black throat monitor

[homebrewed]

I'm having a hard time getting any information on this species of monitor.
If anyone has any experience with them, what size can the reach, husbandry needs, etc.

thanks

[V.hb]

Hey, I currently own three of these guys right now.. They are awesome varanids, full bodied though eat alot... To give you an idea of MY husbandry, and what works for me here goes..

I use a 12x4x6enclosure for my pair of adults (hoping to breed) I feed them every other day, usually a small rat, chicks etc. They eat large quantities of food. I have multiple basking spots set at 140 degrees constantly, and leave one bask on 24/7 to heat their 6x2x2 nest box built into the enclosure. These guys love to dig burrows, so provide them with at least 2 feet of dirt (my nest box supplies their burrow space) SteeveB & Markb both have alot of info on these guys, maybe they can add something to my post. Good luck

[Chair]

I read that they get between 4-6 feet, and in captivity up to 40 pounds, I have a buddy that works with one that is 65 and four years old. When babies they feed well on crickets and other inverts. The housing should be as wide as the monitor is long, twice as long as the monitor.
If anyone can correct me, or has any other hints I'd love to know, I'm thinking of getting one.

[dean85]

i have a 3 foot male he is kinda nasty but they are very cool to work with very active and yes adam is right they eat alot
no joke

thanx dean

[mbayless]

Hi,
V. albigularis can get large, very large; average captive types, especially brown types from south africa reach ~4.5 feet; typical equatorial types, = black-throats (formerly V.a. ionidesi) reach 6 feet, but older records which I believe to be accurate state 7-8 feet. Nothern types, formerly V.a. microstictus, reach 5-6 feet. It is all about food and these animals can each their body weight in a day if you let them (like mammals?!).

Their natural diet includes all crawling things, snakes, snails, molluscs, and in captivityyou can throw in rodents too...make sure your animals have alot of fresh water availkable, as this helps digestion too.

These are active animals, patrolling their ~22 sq. km ranges in Namibia/elsewhere daily, the Great Wonderer seeking food, and a burrow or tree to nest in. For the hot summer months V. albigularis brumate, remaining relatively listless for 3-4 months, using their fat bodies at food source; they also seek females during this time....

needless to say, your enclosures should be as large as you can afford, have some height so the animals can climb, get exercise and help avoid the obesity factor....a wooden cage is better, lots of substrate to dig in, burrow in, cork bark to hide under and pool to soak in....younger ones have attitude but adults mellow out pretty well, until they go outside where they become wild again and may charge you!! Thats impressive to see, I know.

Good Luck,
markb