Ornate monitor enclosure question

Grendel · 11-23-12, 01:00 AM

I have a young ornate monitor that I got 6 weeks ago (15inch snout to end of tail). How much substrate ( depth ) do I need for one that small. Right now I'm using just plain dirt, but I did not fill the entire bottom of the enclosure. I just put in a plastic container that is about 6 inches deep with the dirt in it. He does to seem to be interested in it, I don't see any signs of digging, and he prefers to hang out up high on the branches. This enclosure is small (28in Wx28in D x 40 in H acrylic cage), but I have a 6ft x4ftx 4 ft wooden enclosure I was planning to put him in when he got a little bigger. Do you think I should just set that up and let him loose in there, or wait?

exoticvirus · 11-23-12, 01:52 AM

monitors can be lazy lizards but since you got a juvenile it's best to have lots of space for it to move around. provide a large water bowl as they love dipping themselves in and excrete waste in the process as well.

i have an 18-inch juvenile asian water monitor that i keep in a 14-inch clear plastic shoebox. i let him dive in a bucket of water every morning after sun basking. after defecating, i just let her loose around our apartment for a few hours

EmbraceCalamity · 11-23-12, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exoticvirus

monitors can be lazy lizards but since you got a juvenile it's best to have lots of space for it to move around. provide a large water bowl as they love dipping themselves in and excrete waste in the process as well.

i have an 18-inch juvenile asian water monitor that i keep in a 14-inch clear plastic shoebox. i let him dive in a bucket of water every morning after sun basking. after defecating, i just let her loose around our apartment for a few hours

You keep it in a box that's shorter than the thing itself? Seriously?

~Maggot

infernalis · 11-23-12, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exoticvirus

monitors can be lazy lizards but since you got a juvenile it's best to have lots of space for it to move around. provide a large water bowl as they love dipping themselves in and excrete waste in the process as well.

i have an 18-inch juvenile asian water monitor that i keep in a 14-inch clear plastic shoebox. i let him dive in a bucket of water every morning after sun basking. after defecating, i just let her loose around our apartment for a few hours

Completely ignore the above quoted post...

infernalis · 11-23-12, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grendel

I have a young ornate monitor that I got 6 weeks ago (15inch snout to end of tail). How much substrate ( depth ) do I need for one that small. Right now I'm using just plain dirt, but I did not fill the entire bottom of the enclosure. I just put in a plastic container that is about 6 inches deep with the dirt in it. He does to seem to be interested in it, I don't see any signs of digging, and he prefers to hang out up high on the branches. This enclosure is small (28in Wx28in D x 40 in H acrylic cage), but I have a 6ft x4ftx 4 ft wooden enclosure I was planning to put him in when he got a little bigger. Do you think I should just set that up and let him loose in there, or wait?

Place the lizard in the largest possible enclosure right away.

Grendel · 11-23-12, 07:55 AM

Ok, I can get everything transferred this weekend, but still need the answer how much dirt do I haul in there. Do I need to fill the entire 24 square feet with 12 inches deep of dirt? The shoebox post was clearly anti-productive.

infernalis · 11-23-12, 07:57 AM

That's because asking the monitor to only dig in a shoe box is similar to asking a hippo to roll in a bucket of mud.

Trust me, once the entire enclosure simulates real ground, digging will happen.

So yes, shovel in all the dirt you can get away with.

Grendel · 11-23-12, 08:06 AM

Ok that makes sense, if it does not really feel like real ground, he won't to do. So I need it deep too.

Pirarucu · 11-23-12, 09:37 AM

At his size I'd say shoot for at least a foot of dirt, but you'll need to add to it as he grows, which will happen very quickly. (An inch a week if your temps and humidity are correct.) At least a foot but put as much as you possibly can, in other words. I should also note that the deeper the substrate, the easier it is to control heat and humidity, and keep them stable.

BarelyBreathing · 11-23-12, 09:47 AM

There is nothing lazy about a healthy monitor.

infernalis · 11-23-12, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarelyBreathing

There is nothing lazy about a healthy monitor.

Exactly, that's one of the reasons I said ignore that post.

Grendel · 11-23-12, 06:03 PM

Pirarucu did you really mean to write one inch per week, not one inch per month. That would make it 5 feet in one year (close to max size) in just that short. I thought it took 2 years for them to get to that size.

BarelyBreathing · 11-23-12, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grendel

Pirarucu did you really mean to write one inch per week, not one inch per month. That would make it 5 feet in one year (close to max size) in just that short. I thought it took 2 years for them to get to that size.

No, this is correct in a healthy monitor. A healthy monitor will grow 2/3 of its final length in the first year.

infernalis · 11-23-12, 06:25 PM

My Savs are almost fully adult size in 9 months.

In the wild, it's a race to get big. Until they get big, they are targeted by everything including larger specimens of the same species.

Pirarucu · 11-23-12, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grendel

Pirarucu did you really mean to write one inch per week, not one inch per month. That would make it 5 feet in one year (close to max size) in just that short. I thought it took 2 years for them to get to that size.

Yes, I meant to write one inch per week. Once they reach a certain size they start growing in bursts then slow down, put on a bit of weight, and grow again. But for most of the first year, they grow continuously.