Max is Red Ackie, Spiny-tailed Monitor or Ridge-tailed Monitor, depending on who you talk to and where you are from as all three names refer to the same lizard. The standard Latin name is Varanus Acanthurus. This is a small species of monitor lizard native to north-western Australia that live in a variety of habitats from arid to tropical regions. Red Ackie monitors are usually a reddish brown with yellow markings although colour and pattern can vary with geographic origin. One of there most distinctive features, however, is their thick spine covered tail which is where the name Spiny-tailed Monitor comes from.

Max lives in a large enclosure that is taller enough to provide a good climbing area as well as plenty of room to roam about. The warmest side of the enclosure is set at 95 ° F (35 ° C) with the cooler side averaging around 77 ° - 82 ° F (25-27 ° C). The heat is provided mainly by a red 60w bulb although the UVB bulb that is used to provide the correct amount of daylight emits a limited amount of heat. The latter bulb uses 33% UVA wavelengths - essential for stimulating appetite, activity and reproductive behaviour - and 8% UVB wavelengths - good for promoting Vitamin D3 synthesis vital for bone growth. The humidity is kept at around 50% by spraying the enclosure daily. As Max likes burrowing a substrate composed of 60% clean, organic soil and 40% clean, play sand was chosen as this provides more solidity to tunnels then using sand alone. A homemade rock feature and a variety of plastic plants have been used to decorate the enclosure.

Max has a stable diet of insects - such as locusts, crickets, wax worms and meal worms - as well as obtaining extra enrichment from meat – such as bite sized portions of uncooked steak, pork, chicken, fish (make sure this contains no bones) and offal in addition to the occasional pinkie. The quantity fed depends on the type, and size, of food be used. A normal portion for Max is around 1-2 extra large locust or 3-4 large locusts, however, as crickets tend to hide in large, well filled enclosures the quantity used may increase to 20. By doing this it allows Max the chance to hunt his food and keeps him active and alert. Mealworms and wax worms are used less often but a small bowl containing about 15 mealworms and 5 wax worms is plenty. All live food is dusted with a good supplement 3-4 times a week which, although most of the lizards are indifferent to, Max will often refuse to eat, but generally caves in at the end.
Red Ackies are one of the more common monitor species seen in captivity today both in their country of origin and around the world due to their small size, ease of care and increasing availability. In captivity this species will thrive if given optimum conditions that are simple to provide if you have the right equipment.

DISCLAIMER

Site created by Daniel & Caroline Hepplewhite contact us at info@urbanreptile.co.uk, Site Hosted by Use Your Brain Limited