# Spiny tailed monitor



## Rachael s (Nov 5, 2013)

Hi all, my fiancé is buying me a spiny tailed monitor for Xmas, and am looking for some general advice as there are so many conflicting pages of advice on the net, and often personal experience is the best.

I have in the past kept leopard geckos and successfully incubated babies, also kept bear dies, blue tongue skink, several corn snakes and a milk snake so am not completely new to reptile care. 

From what I have read they seem to be similar to a bearded dragon to keep. 

Any advice gratefully received :2thumb:


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

Welcome to RFUK!

You'll find a lot more advice on Ackies in the lizard section of the forum - lots of experience and knowledgable keepers there. Also check out the Monitor and Tegu thread on there. I've never kept them so can't offer much help myself.


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## jb1962 (Sep 21, 2009)

Nothing at all like a bearded dragon..
They are smaller..smarter.. And so much fun..
Trust me you will love it..
Just do follow advice on substrate..
Or buy topsoil from wick's that will do the job. Get the timer plug to run the per 30 or what size needed.. A per30 75w is what I use and have no problems..
Yes they love to dig tunnel's.. Yes deep substrate help's with humidity..
Scrambled egg has nothing at all added..it's just plan egg beaten..cooked..served once cooled..
Vitamin I use repeshy ..
Pre..boil water ..let it go cold..that is for it to drink..
They climb.. Too..
But just take your time..
It took mine a year before it felt ok to be lifted on to me hand..
They are like a kind of dog with live food..
But so worth owning..


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## varanus87 (Jan 30, 2012)

Rachael s said:


> Hi all, my fiancé is buying me a spiny tailed monitor for Xmas, and am looking for some general advice as there are so many conflicting pages of advice on the net, and often personal experience is the best.
> 
> I have in the past kept leopard geckos and successfully incubated babies, also kept bear dies, blue tongue skink, several corn snakes and a milk snake so am not completely new to reptile care.
> 
> ...


This is all u will ever need and will answer all ur questions ....

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...680-ackie-care-requirements.html#post10015749

Read it again and again ...: victory:


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## Rachael s (Nov 5, 2013)

Following 1st comment I also have a post in lizards section. 

Have bookmarked the ackie sheet thank you. 

Have so many questions still. 

Substrate needs to be sand and soil u mention wicks for soil do I need reptile sand or play sand ? 

Read harrowing stories of when peoples ackies have burrowed and branches in viv have fallen and crushed them so worried about what to put in. Will put a rock burrow thing n raised slate steps re the basking at own height but not sure what else and wondered what other people have.

Also what is a good book to buy for info ? 

Asking all questions now so fully informed don't want to buy a pet I can't look after properly as not fair on the ackie. 

The one I am buying is around a foot long so don't think it's a baby and it's from a local pet reptile shop it's friendly and used to handling and as mentioned very smart I have been and seen it three times now and deposit paid on it. 

Sorry if sound stupid but reason joined forum for help from experienced owners.

Someone mentioned egg to feed and others say don't I know to feed brown crickets and not black, and once a week a pinkie - diet is another thing I am unsure of as u can see, can it have small hoppers for a treat ? 

With my beardies and leopard geckos used calci something each time n nutribol once a week do all foods need dusting or just nutribol ? 

Thanking all in advance


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## jb1962 (Sep 21, 2009)

Wick's topsoil has sand in it..
Play sand is what you would buy if you have to mix it yourself.
Egg is ok.. Just don't add anything to it..
I feed mine dubia roach that I breed..
Pinky once a month..only..
A small bit of cooked chick they love too.
Wood.. I place one end on viv bottom then use the topsoil to keep it at an angle.
Any thing very heavy is always flat on bottom of viv.. Handling.. I first used a box being mine is nosy.. It goes in then you get the box and place it in a big tall plastic container..ackie comes out and you remove box and slowly place your hand in.. Ackie flicks tongue and will investigate you.. This will build trust..
Repeat every couple of day's till you can slid your hand under the bottom of the ackie ..use one hand to lift it's tail..near back leg's.. Then slid other hand under..
Ackie now will hold on and most likely want to climb up..
Cover any places with small gap's that it could hide or get stuck..
It's well worth just going on dwarf monitor thread on here or even better the one on Facebook.. 
Any problems pm


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## jb1962 (Sep 21, 2009)

Rachael s said:


> Following 1st comment I also have a post in lizards section.
> 
> Have bookmarked the ackie sheet thank you.
> 
> ...


Glue gun and corkbark.. Safer then rock's ;-).. The flat type corkbark is hard to get but better to stack .. Look at ackie stack's your get load's of idea's.. Just stay away from rock's..


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## Rachael s (Nov 5, 2013)

jb1962 said:


> Wick's topsoil has sand in it..
> Play sand is what you would buy if you have to mix it yourself.
> Egg is ok.. Just don't add anything to it..
> I feed mine dubia roach that I breed..
> ...


Ok update ........

Have been googling :gasp::gasp: 

Can get top soil at wickets n play sand from Argos locally so substrate sorted 
Been looking on amazon and have seen a nice big branch, cork hide, plastic leaves, cork looking bowl. 

Branch is vine thing with four branches of it and thought if wrap plastic leaves round a branch or two be cool. Will attach of course. 

Also found infra red thermometer :2thumb:

Stumped on ackie stacks though as needs basking spot but in gradients all the pics I have seen are not what I want so where to look ? 

Also where do u put your ackie when cleaning out the viv - as need to also sort this ? 

Thanks to all for input so far and gratefully received :no1:


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## Rachael s (Nov 5, 2013)

Also you mention looking at dwarf monitor info - can I have a link please, still finding my way round the forum


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

Here's the link http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/600224-dwarf-monitor-thread.html


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