Welcome to my new ackie baby. Came today very healthy and has been exploring cage non stop since getting home. I was so worried about shipping a baby so far, but all turned out great! I love this little baby, so active and curious!
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OMG That is so cute, please keep all of us posted on this one
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He/she is a spitfire, I love it! Hahaha within the first hour of the baby being home, I suddenly understand why they require very large enclosures, it is absolutely true, they use every milimeter of it! This baby sort of reminds me of a ferret, plays hard and then just crashes.
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The baby is really nice looking, its colors match well in the tank. 
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I know I want to kiss him/her, but they are NOT bearded dragons(my bearded dragon was so cuddly, he seemed to enjoy cuddling and kisses), so I have to restrain myselfā¦LOL
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Do you think that they are hard to care for?
Not hard but more work than a bearded dragon. They are monitors so the ātamingā process requires patience and time. The other big deal is that humidity levels have to be kept at a certain range but itās not so easy as in their native habitat they live with several different humdity levels throughout the year, and very few of those percentages are close to what many of the ackie monitor care sheets say. Thankfully you can look up weather now including humidity anywhere on the planet. And we have people like Dav Kaufman who actually goes to the place to where many reptiles are native and show us how they are living in the wild via online videos. Housing is not hard but it requires time and or money. I am not handy so I will have to buy all of my adult enclosures. They need very large enclosures relative to their not very big size. They are not very big but defintly use the space. Not considered aboreal but they do love to climb, and hunt, and explore, ect.
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very cool. Monitors are worth every bit of effort they take to raise and keep. Nice to see that you have actually considered the size and the requirements. lots of people donāt and I have rescued a lot of monitors that were in bad shape. Would love to see updates as this little guy grows.
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Man Ackies are just so dope to me. When we move to a little bigger house and I can build a large enclosure thatāll be the first animal I get. Until then Iām a live vicariously through you if thatās cool lol
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Haha, well iām not the only ackie parent in usa, there are many on the internet who make neat videos I just want to see him/her grow so I know iām doing it right!
Very fun to watch them eat/hunt. They twitch their tail like a kitty that is about to pounce, and they strike fast!
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Ackies are a trip! I have had āLizLizā for just over 2 years now, and still every day I can spend hours watching his antics! Care in my opinion could not be easier, I currently have him housed in a 40g breeder āwhich is not optimalā with a 6in organic potting and play sand mix substrate which maintains the moisture very well and also aids in shedding. I maintain a hot spot of right around 140Ā°f for basking as well as UVB āfrom which there is disagreement within the community on whether it is requiredā but I figured it wouldnāt hurt. As for food I really recommend starting your own dubia colony, it will pay for itself 10 fold, every month or so i sell 3-4 hundred to my LPS which almost covers my rodent supply. Other then that he occasionally gets a refused fuzzy or pinky mouse, and on rare occasions I will buy him a day old frozen quail as a treat! When I move into my new house he is going to get upgraded to a 4x2x3 enclosure with a whole 12in of substrate to dig in!
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Thank you for sharing! I have an insect phobia tha dt Iām working on, and I have got to the point where I can handle baby dubias being in my house and I am able to feed with tongs. The thought of a breeding colony terrifies me at the moment. Iād rather pay for just the ones heās going to eat each week at a time. Crickets are what gets him going, he loves to chase, pounce/attack! The potting soil/sand mixture seems like what most people are going with. I have two UVB strips but I also have live plants that benefit. My basking temps are good. Iām going with the Kages 5x3x3 for his adult enclosure, I think heāll have some fun in it. Is yours full grown yet? I donāt know when ackies reach their full adult size.
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