The Complete Guide to Spiny Tailed Monitor Care

Spiny tailed monitors can live up to 10 years in captivity, so it's essential to make a long-term commitment to their care.

They require a spacious enclosure with a minimum size of 2x3x4 feet to allow for climbing and movement.

Spiny tailed monitors are primarily carnivores and need a diet rich in protein, including insects, small mammals, and eggs.

Provide a temperature range of 75-90°F (24-32°C) in the basking spot and a cooler area around 70-80°F (21-27°C) for thermoregulation.

A UVB light source is crucial for calcium metabolism and preventing metabolic bone disease, so ensure it's replaced every 6-8 months.

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The spiny-tailed monitor is a somewhat small monitor lizard that can reach a total length of up to 70 cm (27 in).

Its tail is quite impressive, measuring about 1.3-2.3 times as long as its head and body combined.

The upper side of the spiny-tailed monitor is a rich, dark brown color with bright-yellowish to cream spots that often enclose a few dark scales.

The tail is round in section and features very spinose scales, which are quite distinctive.

There are 70-115 scales around the middle of the body.

The spiny-tailed monitor has a unique feature that distinguishes it from similar-looking species: pale longitudinal stripes on the neck.

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The spiny-tailed monitor is a fascinating creature. These lizards are native to the deserts and grasslands of North Africa and the Middle East.

They can grow up to 32 inches in length, making them one of the largest monitor lizards.

Their diet consists mainly of insects, fruits, and small animals.

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Spiny-tailed monitors are diurnal, solitary ground-dwellers, often found in their shelter under rock slabs, wedged among boulders, or in rock crevices.

They have a lower level of activity compared to other monitor lizards, which means they spend a lot of time hiding in their shelter, especially during the day.

Their diet consists mainly of insects, such as orthopterans, beetles, and cockroaches, as well as small lizards like skinks and geckoes.

Approximately 70% of their water requirement comes from food, which is a crucial adaptation for surviving in their arid habitat.

Spiny-tailed monitors are diurnal, solitary ground-dwellers. They're most often found in their shelter, mainly under rock slabs, wedged among boulders or in rock crevices, and in burrows.

Only rarely do they hide in spinifex. Sheltering underground gives them access to humid microclimates which helps keep them hydrated enough to survive the otherwise arid nature of their habitat.

As a sit-and-wait-predator, they likely spend a lot of time waiting for prey to come to them. Approximately 70% of their water requirement comes from food, which is a clever adaptation to their arid environment.

In the wild, they prey mainly on insects, especially orthopterans, beetles, and cockroaches. Small lizards, such as skinks, geckoes, or small dragon lizards, are also on the menu.

In captivity, a varied diet rich with different vertebrate and invertebrate prey is essential for their health. A diet that includes Dubia roaches, crickets, mealworms, eggs, shrimp, and rodents on a monthly basis is a good starting point.

A warm basking area is essential for Ackie monitors, with a temperature range of 100 to 110°F during the day.

To achieve this, a strong basking lamp is attached to the ceiling of the enclosure, controlled by a dimming thermostat to maintain a consistent temperature.

The basking lamp should be left on for 10-12 hours per day to mimic the natural sunlight.

At night, all lights should be turned off and the enclosure should be completely dark to simulate a clear day-night cycle.

The temperature at night should not drop below 80°F, which can be maintained by a ceramic lamp in the back corner of the enclosure.

This ceramic lamp is controlled by a pulse thermostat and should be surrounded by a guard to prevent the monitor from coming into contact with it.

A thermometer is essential to monitor temperatures, with a 5°F variance on the basking spot being acceptable as long as the cool side remains cool.

Ackie monitors are a full-time basking species, so they need an intense UVB source.

A strong 10-12% UV tube is recommended, running at least 2/3 of the length of the enclosure. In a normal 4 x 2 x 2ft vivarium, this should be suitable.

UV tubes come in two sizes: T8 and T5. T8 lamps are around 1 inch in diameter, must be replaced every 6 months, and have an effective range of 9-12 inches.

T5 lamps are newer, around half an inch in diameter, last 12 months, and have an effective range of 18-24 inches.

Mounting the UV tube to the ceiling, close to the back wall, provides a nice UV gradient from the back of the enclosure towards the front. This setup also achieves a temperature gradient along the length and a UV gradient along the width.

To give your Ackie monitor some time in an area with no light, provide partial and full hiding spots throughout the enclosure.

Reproduction is a natural process for spiny tailed monitors, and it can happen in captivity if you keep a male and female together.

In the wild, spiny tailed monitors are known to deposit their eggs in self-dug tunnels, but the exact timing of ovulation is not well understood.

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A clutch in captivity can consist of up to 18 eggs, which will hatch after 3-5 months of incubation.

The young will measure about 15 cm in length when they hatch, and males are likely to mature at around 12 cm snout-vent length, while females mature at 10-14 cm snout-vent length.

To incubate the eggs, you'll need to keep them in a sealed box with a moisture-rich substrate, such as Hatchrite, at a temperature of around 84°F.