I keep tiny dinosaurs

Thank you!! I’m always happy to rant about monitor keeping lol! Pros would be….probably the highest reward vs effort of any critter I have kept so far. If I had to pick one reptile and ONLY one to continue keeping it would probably be ackies because they are SO reasonably sized with such a great personality. My geckos could care less that I exist, monitors will look at you and you can actually see them thinking…and compared to how they process oxygen and move they are actually closer to mammals and birds than any other reptile. Joanna will willingly climb up my arm if I put it into the cage to interact with me of her own choice. I have never grabbed or handled her forcefully so our entire relationship is respectful. So you’ve got this incredibly smart, active, little creature who of course needs a pretty big enclosure for mental stimulation and exercise. 4x2x2 feet is the minimum I would go (for a pair, because they are social!) It took me a while to track down a mate for Joanna and if I could give advice on that it would be to buy two hatchlings at the same time so you don’t run into the issue I had of finding a healthy, similar sized & aged companion after the fact.Their care is easy for me, but you do have to get a few very specific things correct. Tons of soil, at least a foot of it, 120F basking temperature, and lots of bugs! Plus the large cage, which you will need to build. I see a lot of adults missing toes from improper humidity, injured snouts from rubbing at a too-small glass tank all day, and obese from too much animal protein (mice, chicks, ground turkey etc are only occasional treats) OR just overfeeding in general. So those are things to look out for.They have all the personality & intelligence of a bigger monitor but in a small package. Only cons I can think of are since they are a little more sensitive, be prepared for a health check at the vets (2 of my 4 monitors have needed visits upon purchasing them, but were not terribly expensive). You will go through a bunch of bugs feeding them but I’ve started a dubia roach colony so I only ever buy crickets, sometimes superworms as a treat. Also the initial purchase price, I think they would be a lot more popular animals if they were a bit cheaper (both a good and a bad thing). Expect to spend $275-400 on a single animal unless you find the deal of the century! And since they are social, I would recommend getting a pair or trio. Also whatever you end up getting, make sure it’s the same species…technically they are the “same” but it’s frowned upon to mix the lines of yellow vs red ackies. I keep yellows because I like their contrast, they are a tiny bit cheaper. I hope this didn’t wander too far off the topic but that’s most of the points I’ve gathered so far in about nearly 2 years of keeping.