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Reptile Rapture,
6308 Monona dr, Monona WI 53716
608-221-0094, www.reptilerapture.net

BLUE TREE MONITOR Caresheet

Common Name: Blue Tree Monitor, Blue-Spotted Monitor
Scientific Name: Varanus macraei
Origin: The island of Batanta in Indonesia
Size: 2.5' to 3' head to tail (females smaller)
Lifespan: 10+ years

You will find many ways on the internet, on "how to" take care of this animal. This care sheet is showing the way we found works best for us from our many years of experience of breeding and caring for this species.

HOUSING
In the wild, the natural habitats for Blue Tree Monitors are tropical forests. They are tree dwellers, spending most of their time above ground. They are very well adapted to living in trees and can climb "like monkeys."

They are an intermediate care reptile and will need a very large and tall custom enclosure when they are adults. Young Blue Monitors can be kept in something like an Exo terra 18" x 18" x 36" for about the 6 months of life.

Note: You cannot keep them from growing by housing them in a small cage. That's a myth. It won't make for a happy, well adjusted lizard.

After your Blue Tree Monitor out grows its starter enclosure, or if you begin with one 6 months to 1 year you need to have a larger enclosure such as the Exo Terra large xtall (36" x 18" x 36"). We don't recommend screen enclosures for monitors as it is very difficult to keep the humidity right. Adult Blue Tree Monitors need an enclosure of no less than 4' wide 2' deep and 4' high. There are many suggestions online for making an enclosure. Blue Trees do not understand glass and therefore they have a tendency to bang their nose on the glass and hurt themselves until they learn the boundaries of the enclosure. If you have space, go bigger. Designing an enclosure for your Blue Tree Monitor can be fun. Add branches or structures for climbing on. They will also appreciate horizontal shelves or wide logs. They don't always want to have to cling on to something vertical.

For substrate, you want something that holds humidity well, like Zilla jungle mix or Zoo med eco earth. If your monitor uses the water bowl as a bathroom spot, you will need to change the water out everyday.

Blue Trees are best on their own or in opposite sex pairs. These monitors seem to pair bond and unless introduced early on, a pair will usually not accept a second female in the group. Multiple males will also fight, especially if females are present. The dimensions for enclosures listed above are based on one animal. If you have two, increase the size.


LIGHTING & TEMPERATURES
Blue Tree Monitors come from a tropical climate. They need a basking area and a cooler section within the enclosure so they can regulate their body temperature. All the lighting and heat elements should be located on one side and the other will be the cooler side.

A basking area of 95-100 degrees should be provided. The rest of the enclosure can be in the 75-80 range. At night, temps can drop to as low as 78 degrees. Use a good quality temperature gauge, like Zoo Meds digital temp gauge or Exo Terras Thermometer.

In addition to heat, monitors need UVB lighting to help absorb calcium and to synthesize vitamin D3. Since they are removed from natural sunlight in our homes, we must provide UVB light in the form of a special fluorescent bulb designed to produce UVB rays. Do not use heat rocks. They need the whole environment to be warm, not just a small area like a hot rock. Blue Trees are especially adapted to basking, getting heat from above.

The best bulbs are the mercury vapors such as Exo Terra's Solar Glo bulbs, ZooMed's Powersun, or Solar bright bulbs. These provide heat and UVB all in one bulb. You can also use separate basking (heat) bulb and UVB bulbs. If you use these you will want the Zoo Med 5.0 or Exo Terra UVB 100 variety.


HUMIDITY
Always provide a nice sized water dish with fresh water. Remember to change the water once a day, especially since your monitor may use it as a bathroom spot. Also scrub the bowl at least once a week to keep bacteria slime from building up.

Maintain humidity around 80%. Unless you are in a very dry area, misting the enclosure a several times a day will usually provide enough moisture. A nice humidity gauge can help you in this area. Hand misters are usually sufficient, but if you don't want to hand mist, an automatic mister like the Exo Terra monsoon, Reptile fogger or Zoo meds reptifogger are a nice options. Exo terras reptile fountain provides bubbling water which also helps to raise humidity levels. Exo Terra bowls, Flukers rock dish are nice naturalistic non-porous water bowls.

FEEDING
Blue Trees are mostly insectivores and should eat everyday. If your adult has good body weight, you can feed every other day. Variety is important. Don't feed them the same things each day. They can get bored and picky if you do. Mix it up.

Suggested foods:
Feeder bugs - crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms, hornworms, grasshoppers and other bugs.
If they eat off tongs you can try canned grasshoppers or locusts.
They will also eat fish, chicks eggs, ducklings and rodents (not more than once a week for these).

Make sure to dust your monitor's food with calcium and vitamins such as Repashy calcium plus or Rep-cal calcium with D3

TEMPERAMENT
Blue Trees are intelligent, and can make great pets. However, they are not for everyone. Baby monitors usually do not bite, but excessive handling should be avoided until your lizard gets used to you. Your first impulse will be to hold your new monitor and pet it. We strongly suggest you do not do this. It takes time to tame your lizard. The best way is to be patient and proceed slowly.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR MONITOR
Place your monitor enclosure in an area where it can see you moving about. Let it watch you put food in the enclosure. Talk to your pet, let it hear your voice. You can change the water, spot clean the enclosure, do busy work near the monitor. Read, work on computer, etc., but do not pick it up or try to touch it at this time. Why? You are letting the Blue Tree get used to you, your movements and your voice in a nonthreatening manner. Monitors are curious animals, and once they get used to you,  they will start staying out rather than hiding when you are around. That's the first step.

Blue Tree Monitors are very food oriented, and if they see you as the food giver, they will start to trust you sooner. Once they get over their nervousness, they will be bolder and soon will start to come to you when you bring food. Eventually, your lizard might jump onto your hand or arm when you are reaching in the enclosure to do something. Success! Now is the time to start interacting more with it. Let it stay on your arm, talk to it, gently try to pet it on the back or side. Remember, let your lizard come to you. Eventually, your Blue Tree will trust you and coming running when you approach to the enclosure. This is the time when you can finally start holding your pet. Tree monitors are not usually fond of a lot of handling but can be handled for short periods of time.

Have patience. In some cases, this taming process can take months. Remember, your Blue Tree can live 10+ years so this part is truly worth the effort. You will be so happy when they finally trust you and let you touch them. It's up to you to help make this happen. They take some work and are not immediately tame like a bearded dragon, but they are worth the extra effort.