Argus Monitor Thread.

[Little Wise Owl]

Does anyone on here keep them, have experience with them, photos of them, anything about them.

I've wanted a monitor for a long time and I keep going through species I'd love to keep and I always fall back on V. panoptes.

I want all your information and pictures of Argus'!

[murrindindi]

Hi, I`ve never kept the species, though I have kept the closely related V. gouldii, very similar in habits in that they are extremely active and require relatively huge enclosures.
Here are a few pics of them in the wild in Australia, the guy is Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry, the scientist who first discovered monitors are venomous....
The sub-species you would get would be V. p. horni from New Guinea (named after Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Horn), a world renowned Varanid expert.
Beautiful animals, I hope you manage to get one when the time is right!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8439739230_8d498ba386.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8439739230/)
Varanus_panoptes1[1] (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8439739230/) by murrindindi (http://www.flickr.com/people/62077372@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8438649255_3bb306853b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8438649255/)
Varanus_panoptes_Weib2_Apr2008[1] - Copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8438649255/) by murrindindi (http://www.flickr.com/people/62077372@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8373/8439737724_e6f4c056e3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8439737724/)
varanuspanoptesfrimeur[1] - Copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8439737724/) by murrindindi (http://www.flickr.com/people/62077372@N05/), on Flickr

[Little Wise Owl]

They're magnificent. They appear so inquisitive with how they tripod to survey the area. I think that's what I like about them. They're so active and curious. I'd want a large indoor enclosure with tons of digging space and a huge outdoor summer enclosure for exercise and foraging.

[murrindindi]

They're magnificent. They appear so inquisitive with how they tripod to survey the area. I think that's what I like about them. They're so active and curious. I'd want a large indoor enclosure with tons of digging space and a huge outdoor summer enclosure for exercise and foraging.


Most species do tripod but panoptes seem to do it more frequently, in the wild, probably because of the terrain they live in, too.
Being able to keep them outside at certain times is a great thing to do (fresh air and natural sunlight)!

[Little Wise Owl]

It would only be for a few months in the summer unfortunately. But hey, it's better than no sun at all

[BeardedDee]

Does anyone on here keep them, have experience with them, photos of them, anything about them.

I've wanted a monitor for a long time and I keep going through species I'd love to keep and I always fall back on V. panoptes.

I want all your information and pictures of Argus'!
Hi, I keep an Argus and was also attracted by what I read about them.
I asked if anyone else here kept them at the time of this thread but seems not.
http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/varanid/90337-some-pics-my-argus.html

[Little Wise Owl]

He's adorable. Do you have any updated photos of him? Not that temperament really matters as long as they're healthy but how is his?

[War Machine]

No experience with this specie, but one of my favorites for sure!

Reptillia, in vaughn, has a nice adult. They have some salvators too. not great husbandry, but good sizing.

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/48089_431737870183460_495168193_n.jpg

This guy is a bit obese

http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/538118_431736943516886_393738170_n.jpg

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/540552_431737066850207_1130129928_n.jpg

And a HUGE croc.

http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/485848_431740493516531_1622607336_n.jpg

[Little Wise Owl]

I've been there a couple times. I like the place but now I know so much about monitor care that it's sad seeing all the species being kept in less than good conditions.

[Grendel]

My personal experience is that they WILL bite you :)

[Little Wise Owl]

Sounds like fun. :P

[BeardedDee]

He's adorable. Do you have any updated photos of him? Not that temperament really matters as long as they're healthy but how is his?
I often read that they would launch themselves to the glass when the keeper came wanting fed. My experience is that he sees me for many hours a day in the living room, breaking the association seeing me equals food. So there's none of that jumping and snapping I've seen. He sees the tongs coming and will come down or out from where he is, tongue flicking before he sees any food. He will also chase after a mouse say on tongs...good fun!

I'm happy he's tolerant of me when in the enclosure to do what's needed. Not one for handling yet and has freaked out outside of his enclosure, possibly when he's larger.

I'll add pics another time as I can't access them right now.

[dinosaurdammit]

i have an argus/goulds monitor. He is rather tolerant of me and ive only been bit once, and that was my fault. He is an aggressive eater though. For me the mix is quite good, he isnt OMG HUGE but he is a good sized lizard. I think they are awesome critters- they are constant diggers though, pajaaamas never stops, though idk if its the argus or the goulds monitor in him. If you can build the correct home I say go for it. They are cool critters that are very smart.

[Little Wise Owl]

Don't worry, it's enclosure would have plenty of space to dig deep burrows. The outside pen would worry me though. I'd have to figure out a way to make it so it wouldn't burrow under and out when I wasn't looking. lol

[dinosaurdammit]

Don't worry, it's enclosure would have plenty of space to dig deep burrows. The outside pen would worry me though. I'd have to figure out a way to make it so it wouldn't burrow under and out when I wasn't looking. lol

dig down 3 or so feet, lay a slab of concrete

[infernalis]

dig down 3 or so feet, lay a slab of concrete


It's the only way.....:cool:

[Little Wise Owl]

Good idea. All I need is an escaped monitor in town... lol

[varanus_mad]

http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/Wee%20Steve%20The%20Argus%20Monitor/P1010041.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/Wee%20Steve%20The%20Argus%20Monitor/P1010040.jpg

Wee Steve A male as a baby ^

Milli:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/Milli%20Argus%20monitor/P1020024-1.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/Milli%20Argus%20monitor/P1020135.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/Milli%20Argus%20monitor/P1020069.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/Milli%20Argus%20monitor/P1020481.jpg

[varanus_mad]

Steve again

http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/P1000227.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/P1000223.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/P1020414.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp148/typhus4/P1030049.jpg