A Monitor that
ROCKS!
Varanus glauerti in captivity.
Rob Grabowski details his success with a beautiful species of
monitor that is rare in captivity.
F
or many monitor keepers in Australia Varanus
glauerti, otherwise known as the Kimberley Rock
Monitor, is a highly sought-after addition to the collec-
tion. However, these animals have always been hard to
come by, especially in viable pairs. A little under two
years ago I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity
to acquire an adult pair; I thought it would have taken me
many more years to track some down.
In preparation for the monitors’ arrival we set up an
enclosure 2m long by 1m deep and 1.2m high. The entire
length of the back wall was covered with a fake rock
structure with many ledges and tight crawl spots. The
substrate selected was a mix of top soil, coarse coir peat
and yellow brick sand to a depth of approximately 10cm.
This was based on the assumption that in the animals’
natural habitat soils consist predominantly of decom-
posed sandstone, and on the requirement for some
retention of humidity. A small ‘Retes stack’ constructed
from sandstone pavers was located at one end, while the
rest of the enclosure was landscaped with artificial plants
and hollow logs, which were placed at roughly 45 degree
angles to create vertical perches and hides. Lighting was
provided via a 75W GU10 Halogen over the Retes stack
and a 70W external ballast metal halide UV (UVME;
product to be released in Australia soon) over one of the
hollow logs. Two water sources were provided, along
with a lay tub/humidity hide consisting of a 35cm long
by 50cm wide and 45cm deep tub fitted with a plywood
lid and filled to within 5cm of the top with a similar mix
to the substrate, but using finer coir peat and a higher
ratio of sand. This was located near the metal halide
lamp. Humidity in the enclosure was maintained at
around 50-70%, while ambient temperature in the hot end
reached 35 o C in summer, with hot spots of 50-55 o C on
the log, and approximately 60 o C on the Retes stack.
On the day of the monitors’ arrival you can imagine I
was quite worried that they may be harmed or lost in
transit, but all went well. I couldn’t wait to unbag these
magnificent animals and release them into their new
terrarium. The male exhibited bright green speckles on
1. The Kimberley Rock Monitor has a very long,
thin tail with striking bands of black and cream.
2. The female had dull, rusty red bands on her
body, whereas;
3. The male exhibited bright green speckles.
Photos of pair by Rob Grabowski.
1.