Ackie Monitor

Looks how to spot one

Small scales with a spiny, ringed tail

A slim, compact monitor with a long whip-like tail covered in rings of spiky, keeled scales. The back is rich dark brown, reddish or black-brown, sprinkled with yellow, cream or red eye-spots, and pale stripes run from the face down the neck. The belly is light.21

Personality what they are like

Bright, inquisitive and energetic, as monitors tend to be. Ackies are active by day and spend a lot of time exploring, digging and basking. They are considered an intermediate-level pet that rewards a keeper who enjoys setting up a rich, engaging home.21

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very active during the day. Needs deep substrate for burrowing, rocks and climbing materials, and a large enough enclosure to patrol and hunt.31

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Keep fresh water in a shallow bowl at all times and clean the bowl weekly. Check temperatures with digital thermometers and an infrared temperature gun. Lightly dust insects with calcium and use a reptile multivitamin now and then.45

Home where they are happiest

Minimum for one adult about 150 x 75 x 120 cm (5 x 2.5 x 4 ft) with a front opening, good ventilation and a substrate layer up to about 60 cm deep for burrowing. Very hot basking surface of 70-78 °C, warm-side air 29-38 °C, cool side 24-28 °C, with heat lamps off at night. UVB lighting is part of the setup.35

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Mainly insects: crickets, roaches, grasshoppers, worms, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae and similar, with occasional quail eggs or other small whole prey. Young ackies eat daily; adults every other day. Wild ackies get much of their water from their food.41

Company who they like around

Naturally solitary and happy living alone. Keeping more than one is a job for experienced keepers only; males should not share, and a single male-female pair in a much larger enclosure is the most workable combination.31

The story where it all began

George Albert Boulenger described the species in 1885 from Australian specimens. Three subspecies are recognised, and genetic work in 2006 suggested the island form may deserve species status. In the pet trade, captive-bred animals are sold as red ackies and yellow ackies, which roughly match two of the subspecies.1

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Least Concern.1

Taxonomy

Described by Boulenger in 1885; three subspecies recognised: V. a. acanthurus, V. a. brachyurus and V. a. insulanicus.1