well, i finally found what i wanted...:)

[Grant vg]

i've decided to go with a pair of timors, ive been looking for a small monitor to set up in a nice naturalistic display in my apartment.
Im very happy with this purchase, and will not be bringing them home till i have a proper set up.

Anyone have any personal experience with this species and could share there set ups, do's and dont's, there behaviour, etc...

im fiending for tons of information, but have come up pretty empty handed with this particular species.
ive read all the F.A.Q monitor stuff but am looking for literature or knowledge specifically on this species.

Id also really appreciate adult sized pictures (preferably with size comparisons) to brainstorm possible adult set ups.

Heres a few pics of the pair!
Thanks,

Grant

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_009-med.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_020-med.jpg

[Tim_Cranwill]

Cool. They look so nice! Good luck with them Grant. :)

[Linds]

Congrats!! They are beauties! :D

[Tim and Julie B]

I am insanely jellous! That's the type I have been wanting also. Did you find a breeder? They are the coolest looking little monitor. Lucky ................:D

[Bearded AL]

Nice looking Grant good luck with them . AL

[V.hb]

Iam sorry Vic, but a spotted tree monitor looks like a timorensis, but it isnt. Varanus Similis = spotted tree monitor. they are more girthy although they do have similiar patterns.

[NiagaraReptiles]

Do you have any more pics of them?

They look more like <i>Varanus auffenberi</i> than <i>Varanus timorensis</i> to me (which surely isn't a bad thing ;)), at least the female does.........the jury is still out on the "male?" :)

Best of luck with them. We need more monitor breeders up here....

[Darren Hamill]

LOL Grant! I told ya to ask Niagra Reptiles! (John)

I said the same thing about the Varanus auffenberi but do you think Grant would listen to a boa guy? NOOOO! lol Best of luck to you bro!

[Mike177]

nice monotors. i have acculay been thinking of getting a nile or a tegu but dont have the space yet for eather :(

[markb]

Hello,
Looks like you have got a V.t. similis from PNG and a V. auffenbergi from Roti island. Im not sure on the sexes...both have been bred in captivity, and there is info on them, but one must "hunt" for it, and if your interested in that, email me....Ive got some, maybe 100 or so sources of that group...not much.

Cheers,
mark bayless

[Darren Hamill]

Originally posted by markb
Hello,
Looks like you have got a V.t. similis from PNG and a V. auffenbergi from Roti island. Im not sure on the sexes...both have been bred in captivity, and there is info on them, but one must "hunt" for it, and if your interested in that, email me....Ive got some, maybe 100 or so sources of that group...not much.

Cheers,
mark bayless

There is a lot of confusion on the Varanus similis monitors... V.similis are similar to V.timorensis but have some different characteristics such as pin spots or poorly figured rosettes and black and white coloration with very little yellow if any at all.. V.similis also attain a slightly larger SVL then the Timors...

I have kept both species and they're both very different in their own ways... Both are excellent captives however but there still remains to be a fair amount of confusion among keepers..

[John A]

email john hogston from goannaland.com. he can be reached thru that site. he keeps nearly all timor and similis species, and can answer the questions of "is that a auffenbergi" and whats is the other. i think the female is auffenbergi, the other may be timorensis. best of luck. -john a

[Grant vg]

here is a bunch of pics.

some of you replied as if there was a noticable difference in sexes....i am not positive of there sex, but just by looking at them, i can see a few differences , perhaps its because they are different species.

My instincts tell me this is a male. he has a yellower body then the other one.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_006-med.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_015-med.jpg

My instincts also tell me this is a female... she has more of a blue tinge to her back, but has yellowish limbs. her eyes are also more cat like in appearance.
she is smaller, and has more of a "hang" in her chin.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_007-med.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_022-med.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_016-med.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_018-med.jpg

and some piar shots....

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_014-med.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_013-med.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_010-med.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/5l_008-med.jpg

They are both handleable, dont bite, and are active. i couldn't imagine those little mouths having great big sharp teeth, but ill keep that in mind when handling them vic.

if they are two different sub-species. is it "wrong" to perhaps breed them? Not that thats my purpose,just if so, id be more inclined to seperate them in different enclosures.


Thanks for all the help!

Grant vg

PS. Darren , U da man! :p

[reverendsterlin]

damn if I can tell more than they are both beautiful. Hope you get the variety worked out but hell they are both great animals.

[Grant vg]

thanks Rev!

I cant wait to get them home! :)
Should be here next week, just finishing up preping there enclosure.

Its been quite a while since ive done the naturalistic set-up...lol

[reverendsterlin]

yah, like I'm gonna believe that the enclosure will be less spectactular than the animals (Rev not born yesterday or stone age no matter who says what)

[NiagaraReptiles]

Grant - <i>V. auffenbergi</i> is easily distinguished from the rest of the <i>timorensis</i> complex by the blue occeli down their back, and yellow limbs. I am guessing the sex of that one as well based on build and head shape, and feel pretty confident it's a female (though these things can sometimes be hard to tell from pics alone).

<i>V. timorensis</i> vary a lot in colour and pattern, and there is a good chance there are several "morphs" that could be classed as thier own species or subspecies (there's a lot of this with Indo Pacific Monitors. The other animal you pictured follows suit to the type of Timor's most commonly imported from the late 90's to present (though that particular animal is quite pretty). As for the sex of that one, it looks more male than the other in some pics, but I wouldn't say for sure from pictures alone.

As for breeding, if indeed you have a sexual pair, they are capable of providing viable eggs together. Personally I would try to pair them up with animals of similar origin, but that is up to you. Honestly I don't think the crosses/intergrades are nearly as pretty as either species bred true.

One of the really neat things with the Indo Pacific monitors is that you can pretty well tell exactly where they came from just by colour and pattern differences. Anyway, I'll not get into that any further.


Vic - That's the problem with common names.....they can be placed on any animal, and often are used to reference to several species ;)

[Grant vg]

lol @ rev, thanks man!

Jon, Thank you very much for clearing that up!
i guess pairing them up wouldn't be such a bad idea...heh heh.

Oh no, here we go, i havn't even recieved my first pair and im making plans for another two....lol

Jon, are you? or anyone else in canada producing these origins of monitors?

[V.hb]

You're right it is used alot Vic. Didnt mean to jump on you about that :)

[NiagaraReptiles]

No one, as far as I'm aware, is currently producing any monitors belonging to the <i>timorensis</i> complex in Canada, though I have heard of the odd hatchling over the years (nothing consistant, or in quantity).

Wild caught monitors can be very difficult to acclimate to the extent that they are comfortable enough to think about reproducing. Then when that time comes, you get into all the other difficulties involved with monitor reprodution (that's why I have no hair ;))

These monitors also tend to be very shy which can make things much more difficult. I think the things I mentioned are the main reasons that there aren't more people working with them, as they are beautiful animals and come in such a variety of colours and patterns.

Best of luck with them!