I think reptiles are awesome. Beautifully colored leopard geckos, spiky bearded dragons, dinosaur looking iguanas. All of them are fantastic, but it’s hard to beat the impressiveness of a huge lizard.
Can you own an Asian water monitor as a pet? Yes, you can own an Asian water monitor. They are legal to own in most states, and are readily available in the reptile pet trade. Although they aren’t known for being overly aggressive, this lizard is only recommended for advanced herpers due to the large space and extensive work required to meet their needs.
At 5-8 feet in length and weighing between 40 and 50 pounds, the Asian water monitor, varanus salvator, also referred to as the common water monitor, is the second or third largest lizard in the world (depending on who you talk to) behind the Komodo dragon and (potentially) the crocodile monitor.
Whether or not you should have one as a pet is really a question of your ability to meet their needs. You might also be interested in our article on choosing a pet lizard.
Here is what it takes to successfully keep an Asian water monitor in captivity.
Asian Water Monitor Housing Size
In order to keep a pet Asian water monitor, you need an enclosure that it is at least 1 ½ times bigger than their length. Babies start out small, but grow several feet in their first year alone. You need to have a plan for their adult sized enclosure before you purchase your lizard.
This means you will either need a custom made cage, or you’ll need to dedicate an entire room of your home to them. A reptile that grows 5-8 feet long requires substantial space.
A note about Asian water monitor size.
Adult Asian water monitor females grow to an average size of 4-6 feet, while males are in the 5-8 foot range.
Knowing the sex of your monitor will help you decide what size enclosure you will ultimately be aiming for. Keep in mind however, that these are averages. Your lizard could be smaller, but could also be much bigger.
The largest Asian water monitor ever recorded was 10 ½ feet long! Overall, the average size for these lizards is around six feet.
Babies can be started in a 40 gallon enclosure. These typically measure 36” x 18” and are 16” tall. This will suffice until they are several months old. Then you will need to switch to something custom made.
You can stair step their enclosure sizes by moving them into something around 4′ x 4′ when they are about 6 months old, then go larger when they reach age 1, then even larger again when they reach full adulthood.
What I recommend:
Have an adult sized enclosure ready once they outgrow their initial cage (which won’t take long!).
I can suggest sizes, but ultimately it will be determined by the length of your monitor once it reaches maturity. Personally I wouldn’t go with anything smaller than 10′ x 5′ and at least 6 feet tall.
Enclosure Decorations And Needs
There are a few things to keep in mind regarding the needs of your Asian water monitor.
First, these lizards like to climb!
They can often be found in trees in nature. You should provide branches and logs for climbing which are wide enough, strong enough and secure enough to support their weight.
It can be challenging to find natural logs and branches that will meet your needs AND fit nicely in your enclosure without overcrowding or looking awkward.
If you do manage to find something natural, be sure that it is heat treated to eliminate any pests and parasites.
What I recommend?
Wooden ramps and shelves.
No, they won’t look like a picture out of National Geographic, but they are very functional and can still enhance the aesthetics of your enclosure.
The second thing to be aware of is that they are called water monitors for a reason. They love the water!
These lizards are excellent swimmers and can even hold their breath for up to 30 minutes. You need to provide them with a pool big enough for them to fit their entire body into. Kiddie pools work great!
Asian Water Monitor Temperature
Asian water monitors live near the equator.
Not only does this mean the temperature is the same year round, it also means there is not much fluctuation between daytime and night time temps.
The biggest difference between the two will be a basking area.
What temperature should you keep your Asian water monitor at? Overall you will want to aim for a temperature somewhere in the mid 80’s to lower 90’s. You’re lizard will also need a daytime basking area where the temperature sits between 125 and 150.
The exact perfect temperatures will ultimately be decided by your pet monitor.
A healthy Asian water monitor is active.
It will spend part of its day basking, then part of the day searching for food, and will go back and forth between those two activities.
If you see your lizard never leaving the basking area, or always staying close to it, then your enclosure may be too cool.
On the flip side, a lizard that never basks may be in an environment that is too warm.
Ideally you should offer a gradient range for your Asian water monitor. A side of the cage where they can bask and get warm, and a side that is cooler, like in the mid 80’s.
Quick Note On Temperatures
Some keepers maintain a temperature in the mid 80’s all day and all night. Others allow the enclosure to cool down into the mid 70’s at night.
Neither one is better than the other so long as your pet is healthy. The number one cause of health conditions in pet lizards is poor husbandry, with the majority of problems stemming from improper heat and/or humidity.
The health of your pet should be the guide you most closely follow.
Asian Water Monitor Lighting
The equator receives approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time year round, and there are differing opinions as to whether or not UVB lights are necessary for Asian water monitors.
As a reptile keeper, I try to imitate every one of my pet’s natural environments as possible.
What lighting should you use for an Asian water monitor? You should use UV bulbs that provide full spectrum lighting, and which produce around 1.1% UVB for an Asian water monitor. This is about as close to natural sunlight as you can get. These lizards should also receive 12 hours of light, and 12 hours of darkness every day.
I prefer a timer for things like this, so that the lights come on at 8am and turn off at 8pm.
Again, my goal is to always provide a habitat that is as close to their wild counterparts as possible.
Asian Water Monitor Water And Humidity
These lizards need a little extra humidity, but you don’t have to overdo it.
Having a humidity level between 60% – 70% for your Asian water monitor should be adequate. Too much can lead to bacterial issues, skin and scale infections and fungal concerns. Too little might cause respiratory problems.
The easiest way to accomplish this is with a large tub of water for your pet. It should be big enough for your monitor to not only fit their entire body into, but to also submerge in.
A water tub of this side will by itself raise the humidity level of the enclosure to nearly the level you’re trying to achieve. If the level still isn’t quite high enough, using a thick layer of bedding along with daily misting should get the job done.
A Note Concerning Water
Along with an adequately sized enclosure, a large water tub is probably the most challenging part of keeping an Asian water monitor as a pet. Beyond the size of the tub is the cleaning. These lizards often urinate and/or defecate in their water so keeping your Asian water monitor’s water clean is of the utmost importance!
The water should be changed daily, and the tub itself should be scrubbed weekly. This will prevent a buildup of bacteria, fungus and general sludge on the interior and exterior of the tub.
Asian Water Monitor Substrate
There are a wide variety of substrates available to choose from for your pet Asian water monitor.
If the humidity level is right, rubber mats can be used. They are easy to clean, and can give a more modern look to the enclosure.
Most people need to add a bit of humidity though.
A thick layer of substrates such as coconut bark, repti-bark, cypress mulch or something similar will better maintain humidity for your Asian water monitor. The top layer may dry, but the layers underneath can hold moisture that is released throughout the day.
You might also consider regular dirt or soil. These lizards love to dig, and a thick layer of dirt will satisfy their needs. It will also help maintain humidity levels.
Be sure to not introduce bugs, insects or parasites to your lizard if using a natural substrate.
Asian Water Monitor Feeding And Diet
Large lizards require large meals!
Feeding your monitor can be a little more challenging than many other types of lizards.
In the wild they have a wide range of prey items to choose from. They eat mammals, amphibians, fish, insects, other reptiles and even carrion.
While it’s not possible to duplicate their diet to the exact way it would be in nature, it is still important to offer a variety of different foods to your pet rather than feeding strictly rodents.
Here is the Asian water monitor diet I recommend.
Baby Asian Water Monitor Diet
Baby water monitors are generally insectivores.
They should be offered things like gut loaded crickets, which are crickets that have been fed nutritious foods in order to pass on those nutrients to the lizard.
You can also offer a variety of roaches and worms such as mealworms, wax worms, super worms, etc…Occasionally you can offer appropriately sized pinky or fuzzy mice.
Babies should be fed daily, or at the very least every other day. The first year of your Asian water monitor’s growth is the most formative and will largely define the future size and health of your pet. Always dust the food with powdered calcium and vitamin D3 supplements.
Yearling Asian Water Monitor Diet
As baby Asian water monitors continue to grow and turn into yearlings, they can be given larger food with a diet consisting of more meat than insects. Whole prey items such as fish, rodents and poultry (baby chicks or ducklings) should be fed every other day.
Adult Asian Water Monitor Diet
Adult Asian water monitors can be fed a blend of whole prey like rodents, chickens, ducks and fish, as well as prepared food such as hard boiled eggs, organ meat (beef heart, beef liver, chicken organs etc…), shrimp and other similar items. You’ll want to feed adults two to three times per week.
A Note About Feeding
Asian water monitors are voracious eaters who will rarely turn down a meal. This can lead to obesity in captivity if they are overfed.
Obesity can lead to major health issues and result in a shorter life span for your pet. Your lizard should have a slightly rounded belly after eating, but not more than that.
Asian Water Monitor Behavior, Temperament and Handling
Asian water monitors are very intelligent, social and active.
These lizards are not content to simply stay in a hide box all day. You’ll find your lizard alternating between basking, and searching every corner and crevice of its enclosure.
If raised properly, Asian water monitors can also become social. They can learn to recognize their human friends and might actually seek you out for some attention!
This of course doesn’t happen automatically!
You have to spend time building trust and developing a bond with your pet. You do this through daily interaction.
Babies tend to be more nervous than adults since in nature they are lower on the food chain and more susceptible to be the prey rather than the predator. Taking your pet monitor out of its enclosure a few times each day for brief periods of interaction will help it to calm down.
Always handle your lizard by picking it up from underneath, rather than grabbing it from the top. Most predators, such as birds, will attack from above so they are generally more apprehensive when approached from that direction.
Will A Pet Asian Water Monitor Play?
I throw this out there because keepers and scientists are finding that monitor lizards are more intelligent and social than has been recognized in years past.
For example, Komodo dragons in captivity have been observed engaging in play-like behavior with various objects and even with their keepers.
Do Asian water monitors play? Monitor lizards, such as Komodo dragons, have been observed engaging in play-like behavior with various objects and even with their keepers while in captivity.
Don’t limit yourself or your pet by believing that these lizards simply eat, sleep and breed. Try teaching your monitor to play fetch! Who knows what will happen!!
Asian Water Monitor Health Issues And Life Span
There are no specific health issues related to this species of lizard that you need to be worried about.
Most health issues are directly related to poor care and husbandry. Use the suggested temperatures and humidity levels as a guide, but most importantly observe your pet.
Asian water monitors typically live 20-25 years in captivity if taken care of properly.
Picking The Right Pet
When selecting an Asian water monitor for a pet, you should only use a reputable breeder.
I say this all the time for all pet reptiles in the articles I write, but I can never stress it enough. Captive bred pets are the only way to go. You don’t have to worry about the stress the lizard went through caused by capture and transport, nor things like parasites, injuries, and diseases.
With that said, there are still a few things to look for when selecting your pet.
Besides the obvious things like not being underfed or too skinny, you want a lizard that is active. A lethargic water monitor may seem easier to handle, but can be a sign of poor health.
You also want to look at the lizards eyes to make sure they are clear. You shouldn’t see any musuc or excretions from the eyes, nose or mouth.
Beyond that is simply the look and morph of your pet!
Summary
Having a pet Asian water monitor can be quite a challenge. Their immense size means a larger enclosure, more upkeep and a bigger diet.
The flip side of that is an impressive lizard that is more intelligent and social than many of the other species.
You might also be interested in our article titled Is An Asian Water Monitor Dangerous?