All monitors reproduce by laying eggs and usually viable eggs are produced only within two months of mating. Observations in captivity Card , Eidenmuller suggest that in some cases sperm storage of up to three months is possible.
In many species mating and egglaying occurs only during a few months of the year but in some tropical species the breeding season is extended and may continue throughout the year. Plior to mating the female must expend a great deal of energy in the production of eggs.
The male uses a comparatively minuscule amount of energy making spenn. For this reason females are usually less active than males, grow at slower rates and achieve smaller sizes. The number and size of the eggs produced varies enormously between species. While the risk of being sliced up by the monitor lizard is scary enough, its tail may be its most formidable weapon. If you are looking for a pet that you can pal around with or show off to your friends, the monitor lizard is a poor choice.
Monitors are NOT tame, and if you are lucky, you may be able to take your monitor out of the cage, but if you try to hold it, you will probably get bit[ten] or tail whipped. That [tail whip] can break your hand or take off fingers. When confronted or even mildly agitated, the monitor will whip around with its muscular tail in an attempt to incapacitate its prey or any perceived enemy. When it decides to turn that tail on its human owner, it becomes a dangerous pet to own.
This natural weapon makes it easy to see why this lizard is not recommended as a pet in general and why even the most experienced reptile enthusiasts must be careful around such a powerful creature. For this reason, t is of utmost importance that the lizards are kept far away from other pets and small children.
Most people are aware of salmonella, a disease that can make you very, very sick. Salmonella is a broad term that can encompass over 2, different kinds of disease-causing bacteria. You may think of it as something caused by bad food or an unhygienic lifestyle, but while this is true, reptiles and other animals are also major carriers of the disease. Monitor lizards in particular have been linked to a certain strain of salmonella. A couple months before this discovery, a baby was brought to the hospital to be treated for bloody diarrhea, flatulence, and a temperature of degrees.
A stool sample was taken, and S. The baby was treated with antibiotics and made a full recovery, but the doctors were baffled as to the original cause of the salmonella. The parents did not have the disease, and though the child attended a daycare center three times a week, none of the other students were symptomatic. The doctors performed a home examination and found that the only pet living in the house during the time when the child became sick was a python.
Doctors examined the snake and found no S. Poano present in the snake or its habitat. However, it was later discovered that a month before the child became sick, the family had been housing a 2-foot monitor lizard. The parents had returned the lizard to the pet store in exchange for the snake because the lizard suffered from chronic diarrhea. Stool samples taken from the lizard revealed it to be the culprit. Though the baby was never allowed near the lizard and only the father cleaned the cage, the salmonella the lizard carried was still transferred to the infant.
This was possible because of the method by which the cage was being cleaned. The cage was about waist high on the father, and he had to step into the cage to clean it. He did so in his bare feet, and when he stepped back out of the cage, he unwittingly tracked the disease throughout the house.
Another possibility was that the baby contracted the disease via the heat rocks, which the father cleaned in the kitchen sink and possibly caused contamination in an area where the family prepared food. As dangerous as it is, S. Import of monitors from places like Ghana is not carefully regulated, so there is no way to ensure that the lizard you select as a pet is not a carrier of any disease. In most cases, the lizards show no signs of disease themselves, but it is estimated that 90 percent of all reptiles are salmonella carriers.
This is another serious danger of owning a monitor lizard, as it is estimated that up to 4 million cases of salmonella are contracted each year, resulting in annual deaths. In Florida, the Nile monitor lizard population is growing steadily.
Despite efforts to control the population growth of the animal by trapping and relocating the creatures to more suitable environments, their presence in the state still continues to grow at an alarming rate. The problem with owning a monitor lizard as a pet often stems from the motives behind it. Surely, owning such an animal is a conversation starter.
However, the problem with this impulsive attitude toward ownership of such a dangerous animal or any animal, really is that prospective owners do not take the time to make themselves aware of the responsibility involved. What many people do not realize when they purchase a monitor lizard is how large the creature may can grow to be, especially because they are so small when first adopted. Monitor lizards are also much more difficult to care for than other reptiles.
Because of their high metabolism, they must be fed more often than other reptiles. Whether it is because prospective monitor lizard owners fail to do the necessary research or because the vendors selling the lizards fail to inform prospective buyers, most people who purchase monitor lizards are unaware of these important facts and of the responsibilities that owning a monitor will entail. Because new monitor owners are unaware of the dangers and responsibilities, they are often caught off guard once the animal begins to grow and behave in its natural way, and they look for a quick way to get rid of the animal.
Sadly, the lizards are simply abandoned in local natural areas. This causes many problems for local wildlife, as the monitor lizard is very fertile, and its presence disrupts the delicate balance of certain ecosystems.
Experts claim that the monitor lizard is a tremendously fertile breeder. Females are known to lay up to 30 eggs at a time, once or twice per year. Due to all of these factors, the monitor lizard has become a threat not only to their human owners but also to the natural world in which they are abandoned. They are a danger to all who live in the regions where these lizards are being imported, not only to the natural wildlife that inhabits these areas, but also to the innocent pets, children, and even adults who call these places home.
If you are considering owning a monitor lizard as a pet, you must be aware of the very apparent dangers. There is a risk to your health, as well as to the physical well-being of all other people and animals who live in your home and your area. It is not illegal to own a monitor lizard in most states, though many do require a permit to do so, so you are cautioned to pay attention not only to the safety concerns here, but also to the laws in your region.
If you do decide to adopt a monitor lizard, be sure you are prepared to exercise extreme caution and that you are willing to keep and care for the animal for the duration of its life, which can last up to 10 years. Learn about other types of lizards in our archive of additional amphibians articles. Amy grew up in England and in the early 's moved to North Carolina where she completed a bachelors degree in Psychology in In Southern Africa, there are 2 species of the large lizards that some herpetologists say are more closely related to a snake than a lizard.
Like the rest of their genus Varanus, t he Nile monitor lizard and the Rock Monitor lizard stand on their hind legs to monitor their surroundings, hence their name. These fast and fierce creatures are sometimes spotted at our lodge and we recently captured one on video. Monitor lizards can grow to be incredibly large, in fact, the famous Komodo dragon is a species of monitor lizard. Of the 2 species found in Southern Africa, the largest size they can grow to is 2 metres long, although this is rather rare.
The Rock monitor lizard is a bit shorter and stockier but has a longer tail.
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