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Varanus dumerelii has the common name of Dumeril's monitor and is also sometimes referred to as the Brown Rough-Necked monitor. This monitor inhabits parts of Burma, Thailand, Borneo, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula (Bennett, 1998). These monitors are seen in the pet trade less frequently as some of the African species and usually fetch a much higher price. Most are wild caught but there are breeders that have had success with these monitors and they should be searched out if possible when you are considering a purchase. Dumeril's monitors are known by many enthusiasts particularly for their striking juvenile coloration. When born these monitors posses a bright orange head with a banded pattern of orange and black alternating down the body. You've probably seen this monitor hatchling shown in many of the monitor publications. However, this unique coloration quickly fades as the monitor grows and is replaced with a brown and tan banded pattern where the black and orange once were. Although not as attractive, this brown and tan pattern has its own beauty.
Another attribute that Dumeril's are known for is their relatively docile temperment. Initially skittish wild caught sub adult-adult animals do have very sharp nails that they may use to scratch with when restrained and may defecate as a defense, but with time even these types of animals usually tame down.
I've read that these monitors are somewhat arboreal and my captive observations would support this. They seem to prefer resting and basking in the branches if possible when young but not as much when full grown. This could be due to my setup however. Dumeril's monitors are also fairly aquatic and can be found around bodies of water in their natural habitat. If you provide a large enough water bowl so that your monitor can fit in and submerge itself, you may find that it spends many hours soaking.
Varanus dumerilii has the typical Indonesian monitor body shape; long head and neck, slender body and a tail that is about 1.5 times as long as the monitor itself. The tail is highly keeled which would aid them in swimming. The limbs are long and slender with talon like claws for climbing.
Dumeril's come from forest areas that are high in humidity and warmth. A very warm basking spot will allow your monitor to quickly and fully digest its meals. Your monitor should have access to a basking spot somewhere in the cage that will reach around 110-120°F or slightly higher. Warning: Make sure your Dumeril's can not come into direct contact with the heating element because it can severely injure itself. Their sense of touch is not the same as ours and the monitor may burn itself without knowing it. Use some sort of screening or make sure the heating device is far enough away that the monitor can't reach it. The rest of the cage can be held at an ambient temperature of 80-85°F. With all these high temperatures in the enclosure, don't forget that to properly thermoregulate, your monitor is also going to need access to a cool spot to escape the heat. Measure the temperature gradient in your tank using thermometers to assure you capture the proper range of temperatures they will need. Hiding boxes, water receptacles and deep substrate are a few things your Dumeril's monitor will use to cool down.
At night the temperature in the enclosure can drop off from daytime highs to about 75°F (24°C). Depending on where you live, you may need to employ ceramic heaters or night lights to maintain this. It is more important to keep the enclosure from getting too cold at night when the monitor is young than when it is an adult. Juvenile monitors in general are more susceptible to respiratory infections than adults.
A regular photoperiod of 12 hours light : 12 hours dark can easily be achived with the use of a simple timer that can be purchased at any hardware store. Don't be affaid to experiment with this cycle to see if there is a better light to dark ratio for your monitor or if it makes no difference at all. I won't get into the whole issue of whether or not monitors need UV lighting, except to say that there is no definitive proof to show that they need it in captivity or to show that they suffer from receiving it. Many people have successfully kept monitors both ways. You can do some research and make your own informed decision on this one.
Dumeril's are moderatly large monitors and will require a suitably sized enclosure. As mentioned above, these monitors like to climb and this fact should be taken into consideration. An enclosure that offers some height would be the best choice. As a minimum I would say that an enclosure 6 feet long X 3.5 feet high X 2 feet deep would do. This is only a suggestion. Of course the more space you provide them with the better off they will be.
What I do is suspend thick branches for them to climb on by drilling holes through the sides of the cage and securly screwing the branches in. Make sure the braches are strong enough to properly support your monitor. If you place one of these under your basking light, a Dumeril's monitor will make good use of it.
As far as substrates go, there are many options out there for a keeper to choose from. Aspen shavings, mulches, and soil mixtures all would work well with this species. My personal choice for monitors that require a high humidity is cypress mulch. This can be mixed with soil or sphagnum moss so when misted it will hold the moisture a little better. Misting is important to maintain humidity for this species and can be done every two or three days or as needed to maintain a relative humidity of 80% + or -. Providing a substrate that is deep enough for your monitor to bury itself in is also beneficial. Monitors can conserve moisture this way as well as feel secure in their surroundings.
Hide boxes are a neccessary part of husbandry. Make sure it is large enough for your monitor to fit its entire body in but not so large that it will feel lost in it. Keep in mind:Monitors like to wedge themselves into tight places and will appreciate this type of hide box. I also found that my juvenile Dumeril's monitors will use hide boxes that are elevated (bird nesting boxes) but prefer the terrestrial ones as they become larger. Experiment with different types of hide boxes at the same time and see which ones your monitors prefer.
A large water bowl with fresh water should be available at all times for drinking and soaking. Dumeril's monitors will most likely choose to defecate in their water bowls so cleaning and disinfecting on a regular basis will be neccessary.
Dumeril's monitor can be fed a variety of foods. Their powerful jaws allow them to crack mullusk shells fairly easily so these can be offered. When they are juveniles (1-1.5 feet TL) you can feed them prey such as crickets, mealworms, small mice and various seafoods. Juveniles should be fed everyday or everyother day as much as they will eat. Don't worry about obseity in juvenile monitors. As they grow you can increase the size of food items you offer. They should still be given as much variety as you can provide. A subadult-adult Dumeril's monitor can be fed crickets, roaches, mealworms, chicks, small rats, seafood and ground turkey. As adults they can be fed less often and their diet should be monitored to avoid obesiety. I once had a Dumeril's monitor that was about 2.5 feet TL and wild caught. He tamed down nicely but was very specific in his diet. He would eat nothing but mice. This was very frustrating. I got him to eat a few crawfish by rubbing a dead mouse all over them so the scent would be familiar. Eventually he would eat them on his own. Try scenting your prey if you encounter the same problem; it might do the trick.
Another habit of some Dumeril's is prey dismemberment. This is when your monitor uses its nails to scratch at the prey and rip it apart. I'm not sure why this is done exactly. At first I thought maybe the prey being offered was too large, but they would do this even with food that could be easily swallowed in one gulp. Many owners see the same behaviour. Keeping the nails trimmed helps a little but not much. This prey dismemberment leaves the keeper with a wonderful mess to clean up. Note: Fresh water should be available at all times
Hatchlings have been reported to measure around 6-7 inches TL. Dumerils have been reported to reach lengths of 4.5 feet, more commonly they will attain lengths of 4 feet TL. This species has very powerful jaw muscles and can deliver a nasty bite, fortunatly they are not the quickest of monitors to resort to biting as a defense. Hissing and tail lashing may also be used to deter a percieved threat. Care should be taken when handling unfamiliar animals.
If you aquire hatchling-juvenile sized Dumeril's (up to 1.5 feet), your chances of taming them are very good. Gentle handling for short periods everyday will allow you monitor to grow accustomed to your presence and lose its fear of predation from you. Even larger (3-3.5 feet) wild caught animals calm down nicely with gentle handling. These monitors make excellent captives and are one of my favorites