueing it, too bad you had to spend all that money but I support what you did though many others dont.

[SHvar]

I read posts all of the time, "check out my new rescue, I bought him from the local petstore, he was being kept so badly", sorry thats a retail purchase not a rescue. A good friend runs a reptile rescue, and another I help caring for animals does rescues, people contact him with animals, he doesnt pay a cent for them, he then as close to possible properly cares for the animal until its in great shape or evn good shape or they decide to add it to their personal collection, or adopts or sells the animal to someone else.
Unfortunately that petstore is going to replace that BT with another because it sold, thats one way they move animals, by your pity for them if noone else wants them. $200 is getting close to what you could pay for a real CBB BT when they are available, whereas WC are sold from $40-to as much as youll pay for them. That petstore just made about $160 profit on you. Of course a real CBB BT would sell for about $250-300 or more.

A BT and a WT are V.Albigularis a large African monitor species that comes from central to South Africa from the edge of the deserts into woodlands and semi arid grasslands (hence the original savannah monitor). The BT (used to be V.A.Ionidesi) is now considered the same species as the WT, although there is a true BT which is rare in captivity the V.A. Microstictus. In a way the following are all WT, as they are all considered Varanus (monitor) Albigularis (whitethroat), Ive only seen a few Microstictus in the American pet trade.
This is a WT...http://shenderson1.photosite.com/~photos/tn/835_1024.ts1044939577000.jpg
This is a BT..http://shenderson1.photosite.com/~photos/tn/887_1024.ts1032666323000.jpg
This is a BT..http://shenderson1.photosite.com/~photos/tn/876_1024.ts1032491593000.jpg
another pet trade BT...
http://shenderson1.photosite.com/~photos/tn/877_1024.ts1032491603000.jpg
A BT/WT cross...
http://shenderson1.photosite.com/~photos/tn/1833_1024.ts1093889215000.jpg
Another WT..
http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Sep/2004911259910640733494.jpg
Another WT..
http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Sep/2004919045563164725486.jpg
WT..
http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Sep/2004913882881559478691.jpg
BT/WT/WT cross...
http://shenderson1.photosite.com/~photos/tn/1693_1024.ts1093629448000.jpg

[Colonel_SB]

Sweet I totally understand where your commin from guys but I donno I just felt sorry for the creature and he was selling for $400 so I got a "deal" but I called the manager earlier today and he said to mind my own business, anyways I went off on him too and it's really to bad. I would have done more but the store is like 40 mins away from where I live some crap little town. I am probably gonna call the humain society on them or PETA or something file a compliant.

[Colonel_SB]

Well just a little follow up I just got off the phone with the local humaine society and I filed a complaint, they said they would send someone out to have a look.

[kap10cavy]

I know the feeling when you see these animals, My wife would have so many cages here we would have to camp outside.
I got Fluffy, my blackthroat out of pity and the price went way down when my wife told the seller to look for me when he went to the parkinglot. i was just alittle pissed at the condition.

Scott

[Enter]

tell a lie go there with a clip board and a camera talk to the manager again and say ur from the humane socity and u where doing a surprise inseption and get some friends and give them $5 to run around with signs boy cotting them

[Colonel_SB]

Nawh I'll let the real humaine society deal with them, most of the reptile cages were disgusting so hopefully something gets done!

[Leviathan]

I don't know where you live but I hope the Humane Society there does something. Where I live people complain ALL THE TIME about a local petstore here but no one cares. I've boy-cotted the store and as soon as I'm finished my AHT diploma I'm going to work very hard to get him shut down. At least then I'll have a little bit of 'knowledge' to the rest of the world cause they sure don't care about the 15 years I've studied reptiles that aren't on paper.

[V.hb]

I think some particular pet stores "buy" their way out of inspection. Honestly. I don't know how one store I worked for ever passed anything, and I constantly saw people in for inspection.

The animal trade is so deplorable.... As hard as it is to do, I have to agree with everyone and say that the lizard is better off to die in their care rather than bought for 200$ (Usually a triple mark up) just to turn around and have the store purchase more.