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“Unless you know how to look after this Bosc Monitor...”

written by Helen of Troy on 21/09/2006

Good Points
Bosc Monitor Lizard:

Great pets but only if you know how to look after them properly.
Can be taken for a walk on a lead (on a fine day), watch people's mouths drop open! Obviously not in busy areas with lots of people around. (Probably better if kept to your own garden!)
Entertaining to watch.

Bad Points
Very cruel to take on this beautiful reptile unless you do know how to look after them.
They will try to escape, proving they do not like being "caged up" in a terrarium.
They have back facing teeth and can give a very nasty bite.

General Comments
Unless you know how to look after this Bosc Monitor Lizard reptile properly, please do not buy one on a whim. They do need a lot of care if you want a nice tame one that you can actually walk out on a lead, with a properly fitting lizard harness, and that can be handled without problems.



If you really must buy one, ensure it was bred in captivity. When buying housing, bear in mind your lizard could grow to 3' long so will eventually need to be housed in a very large space! Open mesh is no good, they need an environment with consistent heat. You will need to clean their surroundings regularly, they like routine times for feeding, etc, and will routinely defaecate.



If you are squeamish, forget it. You need to feed them mice, small rats etc. These can be obtained from specialist reptile shops in quantity, frozen. They need to be thoroughly defrosted and warmed slightly. They will eat one to three of these each week, depending on size, dangled in for them with food tongs. They also like crickets and the occasional egg. Although they will enjoy the occasional treat of a little dog food, never feed them cat food.



They also need a large container of water, enough that they can submerge themselves in, and the container must be heavy enough or it will be tipped over by the lizard. Water should be changed daily, they drink from it and often defaecate in it too.



Make sure there is a vet nearby who is experienced in reptiles. Any illness or ailment can be an expensive business. If all this does not put you off, continue to find out as much as you can before you finally buy one.