Not a clue, I've seen them exhibited in zoos as well.
Monitor-lizards in captivity
- Thread starter vogelcommando
- Start date
Not a clue, I've seen them exhibited in zoos as well.
I'm wondering if the initial post (by EsserWarrior) contained some typo which changed the intended meaning, or the wrong species name was put by mistake. The Savannah Monitor is very common in captivity - even I've seen them numerous times.
Andrew Swales
Well-Known Member
Could the first part of his comment relate to the huge loss rate of the bulk imported from the wild by the pet trade? If it could - then the second part is confusing, as those that are treated properly and 'make it' do well resulting in their abundance in captivity.
Maritime Aquarium has a black Asian monitor, the only one available for public viewing. Bronx Zoo has Komodo dragons, Mertens's water monitors, blue tree monitors, and Nile monitors (their exhibit used to be for Solomon Island monitors)
Turtleback Zoo has Komodo dragons.
Honolulu Zoo has Komodo dragons and Nile monitors.
Turtleback Zoo has Komodo dragons.
Honolulu Zoo has Komodo dragons and Nile monitors.
In total, Bronx exhibits:
Spiny-Tailed Monitor (ssp. brachyurus)
Black Tree Monitor
Komodo Dragon
Blue Tree Monitor
Merten's Water Monitor
Nile Monitor (both normal and "Ornate" monitors)
Green Tree Monitor
Freckled Monitor (ssp orientalis)
In addition to those, they also keep Solomon Island Spiny Monitor and Gray's Monitor behind the scenes. I think even have a few more species bts as well.
~Thylo
I didn't say the wrong species. I guess I haven't heard too much about them in zoos, but under private ownership of Savannah Monitors doesn't usually end up well. They're often imported in bulk and are sold to people for dirt cheap. They're often fed poor, extremely fatty diets as well. Most aspects of their care is debated by owners. It may be easier in zoos due to them easily giving them the proper amount of space and having professionals who understand their complex diet. I guess, due to me being an active member of the herp own community, I see many people who get Savannah Monitors without knowing how to care for them. All the owners I've met often encourage others to NOT get them.
Part X :
- Varanus reisingeri - general info : Varanus reisingeri
In European zoos the species is currently kept at 6 collections and for the USA I found Virginia Zoo and Newport Aquarium as being holders of the species.
At Bern the species seem to have been bred succesfully but I wasn't able to find more information about this breeding.
Also in the privat sector the species is being kept and bred and the first breeding I find a note about was at a privat collection in 2008. Funny is that also the person to which this species is named ( mr. Manfred Reisinger ) has bred it succesfully/
There are only 2 photos sofar in our Gallery of which this is one :
Yellow Tree Monitor - ZooChat
- Varanus rosenbergi - general info : Varanus rosenbergi
Prob. the best studied Monitor in Australia ( at least in the wild ) its remarkeble that in Europe only one zoo has ever kept this species in the past, Frankfurt kept it at the beginning of the 1960s together with Galapagos marine iguana !
I guess the species is kept at a number of Australian collection but sofar I only found Cleland Wildlife Park and Canberra Reptile Zoo keeping the species.
I was unable to find any report about captive breeding of this species.
In our Gallery the species is represented by a number of photos ( both captive and from the wild ) like this one :
Heath Monitor (Varanus rosenbergi) - ZooChat
- Varanus rudicollis - general info : Varanus rudicollis
Now-a-days kept at 8 European collections but formarly kept at much more collections ( ZTL list 24 former holder ). From the USA and Asia I only found one picture taken at Fuzhou Zoo - China to proof that the species is not only kept in Europe. I've seen it also in the pet-trade but real captive breeding seems sofar not having been succesfull.
Eggs laid by recently imprted females have however been hatched succesfull.
In our Gallery there are several photos of the species like this one :
Roughneck Monitor Lizard - ZooChat
- Varanus salvadorii - general info : Varanus salvadorii
At the moment one of the more commonly-kept species in Europe and currently 21 collections are taking care for it. In the past a further 38 collections kept the species ( in Europe ).
Also in the USA the species seems to be quite widespread among zoos and I found photos taken of it from the following zoos : Cincinnati, Dallas Zoo, Memphis, The Reptile Zoo, Virginia,
Houston and Honolulu,Also In Mexico ( Africam Safari ) and Singapore Zoo the species is kept.
Also in the privat sector the species is kept in some numbers.
The species has been bred already several times and the first report I found was by a privat keeper in 1997. The European Zoo-first breeding was at the Madrid Zoo in 2010 and 2013 also Faunia in Madrid bred it. Also the Ostrava Zoo has had succes with breeding the species ( 2012 ).
I know the species has also bred succesfully at several US-collections but I'll failed to find my notes about this ( maybe another ZooChatter can make a list of US-breedings of this species ? )
A breeding-report about the breeding at the both Madrid-collections can be found here :
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3107/3ed783c302e740681f6a371ae9c8c06367e4.pdf
A large number of photos have already been uploaded in our Gallery, for example this one :
Crocodile Monitor at Miami, 12/10/13 - ZooChat
To be continued....
- Varanus reisingeri - general info : Varanus reisingeri
In European zoos the species is currently kept at 6 collections and for the USA I found Virginia Zoo and Newport Aquarium as being holders of the species.
At Bern the species seem to have been bred succesfully but I wasn't able to find more information about this breeding.
Also in the privat sector the species is being kept and bred and the first breeding I find a note about was at a privat collection in 2008. Funny is that also the person to which this species is named ( mr. Manfred Reisinger ) has bred it succesfully/
There are only 2 photos sofar in our Gallery of which this is one :
Yellow Tree Monitor - ZooChat
- Varanus rosenbergi - general info : Varanus rosenbergi
Prob. the best studied Monitor in Australia ( at least in the wild ) its remarkeble that in Europe only one zoo has ever kept this species in the past, Frankfurt kept it at the beginning of the 1960s together with Galapagos marine iguana !
I guess the species is kept at a number of Australian collection but sofar I only found Cleland Wildlife Park and Canberra Reptile Zoo keeping the species.
I was unable to find any report about captive breeding of this species.
In our Gallery the species is represented by a number of photos ( both captive and from the wild ) like this one :
Heath Monitor (Varanus rosenbergi) - ZooChat
- Varanus rudicollis - general info : Varanus rudicollis
Now-a-days kept at 8 European collections but formarly kept at much more collections ( ZTL list 24 former holder ). From the USA and Asia I only found one picture taken at Fuzhou Zoo - China to proof that the species is not only kept in Europe. I've seen it also in the pet-trade but real captive breeding seems sofar not having been succesfull.
Eggs laid by recently imprted females have however been hatched succesfull.
In our Gallery there are several photos of the species like this one :
Roughneck Monitor Lizard - ZooChat
- Varanus salvadorii - general info : Varanus salvadorii
At the moment one of the more commonly-kept species in Europe and currently 21 collections are taking care for it. In the past a further 38 collections kept the species ( in Europe ).
Also in the USA the species seems to be quite widespread among zoos and I found photos taken of it from the following zoos : Cincinnati, Dallas Zoo, Memphis, The Reptile Zoo, Virginia,
Houston and Honolulu,Also In Mexico ( Africam Safari ) and Singapore Zoo the species is kept.
Also in the privat sector the species is kept in some numbers.
The species has been bred already several times and the first report I found was by a privat keeper in 1997. The European Zoo-first breeding was at the Madrid Zoo in 2010 and 2013 also Faunia in Madrid bred it. Also the Ostrava Zoo has had succes with breeding the species ( 2012 ).
I know the species has also bred succesfully at several US-collections but I'll failed to find my notes about this ( maybe another ZooChatter can make a list of US-breedings of this species ? )
A breeding-report about the breeding at the both Madrid-collections can be found here :
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3107/3ed783c302e740681f6a371ae9c8c06367e4.pdf
A large number of photos have already been uploaded in our Gallery, for example this one :
Crocodile Monitor at Miami, 12/10/13 - ZooChat
To be continued....
Part XI :
- Varanus salvator - general info : Varanus salvator
The Water monitor is one of the more widely kept species and in Europe there are at the moment 62 collections keeping specimens of none subspecified orgin. Don't know how common or rare the species as a whole is at the USA but in zoos in South-East Asia it's represented in good numbers and normaly local animals are displayed so it should be possible to find out the subspecies status of these animals.
Subspecies V. s macromaculatus is kept at just one European collection ( Tropicania - Helsinki ) and also for North America I just found one collection ( The Maritime Aquarium ).
Subspecies V. s. salvator is kept at 2 European collections : Liberec and De Aarde, Breda.
Subspecies V.s. bivittatus is not kept at all at the moment but has kept in the past at a few collections, don't know anything about the situation in the USA.
Subspecies V. s. ziegleri is kept at the moment in only one European collection ( Cologne ).
The species has been bred already several times and the first record I found was about the breeding of the species at the Ahmedabad Zoo in India in 1970.
1973 it was bred by a privat person in Germany and 1981 was the US-first breeding ( ? ) at San Antonio Zoo. More recent was the breeding of the species at Saint Martin la Plaine in 2018.
1999 Zürich bred succesfully with the subspecies V. s bivitattus.
The subspecies V.s. komaini was bred at Parque Reptilandia in Costa Rica and and article about this breeding can be found here : http://varanidae.org/Vol1_No1.pdf
Also in the privat sector the species is being bred in some number and here already mutation / morph breeding is done. I've seen myself almost complete black captive-bred specimens and also albinos seem to be being bred commercialy ( see Albino Varanus Salvator Varanus Breeder Albino Water Monitor )
In our Gallery a good number of photos can be found of the species like this one :
None-subspecified : Varanus salvator - ZooChat
Varanus salvator salvator : Water monitor - ZooChat
Varanus salvator bivitattus : Varanus salvator - Alor island - ZooChat
Varanus salvator macromaculatus : Southeast Asian Water Monitor - ZooChat
Varanus salvator ziegleri : Ziegler's water monitor at Bochum - ZooChat
Subspecies V. s adamanensis and V. s komaini are - as far as I could find out - not represented in our Gallery.
- Varanus samarensis - general info : Varanus samarensis
A recent ( 2010 ) discribed species which has been split-off from the Cuming's water monitor.
In captivity I only found 5 collections in the Philippines keeping this species :
- Tarsier Botanika
- Bohol Python and Wildlife Park
- Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation
- Talarak Foundation
It was at the Talarak Foundation were the world-first breeding of this species succeeded at the end of July 2018 :
( from Facebook ) A Samar Water Monitor (varanus samarensis) baby hatching out after more than 6 months of incubation. Two other eggs are about to hatch out as well.
The eggs were collected last January 19, 2018 at our breeding facility in Bacolod. This is most likely the first time this species has been bred in captivity.
This water monitor is found in the islands of Samar, Leyte and Bohol. Once considered a sub-species of the Yellow-Headed Monitor (varanus cumingi), it has been elevated to full species status.
Thank you to our partner in conservation, Eric Lim for helping us take care of the eggs.
In our Gallery the species is still unrepresented.
- Varanus scalaris - general info : Varanus scalaris
Outside of its native Australia I didn't find any concrete information about it being kept in public collections and also in private collections outside Australia it seem to be very rare - althrough it should have been bred already by private keepers.
In Australia I found 3 collection which are / have been keeping it :
- Moonlit Sanctuary
- Healesville Sanctuary
- Queensland Zoo
I found just 3 photos of this species in our Gallery, 1 made in the wild and 2 of the same specimen at the Queensland Zoo :
Spotted Tree Monitor (Varanus scalaris) - ZooChat
to be continued....
- Varanus salvator - general info : Varanus salvator
The Water monitor is one of the more widely kept species and in Europe there are at the moment 62 collections keeping specimens of none subspecified orgin. Don't know how common or rare the species as a whole is at the USA but in zoos in South-East Asia it's represented in good numbers and normaly local animals are displayed so it should be possible to find out the subspecies status of these animals.
Subspecies V. s macromaculatus is kept at just one European collection ( Tropicania - Helsinki ) and also for North America I just found one collection ( The Maritime Aquarium ).
Subspecies V. s. salvator is kept at 2 European collections : Liberec and De Aarde, Breda.
Subspecies V.s. bivittatus is not kept at all at the moment but has kept in the past at a few collections, don't know anything about the situation in the USA.
Subspecies V. s. ziegleri is kept at the moment in only one European collection ( Cologne ).
The species has been bred already several times and the first record I found was about the breeding of the species at the Ahmedabad Zoo in India in 1970.
1973 it was bred by a privat person in Germany and 1981 was the US-first breeding ( ? ) at San Antonio Zoo. More recent was the breeding of the species at Saint Martin la Plaine in 2018.
1999 Zürich bred succesfully with the subspecies V. s bivitattus.
The subspecies V.s. komaini was bred at Parque Reptilandia in Costa Rica and and article about this breeding can be found here : http://varanidae.org/Vol1_No1.pdf
Also in the privat sector the species is being bred in some number and here already mutation / morph breeding is done. I've seen myself almost complete black captive-bred specimens and also albinos seem to be being bred commercialy ( see Albino Varanus Salvator Varanus Breeder Albino Water Monitor )
In our Gallery a good number of photos can be found of the species like this one :
None-subspecified : Varanus salvator - ZooChat
Varanus salvator salvator : Water monitor - ZooChat
Varanus salvator bivitattus : Varanus salvator - Alor island - ZooChat
Varanus salvator macromaculatus : Southeast Asian Water Monitor - ZooChat
Varanus salvator ziegleri : Ziegler's water monitor at Bochum - ZooChat
Subspecies V. s adamanensis and V. s komaini are - as far as I could find out - not represented in our Gallery.
- Varanus samarensis - general info : Varanus samarensis
A recent ( 2010 ) discribed species which has been split-off from the Cuming's water monitor.
In captivity I only found 5 collections in the Philippines keeping this species :
- Tarsier Botanika
- Bohol Python and Wildlife Park
- Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation
- Talarak Foundation
It was at the Talarak Foundation were the world-first breeding of this species succeeded at the end of July 2018 :
( from Facebook ) A Samar Water Monitor (varanus samarensis) baby hatching out after more than 6 months of incubation. Two other eggs are about to hatch out as well.
The eggs were collected last January 19, 2018 at our breeding facility in Bacolod. This is most likely the first time this species has been bred in captivity.
This water monitor is found in the islands of Samar, Leyte and Bohol. Once considered a sub-species of the Yellow-Headed Monitor (varanus cumingi), it has been elevated to full species status.
Thank you to our partner in conservation, Eric Lim for helping us take care of the eggs.
In our Gallery the species is still unrepresented.
- Varanus scalaris - general info : Varanus scalaris
Outside of its native Australia I didn't find any concrete information about it being kept in public collections and also in private collections outside Australia it seem to be very rare - althrough it should have been bred already by private keepers.
In Australia I found 3 collection which are / have been keeping it :
- Moonlit Sanctuary
- Healesville Sanctuary
- Queensland Zoo
I found just 3 photos of this species in our Gallery, 1 made in the wild and 2 of the same specimen at the Queensland Zoo :
Spotted Tree Monitor (Varanus scalaris) - ZooChat
to be continued....
Part XII
- Varanus semiremex - general info : Varanus semiremex
A rare species which has never been kept in European public collections. In the privat sector it has been kept in Germany, the USA and in Australia.
In Australian zoos it also is very rare and I only found information it has been kept and bred at the Australia Zoo ( 2000 ). An article about the keeping and breeding at this zoo can be found here :
https://www.australiazoo.com.au/conservation/publications/monitor.pdf
In our Gallery there seem to be no photos of this species.
- Varanus semotus - general info : Varanus semotus
A species which has been described only very recently ( original discription can be found here : A new blue-tailed Monitor lizard (Reptilia, Squamata, Varanus) of the Varanus indicus group from Mussau Island, Papua New Guinea ) and I was unable to find any information about this species being kept in captivity ( nor public, nor privat ).
Also in our Gallery this species is unrepresented ).
- Varanus similis - general info : Varanus similis
In the past seen as a subspecies of Varanus timorensis but now mostly regarded as a species on its own. At the moment kept only at one European zoo ( Neuwied - Germany ) but in the past it was a little more common and has even bred in a public collection ( Dresden Zoo - 2003 ).
Also in the privat sector the species has been ( and still is ? ) kept in some numbers and several breeding results are known ( the first I was able to find occured already in 1974 ) from privat collection like this one ( in German but with short English summery ) : http://salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/1991-vol-27/863-eidenmueller-b-r-wicker-2/file ( here still regarded as subspecies of V. timorensis ).
In our Gallery there are just a few pictures of this species like this one :
New Guinea Spotted Tree Monitor at Prague Terrarium, 26/08/12 - ZooChat
to be continued....
- Varanus semiremex - general info : Varanus semiremex
A rare species which has never been kept in European public collections. In the privat sector it has been kept in Germany, the USA and in Australia.
In Australian zoos it also is very rare and I only found information it has been kept and bred at the Australia Zoo ( 2000 ). An article about the keeping and breeding at this zoo can be found here :
https://www.australiazoo.com.au/conservation/publications/monitor.pdf
In our Gallery there seem to be no photos of this species.
- Varanus semotus - general info : Varanus semotus
A species which has been described only very recently ( original discription can be found here : A new blue-tailed Monitor lizard (Reptilia, Squamata, Varanus) of the Varanus indicus group from Mussau Island, Papua New Guinea ) and I was unable to find any information about this species being kept in captivity ( nor public, nor privat ).
Also in our Gallery this species is unrepresented ).
- Varanus similis - general info : Varanus similis
In the past seen as a subspecies of Varanus timorensis but now mostly regarded as a species on its own. At the moment kept only at one European zoo ( Neuwied - Germany ) but in the past it was a little more common and has even bred in a public collection ( Dresden Zoo - 2003 ).
Also in the privat sector the species has been ( and still is ? ) kept in some numbers and several breeding results are known ( the first I was able to find occured already in 1974 ) from privat collection like this one ( in German but with short English summery ) : http://salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/1991-vol-27/863-eidenmueller-b-r-wicker-2/file ( here still regarded as subspecies of V. timorensis ).
In our Gallery there are just a few pictures of this species like this one :
New Guinea Spotted Tree Monitor at Prague Terrarium, 26/08/12 - ZooChat
to be continued....
Part XIII :
- Varanus sparnus - general info : Varanus sparnus
A recently discribed species ( original discription see : http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/WAMRecords_2014_29(2)_128to140_DOUGHTYetal.pdf ) and I didn't find any info about captive holdings or breeding-results.
Also in our Gallery no photos of this species can be found.
- Varanus spenceri - general info : Varanus spenceri
In European collections a very rare species and at the moment only kept at 2 collections ( Zagreb - Croatia and Kristiansand Dyreparken - Norway ). Don't know if it's kept at other regions but in Australia it is kept at least at the Wild Life Sydney.
In European privat collections the species should be kept but any further information is lacking to me.
Didn't find any information about captive breeding.
At our Gallery there are a few photos of the species like this one :
Spencer's Monitor (Varanus spenceri ) - ZooChat
- Varanus spinulosus - general info : Varanus spinulosus
In 1941 discribed as a subspecies of Varanus indicus, it was not until 1994 that the species was found again and given species-status. For this new status next to 2 preserved animals also 3 living females were used and these were housed at the Baltimore Zoo ( article about the rediscovery and discription as a species on its own see : 1994. Rediscovery and taxonomic review of Varanus indicus spinulosus ).
From European public collections I've no information if the species is / has been kept but seen the number of herps imported in recent years from the Solomon Islands its well possible that they are on show under the old name "Mangrove monitor".
In the USA next to Baltimore Zoo also Metro Richmond Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo are keeping the species and in 2016 the Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo even bred the species ( see : Spinulosus Birth at Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo - Animal World and Snake Farm ).
In our Gallery there are several photos of this species like this one :
Solomon Island spiny-necked monitor - ZooChat
- Varanus storri - general info : Varanus storri
In earlier days kept at 5 different European collections but now absent in the zoos. In privat collections there should still be some animal being kept, both in Europe and North America. I guess also in Australia the species is kept at privat and public collections but have no proof of this.
The breeding of this species seems to be not as difficult as of many other species and the species has been bred a good number of times. The first breeding was archieved in 1981 in Florida by Richard Bartlett and a breeder from Germany. A breeding-report of a later succes can be found here ( German with short English summary ) : http://salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/1985-vol-21/1086-eidenmueller-b-h-g-horn/file
Sofar only a single photo has been posted in our Gallery :
Varanus storri - ZooChat
to be continued....
- Varanus sparnus - general info : Varanus sparnus
A recently discribed species ( original discription see : http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/WAMRecords_2014_29(2)_128to140_DOUGHTYetal.pdf ) and I didn't find any info about captive holdings or breeding-results.
Also in our Gallery no photos of this species can be found.
- Varanus spenceri - general info : Varanus spenceri
In European collections a very rare species and at the moment only kept at 2 collections ( Zagreb - Croatia and Kristiansand Dyreparken - Norway ). Don't know if it's kept at other regions but in Australia it is kept at least at the Wild Life Sydney.
In European privat collections the species should be kept but any further information is lacking to me.
Didn't find any information about captive breeding.
At our Gallery there are a few photos of the species like this one :
Spencer's Monitor (Varanus spenceri ) - ZooChat
- Varanus spinulosus - general info : Varanus spinulosus
In 1941 discribed as a subspecies of Varanus indicus, it was not until 1994 that the species was found again and given species-status. For this new status next to 2 preserved animals also 3 living females were used and these were housed at the Baltimore Zoo ( article about the rediscovery and discription as a species on its own see : 1994. Rediscovery and taxonomic review of Varanus indicus spinulosus ).
From European public collections I've no information if the species is / has been kept but seen the number of herps imported in recent years from the Solomon Islands its well possible that they are on show under the old name "Mangrove monitor".
In the USA next to Baltimore Zoo also Metro Richmond Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo are keeping the species and in 2016 the Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo even bred the species ( see : Spinulosus Birth at Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo - Animal World and Snake Farm ).
In our Gallery there are several photos of this species like this one :
Solomon Island spiny-necked monitor - ZooChat
- Varanus storri - general info : Varanus storri
In earlier days kept at 5 different European collections but now absent in the zoos. In privat collections there should still be some animal being kept, both in Europe and North America. I guess also in Australia the species is kept at privat and public collections but have no proof of this.
The breeding of this species seems to be not as difficult as of many other species and the species has been bred a good number of times. The first breeding was archieved in 1981 in Florida by Richard Bartlett and a breeder from Germany. A breeding-report of a later succes can be found here ( German with short English summary ) : http://salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/1985-vol-21/1086-eidenmueller-b-h-g-horn/file
Sofar only a single photo has been posted in our Gallery :
Varanus storri - ZooChat
to be continued....
Part XIV :
- Varanus telenesetes - general info : Varanus telenesetes
One of the least known Monitors which was discribed in 1991 ( see original discription : 1989. Taxonomic review of the Varanus prasinus group with descriptions of two new species. ) and still known only from one specimen.
No captive animals are known and there are no photos of the species in our Gallery.
- Varanus timorensis - general info : Varanus timorensis
One of the beter-known Monitor-species ( at least in captivity - in the wild little is known about its behaviour ). At the moment kept at 9 European collections but their are a further 30 collections which kept them in the past. Don't know anything about the situation in the USA and from Asia I found ( only ) 2 collection which are keeping / have kept the species ( Taman Mini Indonesia Indah and Shainghai Natural Wild Insect Kingdom ).
In privat collections the species is kept in good numbers and also breeding is reported with some regularity.
The World-first-breeding was prob. archieved at Basel Zoo in 1973 and the US-first breeding was by the Rio Grande Zoo in 1981. A more recent breeding-result was at Zoo Wroclaw in 2015. As said, the species is also bred in some numbers in privat collections and a breeding-report can be found here : ( German with short English summary ) http://salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/1981-vol-17/1245-behrmann-h-j/file
In the Gallery there is a number of photos of this species like this beautiful one, made by @Tomek at Wroclaw Zoo : Timor Monitor (Varanus timorensis) - ZooChat
- Varanus togianus - general info : Varanus togianus
A species for which I didn't found any information of it being kept in any public collections.
In privat hands there seem to be a few specimens but so far I've never seen one.
No captive-breeding information was found and the species is sofar not represented in our Gallery.
Note: This is one of the few Monitors from which fruit-eating is documented ( coconuts ! ), see :
https://www.thebhs.org/publications...awesi-water-monitor-i-varanus-togianus-i/file
- Varanus tristis - general info : Varanus tristis
One of the smaller species from which 2 subspecies are known. In European public collections the Black-tailed or Black-headed monitor ( V. t. tristis ) has never been kept ( if we should believe Zootierliste ) but the other subspecies, the Freckled monitor ( V. t. orientalis ) is kept at 6 collections. In the USA I only found Binder Park Zoo keeping the species and in Australia Armadale Reptile and Wildlife Centre and the Australian Reptile Park are keeping the species ( don't know which subspecies ).
At least in Europe the Freckled subspecies is also kept and bred in privat collections and in public collections I know Stuttgart bred it 1994 and also De Oliemeulen in the Netherlands has been succesfull.
A breeding-result of the Freckled monitor from a privat breeder can be found here ( German, with short English summery ) : http://www.salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/1989-vol-25/950-eidenmueller-b-2/file
A video about the breeding of the Black-tailed / Black-headed monitor can be found here :
There are several photos of this species ( as far as I can see only Freckled ones ) in our Gallery like this one, made by @Maguari at Stuttgart : Speckled Monitor at Wilhelma, Stuttgart 08/09/06 - ZooChat
To be continued....
- Varanus telenesetes - general info : Varanus telenesetes
One of the least known Monitors which was discribed in 1991 ( see original discription : 1989. Taxonomic review of the Varanus prasinus group with descriptions of two new species. ) and still known only from one specimen.
No captive animals are known and there are no photos of the species in our Gallery.
- Varanus timorensis - general info : Varanus timorensis
One of the beter-known Monitor-species ( at least in captivity - in the wild little is known about its behaviour ). At the moment kept at 9 European collections but their are a further 30 collections which kept them in the past. Don't know anything about the situation in the USA and from Asia I found ( only ) 2 collection which are keeping / have kept the species ( Taman Mini Indonesia Indah and Shainghai Natural Wild Insect Kingdom ).
In privat collections the species is kept in good numbers and also breeding is reported with some regularity.
The World-first-breeding was prob. archieved at Basel Zoo in 1973 and the US-first breeding was by the Rio Grande Zoo in 1981. A more recent breeding-result was at Zoo Wroclaw in 2015. As said, the species is also bred in some numbers in privat collections and a breeding-report can be found here : ( German with short English summary ) http://salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/1981-vol-17/1245-behrmann-h-j/file
In the Gallery there is a number of photos of this species like this beautiful one, made by @Tomek at Wroclaw Zoo : Timor Monitor (Varanus timorensis) - ZooChat
- Varanus togianus - general info : Varanus togianus
A species for which I didn't found any information of it being kept in any public collections.
In privat hands there seem to be a few specimens but so far I've never seen one.
No captive-breeding information was found and the species is sofar not represented in our Gallery.
Note: This is one of the few Monitors from which fruit-eating is documented ( coconuts ! ), see :
https://www.thebhs.org/publications...awesi-water-monitor-i-varanus-togianus-i/file
- Varanus tristis - general info : Varanus tristis
One of the smaller species from which 2 subspecies are known. In European public collections the Black-tailed or Black-headed monitor ( V. t. tristis ) has never been kept ( if we should believe Zootierliste ) but the other subspecies, the Freckled monitor ( V. t. orientalis ) is kept at 6 collections. In the USA I only found Binder Park Zoo keeping the species and in Australia Armadale Reptile and Wildlife Centre and the Australian Reptile Park are keeping the species ( don't know which subspecies ).
At least in Europe the Freckled subspecies is also kept and bred in privat collections and in public collections I know Stuttgart bred it 1994 and also De Oliemeulen in the Netherlands has been succesfull.
A breeding-result of the Freckled monitor from a privat breeder can be found here ( German, with short English summery ) : http://www.salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/1989-vol-25/950-eidenmueller-b-2/file
A video about the breeding of the Black-tailed / Black-headed monitor can be found here :
To be continued....
Seaworld San Diego did have a water monitor at their animal connections facility but that is now gone and I am unsure of what is happening with their land animals at the moment so let's just say it is holding behind the scenes.
Thanks to @Goura I now know a single specimen is kept at Perth Zoo and he also placed the first photo of this species in our Gallery (
) which can be found here :Dampier Peninsula Monitor - ZooChat
There were already a number of photos in the Perth Zoo gallery.Thanks to @Goura I now know a single specimen is kept at Perth Zoo and he also placed the first photo of this species in our Gallery (
Dampier Peninsula Monitor - ZooChat
Actually there are two photos of Varanus storri, yours was the first, I uploaded my photo in March this year. It is kept in the Australian pet trade.
TheEthiopianWolf03
Well-Known Member
Oakland's male rock monitor is the microstictus subspecies
Intresting article about 2 Indian subspecies of the Water monitor ( Varanus salvator ) :
The Indian dragons we know so little about
The Indian dragons we know so little about
Part XV
- Varanus varius - general info : Varanus varius
This species is rarely kept in European collections and at the moment 11 collections are keeping it. Also In the USA it seem to be very uncommon and the only holders I was able to find are the Bronx and Cincinnat Zoo. Also the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand is/has keeping/kept it.
In Australia - the home-land of this species it must be the most commonly kept species and I wasn't able to find a collection not keeping it !
The species has been bred already several times in captivity and the first account I was able to find is a succesfull breeding in 1982. In 1987 Taronga - Sydney hatched 13 young and 11 of them were raised. In Europe both Bochum and Rotterdam bred it 1995 and Rotterdam was also succesfull in 1999.
Also in the privat sector the species is kept and bred and a breeding-result of some Australian breeders can be found here : Breeding Varanus varius - Lace Monitors - 2003 paper.
In our Gallery a whole bunch of photos can be found of this species, both from captive and wild animals like this very nice one made by @LaughingDove : Lace Monitor - ZooChat
- Varanus yemenensis - general info : Varanus yemenensis
A very rare species which has been kept only in very few collections. The first were obtained by Zürich Zoo which recieved 6 animals in 1986 at a time that the species wasn't even scientific described ( this was 3 years later in 1989 )! The only holding at the moment is in the United Arabian Emirates at the Sharjah Wildlife Centre.
I didn't find any information about captive breeding of the species and also in our Gallery the species is still not represented.
- Varanus yuwonoi - general info : Varanus yuwonoi
A rarely kept species which is been kept at only 2 European collections at the moment ( Cologne and Moscow ) but has been kept at 3 more in the past.
It seem to be also ( very rarely ) avaible in the pet-trade.
I wasn't able to find any information about captive breeding of the species and also in our Gallery the species is still not to find ( which is strange because quite a number of ZooChatters went regulary to Cologne ).
- Varanus zagorum - general info : Varanus zugorum
A recent discribed species ( discription see : http://salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/2005-vol-41/154-boehme-w-t-ziegler/file ) for which I didn't find any info about being kept in captivity and also in our Gallery no pictures of this species can be found.
This was the last species-account and now I hope this threat is gonna be used to update our knowlegde about the captive-history and recent developments in Monitor-keeping and breeding.
Historical notes about earlier keeping and breeding, photos of species still not in our Gallery, evt. new species which are discibed, all this can be placed in this threat and in this way we can enlarge our knowledge about these very intresting group of lizards !
- Varanus varius - general info : Varanus varius
This species is rarely kept in European collections and at the moment 11 collections are keeping it. Also In the USA it seem to be very uncommon and the only holders I was able to find are the Bronx and Cincinnat Zoo. Also the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand is/has keeping/kept it.
In Australia - the home-land of this species it must be the most commonly kept species and I wasn't able to find a collection not keeping it !
The species has been bred already several times in captivity and the first account I was able to find is a succesfull breeding in 1982. In 1987 Taronga - Sydney hatched 13 young and 11 of them were raised. In Europe both Bochum and Rotterdam bred it 1995 and Rotterdam was also succesfull in 1999.
Also in the privat sector the species is kept and bred and a breeding-result of some Australian breeders can be found here : Breeding Varanus varius - Lace Monitors - 2003 paper.
In our Gallery a whole bunch of photos can be found of this species, both from captive and wild animals like this very nice one made by @LaughingDove : Lace Monitor - ZooChat
- Varanus yemenensis - general info : Varanus yemenensis
A very rare species which has been kept only in very few collections. The first were obtained by Zürich Zoo which recieved 6 animals in 1986 at a time that the species wasn't even scientific described ( this was 3 years later in 1989 )! The only holding at the moment is in the United Arabian Emirates at the Sharjah Wildlife Centre.
I didn't find any information about captive breeding of the species and also in our Gallery the species is still not represented.
- Varanus yuwonoi - general info : Varanus yuwonoi
A rarely kept species which is been kept at only 2 European collections at the moment ( Cologne and Moscow ) but has been kept at 3 more in the past.
It seem to be also ( very rarely ) avaible in the pet-trade.
I wasn't able to find any information about captive breeding of the species and also in our Gallery the species is still not to find ( which is strange because quite a number of ZooChatters went regulary to Cologne ).
- Varanus zagorum - general info : Varanus zugorum
A recent discribed species ( discription see : http://salamandra-journal.com/index.php/home/contents/2005-vol-41/154-boehme-w-t-ziegler/file ) for which I didn't find any info about being kept in captivity and also in our Gallery no pictures of this species can be found.
This was the last species-account and now I hope this threat is gonna be used to update our knowlegde about the captive-history and recent developments in Monitor-keeping and breeding.
Historical notes about earlier keeping and breeding, photos of species still not in our Gallery, evt. new species which are discibed, all this can be placed in this threat and in this way we can enlarge our knowledge about these very intresting group of lizards !
Bronx no longer holds V. varius but Omaha does.
~Thylo
~Thylo