Monitor lizards feed on a huge variety of food types (eg. insects, crabs, snakes, fish, etc); they control the population of their prey, and in turn are a source of food to larger predators (eg. crocodiles).[1]
What Animals Do Monitor Lizards Eat?
While most monitor lizards are carnivorous, eating eggs, smaller reptiles, fish, birds, insects, and small mammals, some also eat fruit and vegetation, depending on where they live.[2]
What Mammals Do Monitor Lizards Eat?
Monitor Lizards prey on rodents, snakes, and lizards. What are some predators of Monitor Lizards? Predators of Monitor Lizards include humans, snakes, and wildcats.[3]
Do Monitor Lizards Eat Dead Animals?
The majority of monitor lizards are carnivores, with most of their food being carrion (dead animals).Nov 19, 2021[4]
Do Ackie Monitors Make Good Pets
Are Ackie Monitors Good Pets? The Ackie monitor is a perfect pet lizard for hobbyists looking to move into caring for an advanced species. These active and highly intelligent lizards need plenty of care, but provide years of entertainment and can form a strong bond with their keeper.[5]
How Big Of A Tank Does An Ackie Monitor Need?
Ackie monitors may not be particularly large, but they are very active, so they need lots of space to thermoregulate and run around in order to stay healthy and fit. The enclosure that you choose should be no smaller than 5’L x 2.5’W x 4’H enclosure, including a 12-24” tall substrate dam.Apr 6, 2021[6]
How Do You Tame An Ackie Monitor?
Taming a Young Ackie Monitor
You do not need to grab them in order to start taming them. The best thing you can do is not touch them and just be present in their enclosure. Let them know you can co-exist in the same space without always picking them up or interacting with them.[7]
How Much Do Ackie Monitors Eat
Juveniles should be fed as much as they can eat within 10 minutes each day. Adults only need to eat four or five days a week. It is important to keep track of your lizard’s weight. Young and growing Ackies are expected to gain weight, but the weight of individuals over two years old should not change significantly.[8]
How Often Do I Feed My Ackie Monitor?
Try feeding your adult Ackie 4-5 days a week once they reach 2 years of age. If they are overweight, you’ll want to avoid treats and feed less insects. Dust their food with calcium 3 days a week and 1 day a week with a vitamin.Oct 24, 2020[9]
What Do You Feed An Ackie Monitor?
Nutrition. Ackies monitors in captivity have been known to take a wide range of prey items, including: mice, crickets, hissing cockroaches, mealworms, Zoo Med’s canned food diets, snails, eggs (chicken, quail, and leopard gecko), and shrimp.[10]
Can Ackie Monitors Eat Meat?
My ackies, freckled & storrs monitors all get a mix of feeder insect (roach, locust, cricket, morio wormetc) & pinky’s, raw beef/chicken as well as prawn, smelt & occasional dog food, scrambled egg etc, variety is definitely what you should try to achieve. All monitors have UV & food is supplemented once a week.[11]
How Often Should You Feed An Ackie Monitor
Ackie Monitor Feeding Schedule
Hatchlings and juveniles (0-6 months) — daily. Subadults and adults (>6 months) — every other day. Reproductive females — daily.[12]
How Often Do I Feed My Ackie Monitor?
Try feeding your adult Ackie 4-5 days a week once they reach 2 years of age. If they are overweight, you’ll want to avoid treats and feed less insects. Dust their food with calcium 3 days a week and 1 day a week with a vitamin.[13]
What Do Ackie Monitors Eat?
Ackies monitors in captivity have been known to take a wide range of prey items, including: mice, crickets, hissing cockroaches, mealworms, Zoo Med’s canned food diets, snails, eggs (chicken, quail, and leopard gecko), and shrimp.[14]
How Long Does It Take For An Ackie Monitor To Reach Full Size?
Hatchlings are normally four or five inches long and grow to their full size in two years. Adults reach 24 to 30 inches and can weigh anywhere from 5 to 12 ounces. Unlike Bearded Dragons that are very easy to sex, there are very few differences between male and female Ackie Monitors.[15]
How Fast Do Ackie Monitors Grow
Hatchlings are normally four or five inches long and grow to their full size in two years. Adults reach 24 to 30 inches and can weigh anywhere from 5 to 12 ounces. Unlike Bearded Dragons that are very easy to sex, there are very few differences between male and female Ackie Monitors.[16]
How Often Do You Feed Ackie Monitors?
Try feeding your adult Ackie 4-5 days a week once they reach 2 years of age. If they are overweight, you’ll want to avoid treats and feed less insects. Dust their food with calcium 3 days a week and 1 day a week with a vitamin.Oct 24, 2020[17]
How Big Do Ackie Monitors Grow?
Ackies are generally around 24” long, and have a slender, elongated body with a rounded belly. They have a slender, sharply tapered head, a long spiky tail, and a long, forked tongue. Coloring is generally dark red or brown, with a pale ocellated pattern on the back, ringed tail, striped head/neck, and a pale belly.Apr 6, 2021[18]
How Old Do Ackie Monitors Get?
Ackie monitors have an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
If you don’t put the work into providing your lizard with the best life possible, there’s an increased chance of disease and a shorter lifespan.Jun 21, 2020[19]
Are Ackie Monitors Good For Beginners
But, while Ackie monitors are one of the easiest monitor lizards to care for, they are not a lizard for beginners. Ackies monitors are a big responsibility. These lizards can live for 20 years and require at least a 120-gallon tank with two feet of loose substrate.[20]
What Size Tank Does An Ackie Monitor Need?
Ackie monitors may not be particularly large, but they are very active, so they need lots of space to thermoregulate and run around in order to stay healthy and fit. The enclosure that you choose should be no smaller than 5’L x 2.5’W x 4’H enclosure, including a 12-24” tall substrate dam.[21]
Can Ackie Monitors Live Alone?
Yes, Ackie Monitors can live happily alone. They don’t require a companion. If you house more than one make sure that you provide a deep substrate for them to burrow.Jan 16, 2021[22]
How Do You Tame An Ackie Monitor?
Taming a Young Ackie Monitor
You do not need to grab them in order to start taming them. The best thing you can do is not touch them and just be present in their enclosure. Let them know you can co-exist in the same space without always picking them up or interacting with them.[23]
Do Ackie Monitors Like To Be Held
Handling. Ackie Monitors take well to handling, but they are initially more skittish than other common pets like Geckos. Patience is key to taming and holding. Slowly introduce yourself by placing your hand in the enclosure and let your lizard come to you; it may take several weeks.[24]
Do Ackie Monitors Need Heat At Night?
Ackie monitors like it hot! They should have a basking surface temperature between 158-172°F, with cool side temperatures down to 75-82°F. Average ambient air temperature should be around 85°F. Nighttime temperatures can drop as low as 65°F, which can usually be accomplished by turning off the heat source.Apr 30, 2021[25]
Are Ackie Monitors Smart?
Most monitors, including Ackies, are considered intelligent because healthy specimens tend to be inquisitive (poke their little snouts into everything and sniff around) and are very good problem solvers, like constantly getting out of vivs.[26]
Are Ackie Monitors Arboreal
I read somewhere that yellow ackies, in the ‘wild’ tend to me more arboreal than reds. Mine love to climb over things, but you don’t necessarily need loads of height for this, just jam the viv full of logs and branches and roots and such like.Jul 14, 2009[27]
Do Ackie Monitors Climb?
Ackies are VERY good climbers (as are most monitors). It’s just sometimes they tend to try to jump a little bit too far.[28]
How Big Of An Enclosure Does A Ackie Monitor Need?
Ackie monitors may not be particularly large, but they are very active, so they need lots of space to thermoregulate and run around in order to stay healthy and fit. The enclosure that you choose should be no smaller than 5’L x 2.5’W x 4’H enclosure, including a 12-24” tall substrate dam.[29]
Are Ackie Monitors Nocturnal?
The ackie (also known as ridgetail(ed) monitor, spiny-tailed monitor, or ackies dwarf monitor) is a diurnal, terrestrial monitor lizard native to the west, north, and center of northern Australia, including some islands off the northern coast.Feb 27, 2021[30]
Resources
[1]https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/dos-and-donts/animal-advisories/monitor-lizards
[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monitor_lizard
[3]https://a-z-animals.com/animals/monitor-lizard/
[4]https://a-z-animals.com/blog/what-do-monitor-lizards-eat-11-foods-in-their-diet/
[5]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ackie-monitor-care-sheet/
[6]https://www.thebiodude.com/blogs/reptile-and-amphibian-caresheets-with-cited-veterinary-and-herpetology-sources/ackie-monitor-care-sheet-and-bioactive-terrarium-maintenance-guide
[7]https://reptifiles.com/ackie-monitor-care/ackie-monitor-handling-behavior/
[8]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ackie-monitor-care-sheet/
[9]https://reptile.guide/ackie-monitor/
[10]https://www.lllreptile.com/articles/179-ackies-monitor/
[11]https://www.reptileforums.co.uk/threads/raw-meat-for-ackie-monitor.1080146/
[12]https://reptifiles.com/ackie-monitor-care/what-do-ackie-monitors-eat/
[13]https://reptile.guide/ackie-monitor/
[14]https://www.lllreptile.com/articles/179-ackies-monitor/
[15]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ackie-monitor-care-sheet/
[16]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ackie-monitor-care-sheet/
[17]https://reptile.guide/ackie-monitor/%23:~:text%3DTry%2520feeding%2520your%2520adult%2520Ackie,a%2520week%2520with%2520a%2520vitamin.
[18]https://www.thebiodude.com/blogs/reptile-and-amphibian-caresheets-with-cited-veterinary-and-herpetology-sources/ackie-monitor-care-sheet-and-bioactive-terrarium-maintenance-guide%23:~:text%3DAckies%2520are%2520generally%2520around%252024,neck%252C%2520and%2520a%2520pale%2520belly.
[19]https://www.reptiledirect.com/ackies-monitor/%23:~:text%3DAckie%2520monitors%2520have%2520an%2520average%2520lifespan%2520of%252015%2520to%252020%2520years.%26text%3DIf%2520you%2520don’t%2520put,disease%2520and%2520a%2520shorter%2520lifespan.
[20]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ackie-monitor-care-sheet/
[21]https://www.thebiodude.com/blogs/reptile-and-amphibian-caresheets-with-cited-veterinary-and-herpetology-sources/ackie-monitor-care-sheet-and-bioactive-terrarium-maintenance-guide
[22]https://reptileknowhow.com/lizards/ackie-monitors/care-guide/
[23]https://reptifiles.com/ackie-monitor-care/ackie-monitor-handling-behavior/
[24]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ackie-monitor-care-sheet/
[25]https://reptilesupply.com/blogs/care-sheets/how-to-care-for-your-ackie-monitor
[26]https://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/400027-ackies-very-intelligent.html
[27]https://www.reptileforums.co.uk/threads/ackie-monitors.339469/
[28]https://www.reptileforums.co.uk/threads/climbing-ackies.214766/%23:~:text%3DAckies%2520are%2520VERY%2520good%2520climbers,a%2520little%2520bit%2520too%2520far.
[29]https://www.thebiodude.com/blogs/reptile-and-amphibian-caresheets-with-cited-veterinary-and-herpetology-sources/ackie-monitor-care-sheet-and-bioactive-terrarium-maintenance-guide%23:~:text%3DAckie%2520monitors%2520may%2520not%2520be,%252D24%25E2%2580%259D%2520tall%2520substrate%2520dam.
[30]https://reptifiles.com/ackie-monitor-care/%23:~:text%3DThe%2520ackie%2520(also%2520known%2520as,islands%2520off%2520the%2520northern%2520coast.