I am sorry, of course thats part of it,

in all reality, nature does not guarantee a next year. Period.

So the thought of years is based more on humans, then nature. Nature makes every attempt to not have a next year.

So as humans, as biologists, we look at reproductive effort as a level of success. that can be broken down from year to year, or over a lifetime.

A simple example is, whats more important, a female producing 100 offspring, or a female producing fifty? IN HER LIFETIME?

The simple answer is both, Reptiles have a complicated reproductive stradgy, which includes both short term levels of success and long term levels of success. Both have their place.

For instance, a high percentage of young reproductive females will not make it to the next year(in nature), yet some resident females will be successful for many years. Some females will produce every year and others will not. etc etc.

So for you to place importance on one part of their reproductive stradgy is only you and only about you. Its not about them as a species or as reptiles.

In reality, step one is the most important, put out as many offspring as you can in as short of period as possible. Then hopefully you can repeat the next year, etc.

If you look at longevity logically, then its only important if the female is reproductively limited. That is, if it takes years and years to accomplish recruitment, then it becomes important. But its not important if the female accomplishs that task quickly. Both are part of their stradgy of exsistance.

Why you make only one as important, is yours and about you.

For instance, we have a female we hatched produce over 80 clutches in her lifetime, her lifetime was 14 years. Not bad at all in both cases.

Whats even more odd, in nature the vast majority of females observed are young, not old. While it does occur, its rare, but indeed part of the RS.

of course, you are indeed entitled to achieve the goals you want with varanids.

I feel we should understand more then longevity. Althought, we at goannaranch have acheived many longevity records as well. Even with multiclutching.

A much better question would be, what is the average reproductive lifespan for a captive female? what is the average reproductive lifespan for a wild female?

The answer is, WTFKs, which means, who the frog knows. There is not data on wild females, period. And overall, captive females do not live past a year. So having females produce 30 to 50 clutches in a lifetime is something I will take with a feeling of accomplishment. Yet, I still feel good about having a female produce 10 or 12 clutches before I somehow screw her up. Which I do and do so in many ways.

All the while you ask these questions based on your level of accomplishments of what?

let me offer you a lesson. Being a biologist is nothing more then taking data, you take data. Being a good keeper is sort of the same, you allow data(results)

To sit about like you do and judge everything like some back seat driver is simply not important. A wise person would wait until theirs enough data to actually make some manner of conclusion with.

All in all, I am happy to support any level of success. From one dang hatchling to hundreds from one female. If I wanted to be a big fella, I could be just by hatching one monitor, which is more then most have done. Buts its not about that.

Its about effort, in the monitors cases and in the keepers cases. Whether what I have seen is right or wrong, as you know, I could give a flying shat. The story is not over. You have heard that saying, how a book ends is based on what chapter you stopped reading at. I keep reading. What about you? reading means doing.

I do put forth an effort. As do my captive monitors.

So thank you for your imput. Best wishes

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