Black Throated Monitor at Science Camp - information, care, facts

Black Throated Monitors are semi arboreal lizards, yet spend half of their time underground in burrows, or searching the ground for prey. They are well known by African bird watchers as the most prevalent predator on nesting birds, and song birds, they will in fact set an ambush next to a nest of eggs or chicks to await the return of the parents, eat both parents then the eggs or chicks. They are also known for living in large rock piles hence the name "rock or tree leguaan. They are greatly adapted diggers and can burrow like a highly skilled team of miners in hard packed dirt. (This information was taken from repticzone.com/)

We have one Black Throated Monitor at Cub Creek Science and Animal Camp. His name is Vulture, and he is by far our largest lizard. We got vulture when he was just a hatchling and he is now much larger than our adult green iguana.

Vulture has his own room that he shares with a Savannah Monitor and an adult Green Iguana.

We purchased a baby Black Throated Monitor about three years ago from Pro Exotics and couldn't have been more pleased with the lizard or their service. All of the pictures of the Black Throated Monitor are of this same baby (all grown up). Below is the care sheet of the Black Throated Monitor Lizard from there web site.

-also applies to White Throat and Savannah Monitors

Day temps- 80-85 degrees F with 130F+ elevated basking spot

Night temps- 72-80 degrees F

Setup- Husbandry is “typical Monitor” setup. A good diggable, burrowable soil is the best substrate choice, cypress mulch a distant second. We suggest smaller cages for babies, for a better sense of security. A good hot spot/basking spot is extremely important, but so is a proper ambient temperature. Have a Temp Gun handy, and know how to use it. Small, tight hide spots, good sized water dish, soil substrate is kept moderately moistened, moderately high cage humidity.

Basking Spot- We use wide basking spots to provide temp gradients up to 130°F or more. Elevated basking spots allow us to achieve proper temps using 50 watt Halogen flood bulbs. Proper temp gradients also allow for multiple moisture levels without any problems. We use no UVB or full spectrum lighting at all.

Daily care- Keep substrate moistened as necessary. It should be moist at depth, but not wet at any level. Spot clean as necessary.

Feeding- We feed baby and juvie monitors 6 days a week. Four days on feeder insects (roaches are a favorite and easy to work with) and two days on thawed rodents. Adults get fed according to need and body weight.

Notes- Read our entire FAQ for more detailed discussion of MANY husbandry topics that can benefit your setups and animals. Monitor care is quite consistent across the board. You can keep many monitor species using the same basic monitor husbandry theory and strategies. Monitors need a wide temp gradient, proper hydration, and a proven, nutritious diet.

More information on the Black Throated Monitor