Clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus)

Short answers

Clouded monitor: How big does the enclosure need to be?

250×120×150 cm.

Clouded monitor: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 28–34 °C, basking spot 45 °C, at night 21–25 °C.

Clouded monitor: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %).

Clouded monitor: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–25 years.

Clouded monitor: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

28–34 °C

Night temperature

21–25 °C

Basking spot

45 °C

Humidity

60–75 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

250×120×150 cm

Substrate

Soil and bark mulch 30 cm, sturdy climbing branches, a large water section

Feeding

Food

Insects, roaches, snails, fish, rodents, eggs

Feeding interval

2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

100–150 cm total length

Life expectancy

15–25 years

Origin

South-East Asia

Protection status

CITES I / EU Annex A – sale only with a valid EU commercial-use certificate

Brumation

None

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Monitors and tegus are territorial; grown animals defend their territory and injure each other with serious bites in the process. Even small size differences mean one animal claims the warm spot and the food for itself while the other falls behind — which is often only noticed once the weaker animal has already lost weight. For breeding, put them together only under supervision.

Notes

Long treated as a subspecies of the Bengal monitor. It climbs markedly more than V. bengalensis. Annex A: without yellow CITES papers any sale is prohibited.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Argus monitor (Varanus panoptes) – Expert
• Bengal monitor (Varanus bengalensis) – Expert
• Blue tree monitor (Varanus macraei) – Expert
• Blue-tailed monitor (Varanus doreanus) – Intermediate to expert
• Finsch's monitor (Varanus doreanus finschi) – Expert
• Boatsi tree monitor (Varanus boatsi) – Expert
• Bogert's tree monitor (Varanus bogerti) – Expert
• Lace monitor (Varanus varius) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (250×120×150 cm), substrate (Soil and bark mulch 30 cm, sturdy climbing branches, a large water section), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.