Nile Monitor Care Sheet
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Scientific Name:
Varanus niloticus |
| Lizards
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Description |
| Found throughout
Africa where water is present, the Nile Monitor
is not a lizard for beginners. |
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Statistics |
| Estimated Size: |
4' to 6' |
| Average Lifespan: |
10 to 15 years |
| Natural Location: |
Eastern Africa |
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Distribution
Map |
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| Captive
Care Information |
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Food
& Water
Nile Monitors eat meat. Hatchlings and juveniles
should be fed a diet of various insects, including crickets,
silkworms, grasshoppers, roaches, etc. Make sure to dust
insects with a multi-vitamin supplement. As they get bigger,
baby mice can be offered as well. Adult Nile Monitors
should be fed a diet of frozen and thawed mice and rats.
Other food will be eaten as well though.
Lighting, Temperature & Humidity
You will have to provide your Nile Monitor with a very
wide ranging heat gradient. The cool side of the enclosure
should be around 77 degrees F, with the hot end reaching
around 95 degrees F. They will also need a large basking
spot, able to cover their entire body. This spot should
be kept around 120 degrees F. Remember, the Nile
Monitor is from Africa, it's hot there! UV lighting
is not necessary for Nile Monitors to be healthy, but
many people use it anyway. The main concern for these
great lizards is the heat.
Housing
Nile Monitors need a very large space. Full
grown Nile Monitors will need an entire room, or similar
spaced area to live a healthy and happy life. Make sure
the walls are made of wood, or other hard material,
as these Monitors will dig their way out of anything
softer (drywall). Use dirt as a substrate, and make
it deep. Your Monitor will want to dig and burrow. A
depth of 2 feet should suffice. |
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