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The Water monitor is scientifically refered to as Varanus salvator. Water monitors are very large lizards that have a wide ranging distribution. They can be found in Indonesia, India, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Burma, and Thailand. Populations can also be found in areas surrounding those listed above (See Bibliography for more detailed sources). Water monitors are usually found near bodies of water as you might have guessed, but not exclusively. They have an affinity for water and will benefit from an approriate sized water bowl in their enclosure.
The Water monitor has many subspecies but this article will deal with the form most commonly seen in the pet trade Varanus salvator salvator. Some of the subspecies of this monitor may, in the future, prove to be full species onto themselves. Taxanomically they are considered Varanus salvator nuchalis (Central Philippines), Varanus salvator togianus (Sulawesi), Varanus salvator scutigerulus (Borneo), Varanus salvator marmoratus (North Philippines), Varanus salvator cummingi (South Philippines) and a melanistic form (all black) referred to as "Varanus salvator komaini". This last form is reported to have been found in all populations and not any one specific locale and may be a color morph of this varanid.
Water monitors are seen rather frequently in the pet trade and the majority of them are wild caught. There have been successful captive breedings by zoos and private keepers. When looking to purchase one, see if you can locate a captive bred individual first. The cost of this varanid will vary depending where you go but in general they are not overly expensive. If you do decide to buy a Water monitor please do your research before you get one of these lizards. Doing research before a purchase of any monitor is standard practice but is especially important for this monitor because of the large size it will attain as an adult (possibly 6 feet +), space requirements and cost of feeding.
Because of it's large geographic range, Varanus salvator can show much variation in color and pattern even within a single population. They can vary in color from a black-brown base with well defined yellow spots or rosettes forming bands across the back, to obscure rosettes on the base color that just sort of blend in and give the lizard a speckled look. Generally, with age these markings become less well defined. There is also a temporal band that extends from the back of the eye and fades away down the neck. Most of these lizards also have about two or three verticle bands across the snout. The tail is also prominantly banded but it too loses its definition as the lizard grows. Water monitors have the typical Indonesian monitor body shape. The head and neck are long and slender but become more stout when the animal is mature. The nares (nostrils) are placed toward the tip of the nose indicating a semi aquatic nature. The body is long and well built but can easily become obese in adulthood. The limbs are muscular with sharp nails on the end of each toe that are good for climbing, digging and of course scratching. The tail is about 1.5 times longer than the SVL (Snout to Vent Length), very muscular and keeled to aid in propelling the monitor through the water.
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.
A good ambient temperature for Varanus salvator would be in the the range of 80-85°F or a bit higher. Basking spots can be around the 100-120°F but you will probably find that basking temperatures that exceed even this will be readily accepted by a Water monitor. They need a very warm spot in order to properly digest a meal. Warning: Make sure your Water monitor 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.
During the night the temperature of the enclosure should not dip below 70°F. You can use non-light emitting ceramic bulbs or room heaters if you live in a climate that has low night time or seasonal temperatures. Freshly imported baby Water monitors are very suceptible to respiratory infections and need to be kept warm at all times.
As juveniles, water monitors can be housed in various sized aquariums. A 20-30 gallon tank will do to start off with. Well fed monitors will grow quickly so these aquariums will only do for a short period of a Water monitor's life. It would be advisable to build or obtain the largest enclosure you could to start off with instead of having to constantly switch between progressivly larger aquariums. This will probably be cheaper in the long run. A full grown Varanus salvator will need a great deal of space to be comfortable in. As a minimum, a cage with dimensions 8.5 feet long X 3 feet high X 4 feet deep will do.This is only a suggestion. Of course, most of the literature available recommends a room sized enclosure for a Water monitor, but this is not realistic for most keepers. You may not be able to spare an entire room of your house but with a little thinking and imagination you'll probably find that you can build a good enclosure with the space you have. Remember: cages don't always have to be box shaped. L shaped and leveled enclosures can provide more room with the space you have. If you know that you will not be able to properly house a full grown Water monitor, don't buy one.
As juveniles Water monitors will climb and you should provide them with branches to do so. As they grow they tend climb less but will still perch on a thick branch or log given the chance. Even large Water monitors will occasionally climb to a comfortable spot and survey their surroundings.
For Water monitors, a substrate of cypress mulch is a good choice. There are many other options as well: aspen shavings, mulch/soil mixtures etc. These monitors need humid places in there tanks and I find cypress is best for this. They can also be quite messy at times. They will dig and throw the substrate all over the place as well as go from their water bowl, onto the substrate, and then back to the water over and over again. The result is a substrate covered monitor that leaves mulch on everthing it rubs against. If you provide a deep enough substrate level your Water monitor will sometimes bury itself. Some keepers use newspaper very successfully as a substrate and this obviously eliminates the mess caused by the mulch but, I find newspaper doesn't provide the monitor the same comfort as a natural substrate.
Hiding spots are essential for all monitors and Varanus salvator is no different. The only thing you may need to adjust is the size of the hide box. You will be able to determine this by looking at the size of your lizard. Make sure it can fit its entire body into it.
Varanus salvator loves the water and it is a good idea to provide this monitor with a water receptacle that is large enough for it to curl the tail around and submerge its entire body. It is not neccessary to have a water bowl this large in the enclosure all the time but it will appreciate and use it if you do. I use large cat litter and Rubbermaid containers as water bowls. Sometimes I remove the water bowl when I find the enclosure is getting too wet from all the splashing so that it can dry out. As I am putting it back in my Water monitor is already trying to climb in it. They do love the water. You will also find that regular water changes will be neccessary due to your animal defacating in the water.
With such a large animal, feeding can become expensive and should be on your list of considerations before you buy one if these lizards. Luckily, Water monitors are not fussy eaters and will eat just about anything you offer. As juviniles they should be fed a variety of insects, fish and rodents. Juveniles should be fed daily to ensure proper growth and nutritional intake. As adults you can feed the same diet except in larger portions. Acceptable prey items are: crickets, mealworms, mice, rats, fish, ground turkey, mullosks, seafood, eggs and chicks. Adult diets need to be monitored by the keeper to avoid obesity. As they become larger and older they tend to put on weight. Use your judgement to set up a feeding schedule for an adult. Variety is important and will benefit the monitors overall health. Some Water monitors can be very aggressive feeders and will move surprisingly fast come feed time. Use tongs and caution to avoid being bitten. Although they are intelligent monitors and have been reported as being able to distinguish between a keepers hand and food, you should still be careful when feeding.
Water monitors will become very large when full grown and can reach lengths of 6-7 feet. In captivity they will still become large but 4-6 feet TL (Total Length) is a more commonly seen size. At the time of hatching they measure in the area of 8-12 inches TL. They grow very quickly and can easily reach 3 feet TL in a year. They are rather bulky animals and may look larger than they are because of this. Once they reach 3-3.5 feet TL you may find that growth lengthwise may slow somewhat and growth outward (girth) will start to be more apparent.
Wild caught juveniles may display defensive behaviour in the form of inflating the throat and hissing, lashing with the tail, defecating, and/or biting. This behaviour could be a good thing as it indicates the monitor is healthy enough to defend itself. Water monitors are known for their docile temperments and I've seen many adults that are extremely tame. Juveniles usually lose their fear of their keeper relatively fast. This can be achieved with regular, gentle handling. After a while you will find that the threat behaviours cease and you can handle your monitor with confidence. Note: no matter how tame your monitor may seem, always keep in mind that it is a wild animal that can hurt you.
Wild caught subadult-adult animals can and will defend themselves rather effectivly. It would be wise to use gloves and have another person present when attempting to handle these types of animals.