Yemen monitor (Varanus yemenensis)

Short answers

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

200×100×100 cm.

Yemen monitor: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 30–36 °C, basking spot 48 °C, at night 20–24 °C.

Yemen monitor: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %).

Yemen monitor: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–25 years.

Yemen monitor: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

30–36 °C

Night temperature

20–24 °C

Basking spot

48 °C

Humidity

35–55 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

200×100×100 cm

Substrate

Sand-loam 25–35 cm, rock structures, climbing branches, a water dish

Feeding

Food

Insects, roaches, snails, rodents, fruit

Feeding interval

2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

100–120 cm total length

Life expectancy

15–25 years

Origin

The south-west of the Arabian Peninsula

Protection status

CITES II; a small range

Brumation

A cooler dry spell of 8–10 weeks

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

Discovered in 1985 and only recorded scientifically late on. One of the few monitors that regularly eats fruit as well. Keep it very hot and dry.

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 Yemen monitor (Varanus yemenensis) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (200×100×100 cm), substrate (Sand-loam 25–35 cm, rock structures, climbing branches, a 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.