So I’m thinking about getting a monitor in the future ( at least a few years down the road) as it’s my dream lizard. I live in south Texas where it gets pretty hot and humid regularly and I was thinking about using a greenhouse as an outdoor enclosure. Has anyone tried this and is there anything I should know using them for an enclosure?

My ackie seemed quite hyperactive today, so I was wondering if he was bored. Put on some Netflix (Our Planet)for him on a whim, do you think he actually benefits from it as entertainment? XD He has been staying still and looking at the direction of the screen, but I can't say for sure whether he's actually enjoying it

So I have a snake and I take him out and put him in a separate tank when I clean. However, what do you do with monitors in this situation? My snake does not refuse to be taken out, but I’ve heard many monitors do unless they choose to come out, and doing so against their will will diminish trust. Is it okay to clean with the animal in the enclosure? Baby dwarf monitors in adult enclosures may make this worse as they can escape more easily when you are cleaning and they would also be hard to pick up and take out with such speed and small size. Thanks, any help appreciated.

How wide are adult ackies on average? I know that hides are more comfortable when they are tight fitting, as the animals feel safer. Thanks, any help appreciated.

What age do breeders normally ship a monitor lizard? Is there an earliest reasonable age

In theory, for some animal species they bond better at a younger age.

Of course that may not apply to reptiles...?

I managed to get this 5x3x5 for $140. The Roof, Doors, Floor and Walls were made with some cement plaster or drywall that wasn't in good shape. Luckily, the shelves are intact. I plan to replace them all with wood and sealing it all to retain moisture. 16 inches of substrate will go on the bottom after I install a glass barrier near the door on the left. I'm looking for suggestions on heat/lighting and hide placement since. I'm thinking UVB on the roof and 1 Heat bulb(higher wattage on top) mounted under each shelf.

Should I worry? Some sand touches her food when he/she is eating. Will it pass through when they poop?

“Mommy is making lots of jewelry that is scaly like me! I NEED to inspect all the beads and put some in my dragon hoard under the sofa!”

I just bought a hatchling savannah. He/she ate a ton yesterday. And today, he/she Regurgitates all the food that he ate. What might be the problem? Overfeeding? PS. I handled him 2 hours after eating.

I look at the Ackie monitor more like "a friend". Or a "partnership" of two reasonably intelligent entities. It is 100% a wild animal and 0% domesticated.

Yes I am the one who has put it in a cage and provides food. But the closer I can approach a wild situation with enclosure and feeding and stimulation to me the better.

So towards that, I'm not really seeking to "train it"or "make it perform for my amusement". I know it is intelligent. I know it is capable. I don't need it to prove that. I want it to thrive. As I said, like a wild partner.

I have this desire one day to get a raven, perhaps the most intelligent bird and perhaps as much as the monkey or more. But they are uber intelligent and destructive. So I know that I will not one day have a raven

A domestic pet can't help itself. It has 10,000 years of breeding to make us their masters. some biologists looked at pet cats and dogs as an animal whose development was arrested at about a teenager level. Dependent upon us.

Even when tame and living with people, there is a vast behavioral difference between:

A wolf and a Labrador retriever

A bobcat and a Calico cat.

Wild animals are constantly looking in all directions for threats.

Their non-stop mode is hunting or searching for food, protecting a territory, avoiding danger, Mating cycles, etc.

People on YouTube like to constantly show themselves talking with their pets and farm animals and even wild animals outside.

To the cats, dogs, birds, etc - what these people are saying is complete gibberish. "Who's the good bird?" or "you're such a good boy!" You might as well hum...

At best, the pets pick up the tone, whether you are soothing or unhappy or things like that...

Is it complete nonsense to even talk to a monitor lizard? Just because conversation and sound is important to us, doesn't mean to a particular animal around us.

Is sound and audio an important part of monitor lizard world, or is it sight and smell (and tactile)?

They starting to panic I tried to help them but idk I have an ackie monitor myself

I've got a young savannah about 3-4 months old and is constantly agressive towards me and my feeding tongs. I've read lots about taming and its like just let the come to you in there own time and others are grab them and handle them as they will keep up with the aggression if they think it works to keep you away. Any advice from anyone who has kept them for a while? Thanks

Looking for an Adult Male Quince Monitor

I have a 4 mouth old Argus monitor. I’ve been doing a little research on his swimming area and so far what I’ve came up with that he needs an area that is approximately 12 deep. The enclosure he is in definitely can handle that size. My questions are either what do y’all recommend to use for something that deep? Next question if I use 60 ml thick pond liner one is it thick enough to stop his nails from ripping/ putting holes in. Another is what can I use or recommend to use to protect the liner