Monitor lizards · Care guide
Varanus glauerti
The Kimberley Rock Monitor is native to northern Australia. Adults reach about 32–48″, are very active and well tempered, and benefit from extra vivarium height — they often hang by their back legs. Provide dry heat, humidity 50% day / 70% evening, T5 12% UVB, multi-level climbing, a damp wet box, and patient handling.
At a glance
Key parameters for day-to-day husbandry. Full detail is in the sections below.
Daytime probe
86–88 °F
30–31 °C · thermostat sensor
Night temp
~74 °F
~23 °C · thermostat evening
Humidity
50 / 70%
Day · evening with light spray
UVB
T5 12%
Ceiling-mounted tube
01 · Housing
Active monitors from northern Australia (~32–48″). Provide multi-level climbing branches, rocks and tunnels, a damp wet box for shedding, dry substrate, and a solid temperature gradient. Extra height supports their habit of hanging by the back legs. Minimum size is for a single adult.
Adult minimum size
48″ W × 36″ H × 24″ D
For a single adult, or larger if you wish. The extra height is a great benefit — Kimberley Rock Monitors often hang by their back legs. Adults reach about 32–48″. Start babies in something smaller so you can interact without chasing them around a huge viv.
Housing diagram
Enclosure example
Front view 48″ wide × 36″ tall (depth 24″) · multi-level branches · rocks & tunnel · wet box · small water bowl
Setup diagram · 1 of 2
Top-down view
Heat bulb & probe left–right positions · Recommended temps need this layout
Setup diagram · 2 of 2
Front view
Looking into the vivarium · bulb on the ceiling · probe hangs down the back
02 · Climate
Day/night cycling, a proper gradient, and UVB are essential for metabolism, appetite, and long-term health. Aim for about 50% humidity by day and 70% in the evening, with a wet box and small cool-side water bowl.
When the heat bulb and thermostat sensor are placed as instructed, a probe target of 86–88 °F (30–31 °C) creates this spread. The probe point is not the basking spot.
| Zone | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Cool side | ~84 °F (~29 °C) |
| Probe point (thermostat probe target) | 86–88 °F (30–31 °C) |
| Middle | 92–94 °F (33–34 °C) |
| Warm side | 100–110 °F (38–43 °C) |
| Basking spot (hottest point under bulb) | ~120 °F+ (~49 °C+) |
| Night drop | Reduce thermostat by ~74 °F (~23 °C) |
Kimberley Rock Monitors are kept on dry substrate. Maintain about 50% humidity during the day and increase to about 70% in the evening with a light spray. Provide a moist wet box (hide with a solid base and moss) so they can raise humidity for themselves when shedding — reducing stuck sheds on toes and tail.
Day
50%
Ambient humidity
Evening
70%
Light spray · night rise
Climate diagram
Lighting setup
T5 12% UVB on the ceiling (straight or diagonal) · heat dome on the warm side · match UV to heat
Always have the thermostat dial turned down before you plug it into the mains for the first time.
03 · Nutrition
Insect-led diet with optional plant matter. Dust every feed, gut-load insects well, and use the method of 5 while settling.
At a glance
Feed regularly · dust every feed
In moderation only
Dust every feeding — live foods and salads — with a 4:1 mix of calcium : Nutrobal (4 parts calcium to 1 part Nutrobal). Mix first, then coat the food every time you feed.
New Kimberley Rock Monitors are often stressed and may not eat well for the first few days. This is perfectly normal. Until you know their habits, use the method of 5: offer five insects at a time and wait until they are eaten before adding more. That reduces leftover insects that can stress or injure the animal. Once settled, 10–20 crickets daily is relatively common; adults often need one or two food-free days each week.
Gut-load insects before offering — variety matters for calcium-to-phosphorus (Ca:P) and vitamins.
Feeder insects must be well fed before offering. In the wild, lizards eat insects that themselves ate a wide variety of foods — providing complete nutrition and a better calcium-to-phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio.
Speak to a member of staff for more feeding advice.
04 · Behaviour
Very active and well-tempered monitors. Settling and regular feeding come before handling.
Allow the Kimberley Rock Monitor to settle and begin eating regularly before handling — we recommend at least two successful feeds first. Adapting is stressful; early handling can make it worse.
Initial sessions: 5–10 minutes only. Lengthen as the Kimberley Rock Monitor becomes more comfortable.
Always wash or disinfect hands before and after handling to prevent bacteria transfer both ways.
Do not use aerosols or plug-in air fresheners near the enclosure — the chemicals can harm your Kimberley Rock Monitor.
05 · Welfare
Prevention starts with correct husbandry — heat, UVB, hydration, and supplementation working together.
Correct temperatures, supplementation, hydration, and UVB keep the immune system and gut working well — supporting essential physiological processes.
Pros
Cons
Questions
For a single adult, a minimum of 48″ wide × 36″ tall × 24″ deep, or larger. Extra height matters — these monitors often hang by their back legs. Provide rocks, tunnels and multi-level climbing branches, artificial foliage, dry substrate (pelleted straw, dry bio mix, or coarser desert sand), a damp wet box with moss, and a small cool-side water bowl. Adults reach about 32–48″. Babies are easier to start in something smaller.
Set the thermostat probe to 86–88 °F (30–31 °C) by day with the heat bulb about one-quarter from one side and the probe one-quarter from the opposite side, hanging down the back about halfway down. That creates a gradient of about 84 °F on the cool side, 92–94 °F in the middle, around 100–110 °F on the warm side, and a basking spot of about 120 °F+ under the bulb. At night turn the thermostat down to around 74 °F (23 °C).
Aim for about 50% humidity during the day and raise it to about 70% in the evening with a light spray. Provide a moist wet box (hide with a solid base and moss) so the monitor can access higher humidity when shedding and reduce stuck sheds on toes and the tail. Keep the main enclosure on dry substrate; use a small cool-side water bowl so drinking water does not soak the whole vivarium.
They have a penchant for hanging by their back legs, so the extra height of a 36″-tall adult vivarium (48″ wide × 36″ tall × 24″ deep minimum) is a great benefit. Multi-level rocks, tunnels and climbing branches support that active, vertical behaviour.
Yes. Add a moist area (wet box) — a hide with a solid base and moss. This gives the monitor access to higher humidity when shedding and reduces stuck sheds on toes and the tail. The main enclosure stays on dry substrate; the wet box is the humidity refuge, not a fully humid vivarium. Pair it with the 50% day / 70% evening humidity targets.
Allow the monitor to settle and begin eating regularly before handling — we recommend at least two successful feeds first. Initial sessions should be 5–10 minutes only; lengthen as they become more comfortable. Like all monitors, spend enough time with them if you want a well-handled pet. Always wash or disinfect hands before and after handling. Do not use aerosols or plug-in air fresheners near the enclosure.
A T5 unit with a 12% UV tube mounted on the ceiling — straight across the top or diagonally (diagonal often places the power unit toward a rear vent). Replace the tube every 12 months because UV output degrades. Match UV on/off to the heat schedule: about 12 hours in winter and up to 16 hours in summer.
Insects (crickets, locusts, Dubia, calci worms as staples; wax worms, mealworms and Morios in moderation) plus vegetables where accepted — most will not eat them. Dust every feed with a 4:1 calcium : Nutrobal mix. Use the “method of 5” while settling; settled animals may take 10–20 crickets daily. Adults often need one or two food-free days per week. Hunting and chasing food provide exercise and enrichment.
Next steps
Shop heating, housing and lighting on this site, browse livestock when available, or speak to our team for a tailored kit list.
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