Rescued Nile Monitor. Need advice.

Vegasarah · 01-13-13, 05:32 PM

Went and rescued this little Nile Monitor this morning. He looks like he is at least in decent health. He is active and very defensive. Posturing, tail curling and hissing. He is about 6 inches snout to vent.

I was told he was being kept with no supplemental heat sources for the last week or so because the bulb burned out and the guy that had him didn't feel like getting a new one. He's been eating 3 pinkies and 3 goldfish a week for the last month. He lived in a 20 gallon fish tank. The guy that had him only had him for a month so that's about all the history I have on him.

I breed meal worms and dubia roaches, and I also have 3 pinkies and 3 fuzzies in the freezer. Went out today and bought 4 small minnows. I'm going to wait a day or two to even try and feed him, he will probably be too stressed to manage eating anything before then anyway.

He's in a 55 gallon on towels for right now till I can get his fecal done this week. If he's got a parasite load I've got to be able to contain it, treat it, and not spread it to any of my other reptiles. He's got a 150 watt bulb in there, basking spot at around 120. Cool end with soaking water dish around 78. A few plastic and cardboard hides, plus he can kind of burrow down in the towels. I've covered the top of the tank with tin foil to keep in humidity and it's between 40%-60%. The ambient air temp is at 72.

When should I try feeding and what should I start with? Anything I should change? Any and all advice is very much appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

SpOoKy · 01-13-13, 05:42 PM

Substrate! get substrate in there. Sand soil mix. How are you measuring basking temp? You are able to achieve 120 on a towel?
He also needs to be in a larger enclosure...what about the you mentioned in the other thread?

Quote:

The cage I would make would be 10 feet long, but I was asking if my 8x2x2 is okay for right now while I actually get planning and building and funding the adult enclosure? He's only 16 inches long. One month in the 8x2x2... would it be horrible? I'm one for giving maximum comfort to my reptiles.

Quote:

Cool end with soaking water dish around 78.

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The ambient air temp is at 72.

^ How are all your temps being measured, this is a little confusing?

btw, he is a cutie

infernalis · 01-13-13, 05:53 PM

The screen top has to go.

Once you get it in a sealed up cage with some heat and dirt, you can start feeding it every day.

Right now it's still baby size, so feeding to total satiation every day will promote optimal growth and get some size on it.

Seems an odd time of year for it to be so small, so I would wager a guess that it's quite underfed at this point.

I doubt there is a parasite load, ten bucks says it originated as a "farmed" egg, and these animals are simply just not born with parasites.

Further, These "parasites" cannot leave the host (monitor) and travel over to your other animals.

The other animals would have to consume the feces of the monitor.

If you put that nile in a cage set up exactly like my Savannah Monitor cage, except with a bigger water bowl and maybe a few feet longer, that lizard will start to behave like a wild monitor, and start eating up a storm.

And the plus side is, if it were carrying any parasites, they would eventually die off as they grew old and the cycle breaks.

Parasites and Varanids

Give that page a read, it explains the parasites in depth,.

Vegasarah · 01-13-13, 06:30 PM

The 150 watt bulb is only like 8 inches away from the towel, so the glass right under the towel is like 110 so the towel is toasty warm. At least that's what my temp gun is saying. The cool end I'm pointing my temp gun down there and getting 78. The hydrometer I have on the side of the tank measures ambient temperature which is reading 72. Are these temps okay?

The screen is covered by tin foil, it's keeping in humidity pretty well. It's not permanent though.

I am getting that 8x2x2 up and going and full of soil/ sand. Got a brand new kitty litter pan for the water bowl, it will be big enough for sure. I need to get some plexi glass for the top of that tank, though. It's hinged screened doors on the top. What mix of sand/ soil should I use? 20/80? 30/70?

SpOoKy · 01-13-13, 06:44 PM

Quote:

What mix of sand/ soil should I use? 20/80? 30/70?

I use 50/50 sand soil for my sav. Best thing to do is start mixing and adding water until you can make a sand ball like a snow ball. This consistency is the best for holding burrows. I know BB uses 50/50 soil/peat moss i think.

infernalis · 01-13-13, 07:22 PM

when it looks like this, it's perfect.....

Vegasarah · 01-13-13, 11:57 PM

Sand goes against everything in my nature as a herp keeper. I know the risk of impaction from sand is very possible, and it kind of scares me. I would love to try the soil/peat because that's already what I keep some of my reptiles on that thrive in high humidity. It holds moisture really well, and I am familiar with it. It's good for burrowing, my tortoise has dug a nice burrow that he sleeps in every night.

So I got thinking about my tortoise, which is also a bit misunderstood in the pet trade. A lot of people have been given bad advice on how to raise them, thinking that because they come from Africa, they should be put on sand in hot dry conditions. As it turns out, in the wild, they spend much of their lives in underground burrows that are very humid. So what we as keepers now do with them is keep them in a 'closed chamber' enclosure ( just like a monitor) that is sealed to keep in heat and humidity. And the peat/soil substrate is used often. A 'humid hide' is also created in which they are encouraged to sleep in at night by heating it. My tortoise, like some, has also dug a burrow within this humid hide that he sleeps in every night.

Would something like this be beneficial to a monitor? A Ceramic Heat Emitter for night time use that is contained within a humid hide with peat moss bass and then packed with spanugum moss so that the humidity is at 85+% (what it is in my tort's hide/ burrow)? I've even heard of keepers attaching natural sponge inside the hide and getting humidity up in the 90's. The heat attracts them to the hide and the humidity is great for them to sleep in for their health. Has anyone ever tried this? Would it probably just be ripped apart? I'm mentally planning a large Rubbermaid bin in a corner or maybe even something built right into the permanent enclosure?

Would 50/50 soil and peat moss be good?

jarich · 01-14-13, 12:20 AM

If you were keeping it on just sand, that would be a problem, but not a humid soil/sand mix. The 60/40 (or 50/50) mix is so the soil holds a burrow better and also keeps from getting super compacted over time. Monitors seem to have an uncanny ability to know if the soil is going to be right for them even without digging. Don't worry, if you get the heat up and the humidity up, its not going to get impacted by the sand. The best and most experienced monitor keepers/breeders have been using this soil/sand mix for decades, so dont just take our word for it.

You'll also notice when you start feeding that these animals actually use the ground to help subdue their prey. Basically they grab the prey and then smash it into the dirt until its dead, then eat it. So they are used to getting dirty food and passing it out the other end without issue.

EmbraceCalamity · 01-14-13, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarich

If you were keeping it on just sand, that would be a problem, but not a humid soil/sand mix. The 60/40 (or 50/50) mix is so the soil holds a burrow better and also keeps from getting super compacted over time. Monitors seem to have an uncanny ability to know if the soil is going to be right for them even without digging. Don't worry, if you get the heat up and the humidity up, its not going to get impacted by the sand. The best and most experienced monitor keepers/breeders have been using this soil/sand mix for decades, so dont just take our word for it.

You'll also notice when you start feeding that these animals actually use the ground to help subdue their prey. Basically they grab the prey and then smash it into the dirt until its dead, then eat it. So they are used to getting dirty food and passing it out the other end without issue.

Are there animals that can become impacted on regular sand if the rest of the husbandry is correct? I've asked around and never heard of it, but I'd be curious to know if there are any actual cases of it. I know calcium sand is an issue because it clumps when it gets wet and they often lick it to get more calcium, but regular sand doesn't have either of those particular issues, so I'm curious to know if it's still happened.

~Maggot

jarich · 01-14-13, 12:29 AM

The problem is that for most animals, you cant have all of the husbandry correct if they are on just sand.

Ive heard of bearded dragons becoming impacted on sand when they are young. Never had it happen personally, but others have mentioned it.

EmbraceCalamity · 01-14-13, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarich

The problem is that for most animals, you cant have all of the husbandry correct if they are on just sand.

Ive heard of bearded dragons becoming impacted on sand when they are young. Never had it happen personally, but others have mentioned it.

Well I meant temps and supplementation and such, for example with beardies. Wouldn't they be able to pass it if all of that was right or no?

~Maggot

jarich · 01-14-13, 12:56 AM

I'll be honest, to me it seems like they should be able to also. However I don't have much experience with beardeds, I've only had mine for about a year now.

EmbraceCalamity · 01-14-13, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarich

I'll be honest, to me it seems like they should be able to also. However I don't have much experience with beardeds, I've only had mine for about a year now.

I guess it's hard to say because most people who know about proper care and husbandry probably wouldn't be using sand because of the concerns that have been raised about it. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they couldn't pass it if other things weren't right. Just not sure about if things were right.

Anyway, Vegasarah, sorry to hijack the thread. Just was curious. For the record, I was happy when I saw this thread.

~Maggot

SpOoKy · 01-14-13, 08:35 AM

Impaction is a captive issue more then a wild issue. I have always kept my beadies on loose substrate since they have been tiny. With proper husbandry (most importantly basking temps), impaction should not be a worry. As for monitors, I find my sav will lung for a feeder and get a mouth full of sub. It comes back out the other end as fast as it went in

varanus_mad · 01-14-13, 08:52 AM

Niloticus should be kept identical to waynes savs...

simples,

Impaction from soil/sand does not happen in varanids ive never seen it in 7yrs of being a varanophile.

I have seen impaction from orchird bark...

still not sure why people mix this into the substrate,

anyway.

130-150f basking spot

75f cool end

90f hot end

12" min of soil/sand, the peat mixture will be naff as that nile gets bigger the walls dont hold up structurally.

Foodwise, shed loads of whole foods i.e. the whole mouse/rat/fish/invertebrate.

Keep it in a viv with no vents

Humidity should range from 20 - 100 (100 will be in the burrows 20 under the basking lights.

Have fun niles are a great species for the right people.