If you’re lucky enough to share your home with a asian water monitor, you already know these intelligent reptiles are absolutely captivating pets.

With their sleek bodies, curious personalities, and impressive appetites, water monitors (Varanus salvator) deserve the very best when it comes to nutrition – and that includes treats!

Whether you’re bonding with your monitor during training sessions or simply want to add variety to their diet, choosing the right treats is essential for keeping your water monitor healthy and happy.

Before diving into the treat menu, let’s talk basics. Water monitors are carnivorous reptiles that require a protein rich diet to thrive.

In the wild, these magnificent creatures feast on fish, crustaceans, mollusks, small mammals, birds, and even carrion.

As responsible keepers, we want to replicate this diverse diet while ensuring proper nutrition and food safety.

🐟 Whole Fish and Seafood

Fish is absolutely spectacular for water monitors and closely mimics what they’d eat in their natural habitat. These aquatic treats are packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential nutrients.

Best Fish Options Include:

• Tilapia – low mercury, readily available
• Smelt – small whole fish perfect for younger monitors
• Mackerel – rich in healthy fats
• Sardines – great calcium source when fed whole
• Silversides – ideal training treats

Shellfish Selections:

• Raw shrimp – remove shells for younger monitors
• Crayfish – fantastic enrichment as they can hunt them
• Mussels – remove from shells or offer whole
• Snails – natural prey item with shell for calcium

🐭 Whole Prey Items

Whole prey provides complete nutrition, including bones, organs, and muscle meat. These treats are especially valuable because they offer nutrients that might be missing from other food sources.

Excellent Whole Prey Options:

• Mice – pinky to adult sizes depending on your monitor’s size
• Rats – great for larger adults
• Quail – whole or portions
• Chicks – day old chicks are nutrient dense
• Rabbits – for fully grown monitors

🫀 Organ Meats

Organ meats are nutritional powerhouses that water monitors absolutely adore. These treats are rich in vitamins A and D, iron, and other essential nutrients.

Top Organ Meat Choices:

• Chicken hearts – high in taurine
• Chicken liver* – vitamin A rich, feed sparingly
• Gizzards – great texture variety
• Beef heart – lean and protein packed

🥚 Eggs

Eggs are a fantastic treat that provides protein, healthy fats, and important nutrients. You can offer them raw or hard boiled, though raw eggs provide more nutritional value.

Egg Options:

• Chicken eggs – whole or just the yolk
• Quail eggs – perfect bite sized treats
• Duck eggs – larger option for big monitors

🦗 Insect and Invertebrate Treats

While water monitors aren’t primarily insectivores like some other lizards, they do enjoy the occasional bug snack!

Fun Insect Treats:

• Dubia roaches – nutritious and easy to digest
• Superworms – high in fat, offer sparingly
• Hornworms – hydrating and low in fat
• Earthworms – natural food source
• Crickets – gut load before feeding

🛒 Commercial Treats and Supplements

Several commercial options can supplement your water monitor’s fresh food diet.

Quality Commercial Treats:

• Freeze dried fish – convenient for training
• Canned whole prey – don’t forget to check the ingredients carefully
• Commercial monitor food

Not everything is safe for your water monitor. Skip these items entirely:

• Processed meats like hot dogs, deli meat, and bacon
• Raw chicken or pork (bacterial risk)
• Dairy products
• Bread, grains, or vegetables (they can’t digest plant matter effectively)
• Chocolate or anything with caffeine
• Wild caught prey (parasite and pesticide risk)
• Goldfish – these are high in thiaminase, can cause vitamin B deficiency

Treats are absolutely wonderful for building trust and training your asian water monitor. These intelligent reptiles respond brilliantly to positive reinforcement training.

Training Tips:

• Use high value treats like shrimp or small fish pieces
• Keep training sessions short – about 5 to 10 minutes
• Reward desired behaviors immediately
• Practice target training to make health checks easier
• Use treats to encourage voluntary harness wearing for outdoor time

Presentation Matters

Make treat time engaging by varying how you present food:

• Hide treats around their enclosure for foraging enrichment
• Offer food with feeding tongs to build trust
• Place fish in a shallow water dish for hunting practice
• Vary food types to prevent boredom

Water monitors can become overweight if overfed, which leads to serious health issues. Monitor your reptile’s body condition regularly.

Signs of Proper Weight:

• Visible but not prominent ribs
• Smooth body taper from chest to tail
• No fat deposits around the neck or tail base
• Active and alert behavior

If you’re concerned about your monitor’s weight or health, consult a reptile veterinarian who specializes in monitors and large lizards.

Providing appropriate treats for your water monitor isn’t just about nutrition… it’s about enrichment, bonding, and helping these remarkable reptiles thrive in captivity.

By offering a varied selection of high quality protein sources and using treats thoughtfully, you’ll keep your monitor engaged, healthy, and happy for years to come.

Remember that every water monitor is an individual with their own preferences. Some might go absolutely wild for shrimp, while others prefer whole prey items. Pay attention to what your monitor enjoys most, but always prioritize nutrition over preference when making feeding decisions.

Here’s to happy monitors and responsible keeping!