Monitor lizards are highly intelligent reptiles increasingly popular in the exotic pet trade but rarely provided adequate care.
Monitor lizards in captivity suffer from woefully inadequate enclosures, inappropriate diets (pet stores often recommend insects when monitors need whole prey items), and lack of behavioral enrichment. Their high intelligence means they experience boredom and frustration acutely. Wild-caught monitors suffer from capture trauma, transport stress, and never fully adjust to captivity. Husbandry requirements are demanding and rarely met.