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Your opinion, of "free roaming" monitor lizards / other reptiles

Taxidermy

Taxidermy

everything under the sun.
Okay, before anyone comments on how small, this enclosure is; I'm fully aware. (To any one who owns any sort of varanid, they know, that they grow like weeds, and the repellent or round up only makes them grow even faster / sarcasm). Anyway, below is my one year old savannah monitor, Ichabod. At the moment (this picture was taken a month ago, he was in a 50 g vivarium), he is in an enclosure that is at least a foot longer than the one show, and a half of a foot wider; it doesnt make a difference, really.

toosmall.jpg


Aw, I feel bad, for my scale covered, child - but, on the brighter side of things; he has a custom cage being built for him, by one of my dad's friends he works with (yay!!!). This of course, will give him more room to excersize, a bigger water bowl, more rocks to lay out on, and more substrate, to dig in.

On topic, now; I want to know how people feel about free roam, reptiles in households, or open reptile rooms.

Savannah monitors need a basking temperature of at least 110-130 degrees farenheit, (Ich's is at 125). This is ONLY basking, the temperature on the surface of those rocks, also varies. Ambient, the hot side is around 85-90, 95 occassionally; cool: 75-80 (anything below seventy is unacceptable :)). a

My question is, how would someone go about maintaining those temperatures if they allow their animal free roam, of a room, or the house hold?

Honestly, savannah monitors are incredibly smart animals (monitors in general, of course), and they are just as curious as any other animal, or person - and have a knack for exploring; so, i've come to the conclusion that a happy monitor is a free monitor, not one whose boxed up, in glass. (6x4x4, still seems too small, even for one sav. monitor, to me as they are constantly on the prowl.

Would it be wise to allow the animal free roam, when I am home; and keep it in a custom built cage at night, or when I am away? Or are there some people that agree, that it's perfectly fine to allow the animal, out of its cage all hours of the day, home or not. (My sav, has appeared to potty train himself, by defecating in his water dish, as apposed to the substrate, as if he realizes that his water is changed on a daily basis, and more than once, every day)

Whenever I am in the room, I will allow the monitor, and even my tegu to explore the room, (at different times, of course) so they have their fill of excersize, and exploration - they also get to go outside when the weather allows it. Over all, I don't feel this is enough time out of the cage, for these animals.

Does anyone else feel this way? - I understand if I sound ridiculous
 
also, lol, the water is muddy, from the clay, dirt, and coconut fiber mixture he's bedded on - he enjoys a dip every now and then, and forgets that being wet, he will just get dirty and drag it back into the water with him when he goes in his pan.
 
Not sure about monitors, but I have a few friends with both tegu's and iquana's that are free roaming. They have random basking spots around the house for them and several water and food bowls around as well. They will poo everywhere, but other than that they seem to find their warm spots and do fairly well.
 
I'll admit that I did it in the reptile room with a White Throat Monitor and my Bearded Dragons (not at the same time!). The White Throat had complete free reign of the room and had two basking areas...The great thing about him was that he always "pottyed" in his big water bowl. Easy clean up! My BD's weren't complete free roaming...About 50% of the time.
 
I had a free-range green iguana. In a 3800 square foot house. He had a heating pad up on top of this closet, up at the top of our hearth, that he returned to every night. He basked in the windows. I suppose free-ranging was his cause of death, because he died from snacking on the dry cat food, and it happened so fast, he couldn't be saved. he only got lost once, and we finally found him in my daughter's room, in a giant stack of stuffed animals, kind of like ET in the closet. He'd gotten cool enough to just go to sleep rather than returning to his usual places. So- if you do it, be careful about things he has access to.
 
Interesting responses, I didn't think that many people, allowed their animals to do so.
My sav, is a fiend for going to the bathroom in his water dish!

also, I'm sorry to hear about that Nanci ): that's a shame; i'll keep that in mind if I go through with this idea
 
I personally am not a fan of having a reptile free roam a house. To many things can go wrong. They can eat things, hurt themselves, get lost, etc. Free roaming in one room set up for them is great, as long as you provide a couple basking spots and UV lights.

P.S. I love Savanah Monitors! I really miss mine he was a rescue and was old and sick when I got him, he lived for about 4 years after I got him then passed away. I called him and my tegu my scaley kitty cats, they were so sweet.
 
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