Red Ackie (Varanus acanthuras)

[Gungirl]

I have been interested in monitors for a while. I was always thrown off by there size knowing that I wouldn't be able to offer it a large enough home right now. I just found the red ackie and am thinking that I could do this once I move into my new house. I want to gather your thoughts and opinions on them and see if what I am reading is right. Thanks for any and all help!!!!

[Lankyrob]

I have an ackie http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/varanid/85912-profile-arthur.html he is fantastic as a pet. He is very intelligent and needs stimulation regularly.

Ask anything you want and i will try to answer you.

[stephanbakir]

Ackies are awesome!

[Gungirl]

Ohh ROb I missed that you had one.. I am really interested in their temperament. I want/need 1 animal that likes daily interaction besides my dogs. That's why I am looking into these guys. How well is your guy adjusted/hooked to you and your family?

[Lankyrob]

He stares at us everytime we move - if someone new comes into the house he will run to the side of the viv nearest the front door to see who it is. He plays fetch with a stick. He will climb onto us as soon as the door opens to his viv and it is more difficult putting him back in than it is getting him out! The only thing that wifey doesnt like is that he has developed a rather "intimate" relationship with her! Not any other female just her - after being held for about five minutes he gets rather horny and will "do" her hand!

[Gungirl]

LMAO well yeah I get why she doesn't care for it... I am going to keep doing research and hopefully find out someplace local I can handle one/buy one through. I am having a hard time finding prices for them... that will determine how long I actually have to wait before I can get it once we are in the new house..

[Dehlida]

I'm glad you are doing your research before purchasing an animal. I would like to point out a few things about ackies that most people don't know, and clear up some misconceptions.

Ackies do not need nor want social interaction from you. While they tolerate it, monitors do not wish to be your friend, and in all reality do much better in a hands off perspective. If you want something that needs attention- stick to social animals like dogs.

Generally, ackies are amazingly active lizards, even small I would never provide them with anything less than a 4x3x3 cage or so, you're going to need deep dirt/sand mixture for them to properly burrow and maintain proper body functions. Keeping a monitor on bark/paper towels/repticarpet is not appropriate husbandry on any levels. All monitors will burrow and use burrows for multiple health functions.

Aquariums are extremely poor choices for a monitor. They are stressful, small, not sealed well, and don't allow for a good depth of substrate. Poor in every aspect. Build a nice custom cage, seal it well to prevent it from rotting out, then add the monitor. Purchase an infared temp gun and get his basking spot from 140-150 range, I know several people who keep their ackies even hotter.

Monitors are not cheap animals, you will probably spend $250-300 on the hatchling monitor, and another few hundred on building a decent cage. Feeding ackies isn't overall very expensive, especially if you breed your own dubia roaches for them.

It's a great choice for a pet lizard, if you're ready to adequately care for them. Sadly 99% of monitors owned by owners are kept in all the wrong conditions, and die young.

[Gungirl]

Thanks Dehlida for your knowledge. I understand they don't "want" social interaction but I am very happy to see that they seem to tolerate it very well. I am already planning out a viv depending on the house we buy. I was hopeful to build a 5'L x 3'T x 2'D and I have already looked into soil to use for a 1 to 1.5 ft sub-straight. I have the infa-red temp gun that I use with my snakes. I do have to look into different heating sources to create that basking spot. I read that for babies (which is what i want to start with) you dont want it to be hotter than 120 for a basking aspot. What are your thoughts on this? I am hopeful to also find someone with in driving distance that has one or breeds them. I would really like some hands on with them before I get one.
I do have to say that I am not clueless when it comes to lizards in general. I grew up with an iguana who lived to be 9 before my brother sold him.. and then we rescued a bearded dragon and had him for 6 years. I know theses arent anything like monitors but I think the basic knowledge helps me a ton!

[Dehlida]

Even as babies, I keep all mine at high basking temps, and they seem to do fine. They also grow like absolute weeds.

As for the tolerate social interaction- that is 100% up in the air. Some monitors are fine and will tolerate it, some will hate it. It really depends on the animal and you have no way of knowing which you'll end up with. If you aren't ready for the fact your monitor may not want to be touched ever- a monitor isn't for you. I have a couple species here at my facility who do not allow handling, and I have some that do. Coin flip ;)

[Gungirl]

I understand fully that I might not be able to handle it. I however believe that as long as I handle it and keep a good routine that it will not be an issue. I have read some of your other threads on monitors and I understand where you come from.. On that note when I get one I will read its personality and handle accordingly.

[Valvaren]

I have a friend who owns a sav, I know not really the same. Got it as a little baby and made sure to keep handling it when it was appropriate. She is pretty much full grown now and her preferred thing to do when let out is to climb up on anyone who is sitting down and lay there while they watch TV, or follow them around the house. I think with the right amount of love and attention any animal can enjoy the company. And as stated above I believe they are very very intelligent animals and shouldn't be lumped into a category of what to expect.

[Dehlida]

I understand fully that I might not be able to handle it. I however believe that as long as I handle it and keep a good routine that it will not be an issue. I have read some of your other threads on monitors and I understand where you come from.. On that note when I get one I will read its personality and handle accordingly.

Force handling a monitor is one of the worst things you can possibly do. When you buy a bearded dragon, they tell you "handle it until it's calm". This advice works for bearded dragons. For monitors- the opposite advice is given- leave it alone, let it work on coming to you.

You don't tame or handle monitors. You build up trust with them. I have not force handled my V. niloticus a single time since I purchased him, however I can if I choose to. He willingly will crawl up onto my shoulder, run around the room, and be placed back into the enclosure with no issues. She does not offer to bite like most niloticus. I've done the same with every monitor I own.

The best advice for getting one to trust you, is for it to see you as where the food comes from. Monitors are smart, and if they know you bring the nomnoms, they will respect you for that. Once they are comfortable with your presence in/around the cage and not flighty, offer them food from tongs. Then use the tongs to lure the animal onto your hand for feeding, then up your arm a little. Slowly but surely, you can even manage to get the animal out fully to feed, and it works rather well.

Again- never force handle the monitor like another reptile, they will hold grudges, and they will bite you for it!

[Jay]

Force handling a monitor is one of the worst things you can possibly do. When you buy a bearded dragon, they tell you "handle it until it's calm". This advice works for bearded dragons. For monitors- the opposite advice is given- leave it alone, let it work on coming to you.

You don't tame or handle monitors. You build up trust with them. I have not force handled my V. niloticus a single time since I purchased him, however I can if I choose to. He willingly will crawl up onto my shoulder, run around the room, and be placed back into the enclosure with no issues. She does not offer to bite like most niloticus. I've done the same with every monitor I own.

The best advice for getting one to trust you, is for it to see you as where the food comes from. Monitors are smart, and if they know you bring the nomnoms, they will respect you for that. Once they are comfortable with your presence in/around the cage and not flighty, offer them food from tongs. Then use the tongs to lure the animal onto your hand for feeding, then up your arm a little. Slowly but surely, you can even manage to get the animal out fully to feed, and it works rather well.

Again- never force handle the monitor like another reptile, they will hold grudges, and they will bite you for it!
That is extremely accurate!

[Gungirl]

Force handling a monitor is one of the worst things you can possibly do. When you buy a bearded dragon, they tell you "handle it until it's calm". This advice works for bearded dragons. For monitors- the opposite advice is given- leave it alone, let it work on coming to you.

You don't tame or handle monitors. You build up trust with them. I have not force handled my V. niloticus a single time since I purchased him, however I can if I choose to. He willingly will crawl up onto my shoulder, run around the room, and be placed back into the enclosure with no issues. She does not offer to bite like most niloticus. I've done the same with every monitor I own.

The best advice for getting one to trust you, is for it to see you as where the food comes from. Monitors are smart, and if they know you bring the nomnoms, they will respect you for that. Once they are comfortable with your presence in/around the cage and not flighty, offer them food from tongs. Then use the tongs to lure the animal onto your hand for feeding, then up your arm a little. Slowly but surely, you can even manage to get the animal out fully to feed, and it works rather well.

Again- never force handle the monitor like another reptile, they will hold grudges, and they will bite you for it!

You obviously missed the last line that I wrote. I will read its personality and handle it accordingly. I never said I would force anything anytime. I have common sense and understand basic principal of getting an animal to trust me. No need to try and spoon feed me your idea's.

[Dehlida]

I'm not spoon feeding anything. I simply stated facts based on varanid care.. I took the word "handle" in a different sense- as in you where going to handle the animal, not "handle" the situation. Both contexts work.

However, since you want to get some sort of attitude with me- I'm curious, seeing as though your experience is with an iguana and bearded dragons how exactly you are going to read the animals personality? You understand the basic principals of getting most animals to trust you- but no, you don't understand getting a monitor to trust you.

I'm going to pick on Rob for a second- look at his ackie, he has pictures of him holding it, and he also has a picture of his finger after being bitten, this is a classic example when a monitor was misread, and the owner ended up with the short end of the stick. Even after years of working with monitors, it's still very easy to slip up.

Your best bet is leaving a monitor 100% alone until you've worked with it for a long long time, and gotten to know it, even then it can have bad days, and unless you have extensive work with monitor body language/postures you're still likely to end up with one of the most efficient and unrelenting reptiles in the hobby latched onto your finger with no intention of letting go any time soon.