Gray's monitor (Varanus olivaceus)

Short answers

Gray's monitor: How big does the enclosure need to be?

250×120×200 cm (a room-sized enclosure).

Gray's monitor: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 27–33 °C, basking spot 40 °C, at night 22–25 °C.

Gray's monitor: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0).

Gray's monitor: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–25 years.

Gray's monitor: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

27–33 °C

Night temperature

22–25 °C

Basking spot

40 °C

Humidity

70–85 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

250×120×200 cm (a room-sized enclosure)

Substrate

Soil and bark mulch, very sturdy climbing branches, a large water dish

Feeding

Food

A SPECIALIST: mostly fruit (Pandanus, figs), plus snails and crabs

Feeding interval

2–3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

130–180 cm total length

Life expectancy

15–25 years

Origin

South-eastern Luzon (the Philippines)

Protection status

CITES II; IUCN "Vulnerable" – export from the Philippines is prohibited

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

One of the few fruit-eating monitors – without a reliable supply of suitable fruit, keeping it fails. Arboreal and very space-intensive. Practically only found in zoos.

Do you keep this species?

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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 Gray's monitor (Varanus olivaceus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (250×120×200 cm (a room-sized enclosure)), substrate (Soil and bark mulch, very sturdy climbing branches, a large water dish), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.