The Ackie Monitor is a fascinating and unique species of a reptile which gains more and more popularity among the lovers of the reptiles. Due to the attractive exterior and vibrant character, Ackie Monitors are considered as fitting a loyal companion in people’s homes. Of course, just like any animal, the most important thing is to take proper care of the pet and make it happy.
In the case of Ackie Monitors, size of the enclosure as a significant aspect greatly effects their quality of life. It is not only a question of the extent in which they are contained, but also of the environment which is provided for them and which enables them to act as they would in the wild. That’s where “The Definitive Guide to Ackie Monitor Enclosure Size: What justifies the use of “Getting It Right” is to come.
In this elaborate article that will guide you step by step to selecting the appropriate container for your Ackie Monitor. It is our desire to give you the information and resources required to design an environment not just for your pet’s shelter but for its enrichment. Ackie Monitor is a fascinating reptile that deserves proper look after, no matter if you are a first time keeper or an experienced one looking for the new strategies on how to improve the circumstances for your pet.
Understanding Ackie Monitors
Knowledge about Ackie Monitors is the key to providing enchanced husbandry for such interesting reptiles.
Ackie monitors that scientifically, are referred to as Varanus acanthurus, are part of monitor lizards. They are divided into two subspecies: These are; the spiny-tailed acacia (Varanus acanthurus acanthurus) and the ridge-tailed acacia (Varanus acanthurus brachyurus). Lobe-finned males of both subspecies are stout in build and have spiny scales at the end of the tails with slight variation in size and looks.
In their natural environment, Ackie Monitors can be found in north part of Australia in dry zones in which the lizards are able to live. They are well known as animals that live on the ground and dig hole to hide from heat and other animals. It feeds on small vertebrates and mostly insects together with taking plant matter occasionally, the ACKIE Monitors are known to be very good hunters. They are facultative nocturnal animals which consequently implies that they could be active during both the day and the night but their naturalistic activities involve basking, foraging and burrow upkeep.
Before going further to understand Ackie Monitors as potential pets, their growth and longevity have to be well understood. With proper care these reptiles can live for between 15- 20 years or even more. Ackie Monitors are know to expand in size throughout their initial years of life, for example juvenile lizards increase their dimensions, doubling or tripling their young size in a short term.
Select the Right Enclosure
The next best thing that you can do to your Ackie Monitor is to choose the right enclosure where it may live. For enclosures there is a myriad of choices ranging from glass, wood and PVC as the materials for building the wardrobe. Every material has its advantages and disadvantages, this means that when considering any of the options you must take into consideration some of those factors like insulation, durability and ease of cleaning.
As important as this is, get an enclosure that is escape proof for your active monitors to ensure they do not wander into your home. Ventilation and heating is very important in order to effectively create comfortable environment. The thermal location of heat sources are an important aspect in maintaining the temperature of the lizard along with a thermal gradient. To keep their calcium levels in check as well as their overall health, Ackie monitors need to have UVB light.
Choices of the substrate should resemble their natural environment and offer a proper substrate for digging. Finally, the naturally-tinted hides, basking areas, and climbing structures supply the enclosure with enrichment and duplicates its wild counterpart. Based on the factors of care mentioned above, welfare of Ackie Monitor in captivity will be promoted.
General Guidelines for Ackie Monitor General information: Ackie monitors are medium sized aggressive arboreal monitors which originated from Papua New Guinea.
When it comes to size of Ackie Monitor enclosures there are some key principles which must be followed when thinking about the welfare of these reptiles. Default of Ackie monitors has an active and curious temperament, so to place with it, sufficient space should be provided. Housing for juvenile ackies should not be less than 36 inches in length, 18 inches in width and 18 inches in height. But as these lizards grow, it becomes necessary for the dimensions of these lizards to increase as well. Adult Ackie Monitors, you’ll find, are much larger and more aggressive than their younger counterparts and will, therefore, require a considerably larger Terrarium to accommodate them. For adults, it is preferred if the enclosure measures not less than 4 ft in length, 2 ft in width and 2 ft in height.
Also, one cannot overlook the possibilities of utilising the vertical space within the enclosure. Ackie monitors are semi-terrestrial, but are rather good at climbing and lounging about. Housing them in branches and higher platforms will ensure that their environment is more stimulating and as such, resemble their original habitat.
These guidelines serve as information as to which ways to follow but modification according to the Ackie’s individual requirements might have to be made. This involves carefully examining your lizard’s behavior and its respective likes so as to ensure that you get the appropriate measurements and layout of the enclosure in order to accommodate for easy movement, hunting, sleeping and basking by your beloved pet. Finally, it is confirmed that acknowledgement of a large and well-planned terrarium is critical for the wellbeing and production of Ackie monitors in involvements.
The dietary habits that are observed by the Ackie Monitor include the following;
Feeding and diet are some of the most important aspects of taking care of the Ackie Monitors, therefore their diet is very essential to know. In particular, these lizards feed on insects and other small invertebrates which makes it possible to classify them as insectivores. Some of the insects that they feed their geckos are; Crickets, mealworms, dubia roach and locusts among others but the most important thing is to feed the gecko with insect variety.
It is especially compulsory for nutritionists to advise their patients regarding number of meals and portions. Young Ackie Monitors should be fed on daily basis or in every other day because of the fast growing nature of juveniles. For children, you can feed them 4 – 6 times a day while for adults it is advisable to give it 2 – 3 times a week only. Food portions should be proportionate with the size of the lizard normally in terms of an amount of insects being the size of the lizard’s head.
The growing body of evidence that people from different areas of the world eat a lot of fiber makes one realize that the population requires a wide variety of dietary intake. Ackie Monitors in the wild feed on insects and it is important to mimic this through giving the turtle the variety of insects in captivity to supplement its diet in a bid to make it get adequate nutrients for its health. Moreover, using moderate portions of plant materials including vegetable and fruits once in a while can supplement the nutrients in the body.
As for vitamin and calcium levels, the supplementation is needed to keep all of them in proper balance. One method used is dusting the insects with calcium powder having Vitamin D3. But it is important not to overdo it with the supply of nutrients, as it may cause health problem. In regards with their diet and supplementation, it is crucial to form a balance to guarantee that Ackie Monitors intake the proper nutrients for them to grow healthy and last for many years.
Handling and Enrichment
Two important factors remain to be considered in the husbandry of Ackie Monitors; Handling and Enrichment, mainly because these are significant factors in making sure that the cold blooded animals live a happy life when put in captivity. They should ideally be handled with a lot of care considering the fact that they have certain behavioral characteristics.
They can be stressed by frequent or rough handling so they should be touched only when it is necessary such as in the process of health check. In any way, if you do need to capture them, try to do it slowly and do not try to move in a fast manner while they are in their nest as they may get scared and leave.
Health and Common Issues
Health consideration is crucial to the survival of these species in captivity because Ackie Monitoring. These reptiles have their best in environments that are stable and well kept. Some of such diseases are Respiratory Infections, Skin infections and Parasitic infections.
Some of the warning signs that may indicate that your pet is having one or multiple health issues include; wheezing, nasal discharge, listlessness, changes in feeding habits, off-colour skin and frequent hiding. Another importance of taking our vet regularly is that health complications can be diagnosed earlier and hence treated. One should pay close attention to their conduct and how they dress and guarantee that they access any medical attentions if necessary.
Conclusion
Therefore, the size of the enclosure becomes a significant factor that should be considered in the process of taking care of Ackie monitor. More than just a luxury, the need to give them a large and well planned space to live in is one of necessity.
If Ackie Monitors are to be cared for in a proper way, one has to know about the species and its natural behaviours as well as their basic requirements. Walking space is one aspect of this care, but it is a very significant aspect. In conclusion of this guide, we stress that proper Ackie Monitor care is not only about the size of the enclosure but also feeding, providing the environment for mental activity and performing the regular health checks.
These wonderful looking reptiles should be given the best that they can get in as far as care and treatment are concerned. Additionally, we advocate for more research and stewardship with the pets as it is only through embracing knowledge and responsibility that could see these gorgeous creatures excel while under our stewardship. Captive care of Ackie monitors is enriching to the pets but it is up to us to ensure that they have optimum health and well being by offering them a habitat that mimics their natural environment and needs.
