Care Sheet for MonitorsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.85 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 09/18/2007 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Monitors |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Lell |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Peach-Throated Monitor (Varanus jobiensis) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Blue-Tailed Monitor (Varanus Doreanus)
Finschi’s Monitor (Varanus finschi)
Mangrove Monitor (Varanus indicus)
Yellow Monitor (Varanus melinus) |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Hard to distinguish even with adults as both sexes may share similar characteristics. Males are typically larger and longer, females are relatively smaller. I found out one of my Peach Throats was female when she fully everted while being handled, and a long smooth tube was everted. Males have a purple/red, "flowery" hemipenes. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | A water basin should be provided. A water bowl large enough for the Peach Throat’s body to fully submerge, and deep enough to cover the whole body. Sterilite tubs work well with adults. As far as substrate is concerned, I choose to use Cypress Mulch. Dirt is the more preferred substrate with a lot of Varanid keepers. A deep layer of 1’ - 2’ is ideal as these animals enjoy a burrow. Jobiensis enjoys to sleep on mud in the wild, with some moist flooring you can mimic the same habit. |
Lighting and UVB: | Though it is not needed, a good UVB fluorescent light can intensify the colors of a Monitor Lizard. This is a theory I have picked up throughout my own observations. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Like other New Guinea monitor lizards, they need to be maintained at a high temperature and with high humidity. These animals enjoy a basking temperature of 130 or more. Misting the cage a few times a day helps maintain high humidity. A keep a jug of water by the enclosures to moisten the Cypress Mulch, but not to the point that there is any standing water. |
Heating and Equipment: | I use Halogen 90 wattage flood lights. Other equipment includes hemostats; these lizards are EXTREMELY aggressive when it comes to food. They insist on lunging at over-hanging prey. Jugs of water, this helps sustain moisture. Spray bottles for humidity. At night when the temps get cooler in my home, especially during the Winter, I use a night light. Gloves are a must. These animals will claw, rip, tear, destroy right through your skin. |
Caging Provided: | A tall enclosure is the way to go. For babies, a 20 gallon may be used, tall or long. Juveniles, something 4’ long, as much as 3’ tall, and over 2’ in width is beautiful. For an adult, something 5’ tall, 6’ long, and 2’ is a good idea. A cage with 1’-2’ of substrate, water basin, some plants, multiple basking sites if it can be provided, and branches set horizontally, diagonally, and vertically are all absolutely essential. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Babies for the most part are insectivorous, thus should be fed lots of bugs, some in which include crickets, roaches, and superworms. 1-2 pinkies or fuzzies may be provided. Juveniles will still enjoy insects, as well as rodents. Feed according to size. Adults will feed aggressively on rodents and roaches. Raw ground turkey meat may also be fed a few times a week to all sizes. The ground turkey is mixed with crushed vitamins and minerals such as Centrum tablets. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | I have used Rep-Cal, Bone-Aid, and Miner All. All work fine. Insects are dusted daily. Centrum tablets are crushed and mixed with the ground turkey diet. |
Maintenance: | This is definitely a high-maintenance arboreal-type species. Care requires quite a lot of attention. Water must be cleaned daily, as they have a clean habit of defecating in the water bowls, usually 2-3 times a day. |
Some Words on this Species: | This is by far the absolute most pretty monitor I have come by. A peach Throat, orange neck, green-dotted body with dark stripes running through the back, with blue dots distributed throughout the arms and legs, and a perfectly blue tail. My Peachies hate being handled. They will leap at amazing heights for food, specially for rodents. At broad-daylight, this animal is at its peak in how active it is, and spends countless hours trying to figure ways of escaping its enclosure. If there are 2 words to break it down with these animals, it would be gorgeous, and hyperactive. A note on WC monitors - rarely will you come across a CB Peach Throat. Alot of them will carry internal parasites, therefor a vet check up is extremely necessary. |
How Members Rated
This Care Sheet | Rate This Care Sheet
Please keep all comments constructive to Peach-Throated Monitor (Varanus jobiensis) husbandry methods and care. Any degrading, sarcastic, or disrespectful comments will be removed. |
Total Members Rating: 13
| 1 |  ( 1 ) |
| 2 |  ( 0 ) |
| 3 | ( 4 ) |
| 4 | ( 3 ) |
| 5 | ( 5 ) |
|
|
