Make sure that the fixture your UVB bulb is housed in does not have a clear plastic bulb cover. The UVB bulb should be housed in a reflective fixture like the Arcadia ProT5 and placed on the basking side along with the heat lamp. Elevate the basking surface so your monitor’s back will be 14-16” below the lamp. The UVB should be mounted inside the enclosure. Here are the best UVB bulbs for argus monitors housed in a 8’L x 4’W x 4’H enclosure: Aside from helping provide a day/night cycle and providing an infinite supply of vitamin D, UVB is also good for the lizard’s overall health. Do argus monitors need UVB?Īlthough argus monitors have been shown to be able to survive without UVB lighting with the right diet, we still recommend providing UVB to your pet as part of providing optimum husbandry. Young argus monitors less than 18” long can be temporarily housed in a 36”L x 18”W x 18”H terrarium with at least 6” of substrate.Ĭohabitation (keeping multiple argus monitors in the same enclosure) is not recommended. This size of enclosure is not typically available for purchase, so you will likely need to order one custom-made or build your own. If at all possible, larger is strongly recommended, in addition to regular opportunities to free-roam (supervised) for exercise. How much space do argus monitors need?īecause of their large size, a single adult argus monitor should be housed in no smaller than a 8’L x 4’W x 4’H enclosure. They can make great pet reptiles for advanced-level keepers willing to put in the work. They’re extremely active, and do not like to be grabbed. Both sexes are slender yet powerfully built.Īrgus monitors are active, engaging, and can have intense personalities. Males are significantly larger than females.
They generally prefer riparian (close to water) habitats, and are strong swimmers.Īrgus monitors usually have a brown to reddish background color with dark markings around the head and banded pale spots on the body. Nerve impulses and hormone changes cause the color cells in these layers to expand and shrink, and the blending of the different layers creates the colors and patterns that we see.Argus monitors ( Varanus panoptes ) are 3.5-5’ long, diurnal, terrestrial lizards native to Indonesia, New Guinea, and certain parts of Australia. So how do they do it? Chameleons have four layers of skin: the outer, protective layer called the epidermis the chromatophore layer that contains yellow and red pigments the melanophore layer that contains the dark pigment melanin and can create brown and black colors or reflect blue and the nether layer, which only reflects white.
The changing skin color also plays an important role in communication among males. The skin color changes under the influence of the lizard's mood, such as fear or anger, the amount of light, and the temperature or humidity.
Instead, each species of chameleon has a group of patterns and colors that it is able to display some of these patterns are designed for camouflage. For example, if a chameleon is sitting on a red-and-white polka dot tablecloth, it will not turn red and develop round white spots! Chameleons don't look at what they're sitting on and deliberately decide to match it. First of all, they don't really change color to match their surroundings, and they cannot change to any and all colors. "How chameleons change color is a fascinating and complicated process. The teacher showed them this YouTube video and my son wanted to know if it was really real, so I looked it up. My 7 year old son is reading the Eric Carle book, "The Mixed up Chameleon" in school.