Common name: Black-headed monitor
Scientific name: Varanus tristis tristis
Subgenus : Odatria
Size :up to 80cm
Cage: for my 1.2 V. t. tristis I have made a cage with the following measurements
110X182X120/102cm. The walls are covered with Dominart stone look tiles, this in my opinion gives a great look, and the tiles are rough enough so that the animals can climb on them. Artificial shelves are made out of Styrofoam and Dominart tiles. In the bottom of the cage they have sand and leaf litter. Some old tree trunks combined with cork tubes make up the main part of the hides and climbing areas. As in the other cages, this cage also have an area with deep soil, the soil in this area is about 45cm deep.Tech: main light is made by a 20w LED projector at about 4200k.As UV they are provided with a arcadia 10% desert tube placed at the top of the cage.Heat is provided with a halogen spot, that produces a basking area at around 50-55c.
Feeding: They are offered a mainly insect diet. Main food are different species of roaches, such as dubia . They are also offered superworms, sunbeetle larvae and grasshoppers.All food is dusted with either a vitamin/calcium or mineral/calcium mix.Beside the insects they sometimes get offered boiled eggs, pinky mice, chopped chicks.
