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Varanidae

Most species of this family are large, growing to about three feet (& more) in length. There are about thirty species distributed from Africa through southern Asia to Australia, New Guinea and other islands.

We deal in three species namely V flavescens, V bengalensis and V griseus. They are found through Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, east through Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and the Malaysian peninsula.

The Indian Monitor is a very hardy animal, a few juveniles bought by me grew extremely fast to an adult size in just over two years. In the wild the monitor abounds near dense vegetation close by marshes and water canals. It is diurnal, normally seen soon after sun-rise but prefers shade. In the wild its diet is very varied, for adults consisting of small shrews, mice, squirrels, snakes, lizards, beetles, crabs and fish.  In captivity how ever we keep a regular supply of young chicks, eggs, crickets etc
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We prefer large enclosures over cages providing ample space for it to dig burrows and provide ample shade and cover also maintaining a regular supply of fish & other small animals the idea is to provide them with a replica enviroment, as close as it gets to nature.   In our earlier efforts we used to incubate eggs but have given up the practise in favor of natural conditions taking advantage of the fact that this is their natural terrain, the hatching ratio or survival of young does not seem to be affected by opting this type of breeding practise - the young are shy and hide away (ample dence cover is provided) but soon emerge for food as the adults, at this time they are easily collected !

Captive reproduction of Varanus bengalensis

As the males attain an average size of 150cm (five feet with tail), weighing 2.8 kilograms and females attain an average size of 120cm (four feet with tail), weighing 1.5 kilograms they are housed in big enclosures meassuring (18ft x 4ft x 6ft). The enclosures are heated with two hundred watt bulbs. Rocks are placed for the lizards to bask on or hide under. Wood chips are used as substrate. The enclosures are under direct sunlight in which the lizards can bask during summer. Spotlights hang over the rocks in one corner so the animals can thermoregutate by basking under the lamps. Special attention is given to the photo period which is controlled by a digital timer. During the summer months (June, July and August), temperature ranges from 25-36°C with "hot spats" of 37-42°C. Photoperiod is normally set at 14L: I OD. After summer there is a gradual decrease in temperature until it reaches the winter months (December, January and February), where temperatures range from 12-26°C with a day/night cycle of 9L: 15D.

The animals are in hybernation for three months beginning in late November and ending in late February. The enclosures are kept dry until early June, which in their natural environment is the beginning of the monsoon season. At this time the enclosure are periodically misted atleast once weekly. Corresponding with the height of the monsoon season (end of June, early July), it is increased to four or five times weekly.

Feeding

Juveniles are fed on crickets, large mealworms and pinkie mice. As they begin to grow and mature larger prey such as mice, chicks, and rats are added to their diet - at this time they can be taught to accept frozen or dead foods. All food items are dusted with vitamins. The amount offered to each animal varies with the time of year and condition, they are generally fed two times a week in summer, gradually decreasing intake in the winter. Food is not offered to the adult animals during the winter months.

Breeding & incubation

In this species, courtship behavior, mating, and egg deposition can be easily observed in captivity. Begining in the summer months between June-July copulation can be readily observed between the males and females of V bengalensis, the eggs are laid arround August numbering from 14 to 30 depending on the size & age of female. The second mating behavior can be obsereved in late summer between September-Otober and the eggs are deposited in late October or earlier December.

The average time in between laying the first clutch and the second is about 40-50 days, in our observation the second clutch may be followed without copulation. The egg clutches are laid in nest boxes provided for this purpose in a process lasting for 4-5 hours, where as some females tend to deposit their eggs in the open on the surface or under rocks. The eggs have soft shells and meassure 32-40 mm. Care must be taken to prevent predation of eggs by the females and removed at the soonest, we place them in plastic boxes filled three quaters with vermiculite. The vermiculite is moistened with water at a ratio of 1:2 (water:vermiculite) by weight. These boxes are then placed in an incubator and are timely observed for dehydration (collapsing of eggs), fungus and other. At a temperature of 30 degrees Centigrade incubation lasts about 255 days, the hatchlings emerge or successfully break open the shells in a day or two and meassure 24 cm weighing about 20 grams.

The hatchling Varanus are kept in individual containers or individual glass aquariums, feeding is commenced soon after the yolk sac is dissolved and are fed with crickets supplimented with vitamins.

Cites status

The Indian Monitor is listed by CITIES in Appendix I. The greatest harm comes to the monitor lizard through the skin trade, they are also collected from the wild for medicine purposes and more are killed on roads etc.

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