Mangrove monitors are a huge kind of monitor lizard which can grow up to 4 feet in length. Mangrove monitors’ dark body, with bright yellow spots make it one of the most popular reptile lovers.
The monitor of mangroves is indigenous to mangrove swamps and wetlands of the Western Pacific.
Only experienced reptile lovers should have mangrove monitors since these lizards can be difficult to manage. Mangrove monitors are a risky bite and require a huge space to live in as they expand quickly.
Mangrove Monitor Overview
| Common Name | Mangrove Goanna, mangrove monitor and Mangrove monitor, mangrove goanna or Western Pacific monitor lizard |
| Scientific Name | Varanus indicus |
| Natural Habitat | The hot and humid regions have lots of trees in close proximity to rivers. Mangrove monitors are directly from New Guinea, Australia, and the Marshall Islands |
| Adult Size | 3.5-4 feet |
| Average Lifespan | 12-20 years old |
| Diet | Carnivores, such as fish, crabs inverts rodents, birds, mealworms, crickets, and smaller Lizards |
| Housing | An enclosure that is at least 6x5x4 feet including cypress mulch, reptile carpet and live plants, as well as basking spots, rocks, wood as well as a large water dish with plenty of hideaway places. The enclosure should be kept between 82 and 90 degrees with places to bask that are as warm as 97degF. |
| Experience level | Expert |
Other monitor lizards:
Origin
The mangrove monitor (Varanus indicus) The lizards can be located within the Western Pacific in Australia, New Guinea, and the Marshall Islands. In the wild the mangrove monitor dwells in areas that are humid and hot near streams or bodies of water with lots of tall trees. The lizard lives in mangroves, lakes inland and forests that are damp.
Mangrove monitors are known to go swimming and the fish that is part of their normal diet. Mangrove monitors also travel across the sea to other islands.
Appearance and behavior
The mangrove monitor is like other monitor lizards due to its robust legs, sharp-clawed toes as well as a long neck and head. The forked tongue of the mangrove monitor has a dark, dark color and with sharp serrated teeth. The mangrove monitor is characterized by an extremely long and heavy tail, which is used to swim.
A mangrove’s monitor appears dark black with vibrant yellow areas. This coloration sets this monitor aside from the other Lizards.
Male and female mangrove monitors can be difficult to distinguish due to their similar body shape. Female mangrove monitors have an elongated abdomen. A male mangrove monitor has larger forelimbs , a head and forearms, as well as an extended chest.
Lifespan and size
The mangrove monitors that are born are between 9 and 10 inches and will grow to 3.5-4 feet once fully developed. Mangrove monitors expand quickly and must be kept in a tank that is large enough for adults as early as.
Mangrove monitors can last around 20 to 30 years if taken care of properly. Provide mangrove monitors with enough room to grow, and a an appropriate diet of carnivores to extend their lives.
Maintaining a mangrove monitor takes the commitment of a long time due to the long life span of this lizard.
Temperament
Mangrove monitors are one-of-a-kind lizard which is anxious at first when exposed to a new environment. Make sure the mangrove monitor has plenty of places to hide in the enclosure, to make it feel safe. Mangrove monitors are best separated until the breeding season begins.
Mangrove monitors are swift as well as aggressive when they are scared, and their bites can be detrimental to humans. Mangrove monitors release poison when eating their prey. While their teeth may cause harm and discomfort, their venom isn’t dangerous to humans.
When threatened, mangrove monitors will fess up upon the perception of threat. Mangrove monitors aren’t a fan of being handled, and they will be aggressive with their tails and teeth when they feel stressed.
Housing Mangrove Monitors
Mangrove monitors in the wild reside in humid and hot areas close to rivers. They also enjoy humid forests that are brimming with trees and vegetation. Mangrove monitors remain near to the water, where they are able to swim and catch fish for consume.
Keep the enclosure for the mangrove monitor warm by heating it, and it is filled with living plants. Put a large dish of water in the enclosure , to provide the mangrove monitor a space to swim.
Maintain the mangrove monitor lizard inside an enclosure that is custom-designed to accommodate the size of an adult and also to give ample space to decorate with branches and the ability to swim in the water. An exclusive enclosure gives you the flexibility to create an environment that is similar to the natural mangrove monitor’s habitat.
Size of the enclosure
Although juvenile mangrove monitors may keep in 20 gallon aquarium or in a vivarium. It is best to keep them into an enclosure that is large enough to accommodate their huge and rapid expansion.
Create a custom-built mangrove monitor enclosure at minimum 6-foot long and five feet wide and 4 feet high. Mangrove monitors feel more secure and safe in larger enclosures, such as this one. Include vertical branches for the climbers who are avid to enjoy.
Lighting
Maintain a stable lighting inside the enclosure of the mangrove monitor to ensure the health of the lizard. Mangrove monitors require 12 hours of light and 12 hours darkness. This is possible to achieve with the use of a timer that is attached to bulbs.
The light source for the enclosure could originate through heat lamps UVB bulbs, and fluorescent light. The bulbs should be put outside the enclosure in order to keep your mangrove’s monitor from getting burned.
Temperature and Humidity
Maintain your mangrove enclosure warm and humid as the natural habitat of the lizard, to increase the lifespan of the lizard.
The general temperature inside the enclosure of a mangrove monitor should remain stable, ranging between 82degF and 90degF. Lower the temperature at night down to 75degF and 70degF. Increase the temperature in the basking zone to 95degF or 97degF with standard reptile heat lamps.
Maintain a 70%-90 percent humidity inside the enclosure of the mangrove monitor in all times to ensure that the lizard is healthy. To keep the humidity level at a reasonable level you can manually mist the enclosure each day, or use an automatic mister inside the enclosure. Make use of a hygrometer for checking the humidity levels frequently.
While a mangrove monitor sheds old skin easily it is recommended to mist the enclosure more often during the time of shedding to aid in the process of shedding. If a mangrove monitor begins shed, make sure that there plenty of water within the enclosure.
Substrate and Decoration
Use cypress mulch or newspaper or reptile carpets to the enclosure to maintain the humidity levels. Soil is a good choice for substrate, however it can be difficult to keep tidy. Mangrove monitors love to dig into the substrate. Therefore, create the substrate around 8 to 9 inches in depth.
Mangrove monitors’ enclosure needs to be filled with living trees and branches that are vertical because this lizard is fond of climbing trees and enjoying the sun. Provide the mangrove monitor with space to rest by creating relaxing areas that are flat with rocks. Make sheltered zones and hides made of cholla wood and moss.
Set up a large tub of water within Mangrove Monitor’s enclosure in order to provide the lizard with a place to drink from and also a space to play and relax. Include coconut bark in the enclosure to provide a moisture-holding bedding alternative.
Cleaning
Maintain the enclosure of the mangrove monitor tidy by changing it regularly with the substrate. Glass surfaces and carpets for reptiles are recommended to be cleaned each day using hot water and a reptile-safe disinfectant to eliminate the monitor’s urine. Take the mangrove monitor out of the enclosure prior to cleaning.
Be careful when you remove the mangrove monitor from its enclosure. Wear gloves for reptiles to avoid dangerous bites.
Mangrove Monitor Care
Mangrove monitors can be difficult to maintain and should be considered pets only to knowledgeable reptile owners. They require varied carnivore’s diet, lots of water and shouldn’t be handled regularly.
Mangrove monitors are tough, but could develop common illnesses like digestive problems, and calcium deficiencies.
Food and Water
In the wild mangrove monitors are opportunistic carnivores who eat a diverse diet. In captivity you can feed your mangrove monitor diverse food items like crabs, rodents fish and super worms and eggs that have been hard-boiled. Adult mangrove monitors can relish seafood such as sprats, shrimps, and crabs.
Feed the adult mangrove monitor with an all-natural diet every four to five days during the week, based upon the mangrove’s preferences. Mangrove monitors that are young should be fed smaller food items such as pinky mice crickets, mealworms, as well as ground turkey. Feed a mangrove monitor of a juvenile each day, gradually switching to every other day when the young lizard begins take in less.
When feeding a mangrove-based monitor, boneless, add a sprinkle of calcium to supply the mangrove monitor appropriate nutrients. Live feeding could aid a mangrove monitor in adjusting to new surroundings and retain its hunter’s instincts.
A mangrove monitor needs ample water in the enclosure to drink or to swim in. The water tub should be large enough for your mangrove watcher to swim completely. The water tub can ensure that the humidity level of the enclosure is constant and assist the mangrove monitor when it sheds.
Handling
Handle a mangrove monitor only whenever it is needed and wear reptile gloves to shield your hands from bites that could cause harm. Mangrove monitors tend to be anxious when they are in new enclosures and can require a lengthy period of time to adapt to specific settings. In the transition time Mangrove monitors could attack and bite if being held. Keep in mind that your mangrove watch could be able to feces on you if the monitor is afraid.
Mangrove monitors who are adapting to a new environment could be a bit agitated when someone is within their enclosure. It is best to keep away from them during this time of transition.
Common Health Problems
Mangrove monitors are tough creatures, yet they could suffer from common ailments due to extreme stress. Maintain your pet’s health to minimize stress, and be aware of common ailments to ensure your mangrove monitor is well-maintained.
General infections could be found in mangrove monitors when it is stressed or injured, or the enclosure isn’t maintained in a clean and tidy manner. Indications of infection include an appetite loss and lethargy, swelling and discoloration.
Mangrove monitors with respiratory infections are result of damp and cold conditions. The signs of respiratory infections are similar to signs of other infections but they can be accompanied by wheezing, and difficulties breathing.
Mangrove monitors are susceptible to intestinal blockages as well as other digestive problems due to an environment that is too cold, a deficiency of water, and due to eating indigestible substances like tiny rocks or even sand.
Mangrove monitors’ injuries may become infected if they are not treated properly. Get veterinary attention when a mangrove monitor hurts its own body, regardless of whether the damage occurs to the skin or claws or toes.
Mangroves with a calcium deficiency monitor is known as metabolic bone disorder (MBD) and is because of a lack of proper lighting and low levels of calcium and vitamin D3 levels intake in the food chain. MBD is characterized by severe weight loss as well as joint pain and swelling. Put in a good UVB light within the mangrove’s enclosure, and supplement diet with vitamin D3 and calcium supplements to help prevent MBD.
The over-supplementation of calcium can have negative effects for a mangrove monitor as excessive calcium could cause hypercalcemia. To avoid hypercalcemia, supplement a few times a day with 1/4 teaspoon of calcium powder in the mangrove monitor’s diet.
Breeding
Mangrove monitors breeding must only be handled by experienced reptile owners as the breeding process is risky and complex.
Male mangrove monitors try to attract female mangrove monitors by controlling and fighting female lizards.
Female mangrove monitors produce between 2 to 12 eggs. Mangrove monitors who are well-nourished and healthy are able to produce five clutches within two years.
Mangrove Monitor eggs can be white and long They measure between 1 and 2 inches in length. Female mangrove monitors protect eggs during the period of incubation, however, they let the hatchlings be on their own once they have hatched.
Mangrove monitors are born between 7 and 8 months after eggs have been laid.
The process of selecting and buying the Mangrove Monitor
Mangrove monitors are available at specific pet stores or breeders with a good reputation. The online exotic pet stores offer mangrove monitors. Mangrove monitor ranges from $120 to $400.
Purchase mangrove monitors that are captive-bred instead of wild-caught mangrove monitoring when possible, since captive-bred lizards are able to adapt to enclosures that have been renovated. Mangrove monitors that are caught wild need to be checked for bacterial and parasitic diseases before being sold.
A mangrove monitor must only be owned by a knowledgeable pet owner. It’s not a pet that is suitable for novices.
