29/08/2026
💙🦎 TONY MONTANA — 28 YEARS OLD AND OFFICIALLY RETIRED! 🦎💙
Our incredible male Blue Tree Monitor (Varanus macraei), Tony Montana, has officially moved into his retirement home. 🏡💙
And when we say retirement… Tony has definitely earned it.
Tony is now an amazing 28 YEARS OLD! 🤯
We have had Tony here at Reptasia for well over a decade, and during that time he has lived in a large enclosure with his girlfriend. But as he's reached his senior years, we've started noticing that the big enclosure simply isn't the best environment for him anymore.
Tony has developed cataracts, meaning his eyesight isn't what it used to be. He's also become noticeably slower and is finding it increasingly difficult to see, chase and catch his food.
So the old boy has now moved into his own specially adapted retirement enclosure. ❤️
This isn't about giving him less — it's about giving him an environment that works better for the animal he is today.
His food can be presented much closer to him, we can monitor exactly what he's eating, his important basking and resting areas are easier for him to reach, and we can keep a much closer eye on his overall condition.
As reptiles get older, good husbandry sometimes means changing the enclosure around the animal rather than expecting the animal to continue adapting to the enclosure.
🌿 A little about Blue Tree Monitors…
Blue Tree Monitors are an absolutely stunning arboreal monitor lizard originating from Batanta Island in Indonesia.
They're famous for their incredible blue and black colouration, long prehensile tails and extremely agile climbing ability. In their younger years they're fast, alert and incredibly capable hunters — which makes seeing Tony slowing down after so many years particularly noticeable to us.
They're also highly intelligent animals. Monitor lizards are renowned for being inquisitive, responsive and surprisingly good at learning routines and recognising what is happening around them.
And that's one of the things we love about keeping reptiles long-term.
You don't just see an animal grow.
You see it age.
Their behaviour changes. Their abilities change. Their nutritional requirements can change. Their mobility can change. And eventually the husbandry that worked perfectly for them when they were younger may need to change too.
At 28 years old, Tony is a fantastic example of why taking on a reptile can be a very long-term commitment.
For us, responsible reptile keeping doesn't stop when an animal becomes old or starts requiring additional care.
That's when they need us the most. 💙
Tony has spent more than a decade of his life with us, so now it's our job to make his later years as comfortable and stress-free as possible.
No more trying to keep up with the youngsters.
No more struggling to chase dinner around a massive enclosure.
Just comfortable basking spots, easy-to-reach food, plenty of monitoring…
…and the reptile equivalent of room service. 😂
Enjoy retirement, Tony Montana.
After 28 years, we think you've earned the VIP treatment. 👑🦎💙
