Posted by:
FR
at Wed Jun 14 00:59:33 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
I am afraid, most of what I have to say is not what you want to here. That is, your thinking and the reality of monitors, are most likely two different things.
First, most likely over 90% of captive females die of egg complications. Over longer periods that percentage is higher. Hmmmmmm like near the 100% range. It may be their job to reproduce to death. Or so it seems.
About your outdoor caging, It will not be of much help. Once a female lays, they will attempt to produce eggs every month or two, year around. That was Dragoons experience as well. So your thoughts of spring or summer is not very realistic. Your cage may work for one clutch or two, then its winter, and the monitors keep going.
I have many monitors that breed successfully summer, spring, fall and winter. In the same year. The reason is, I like you, feed them. You feed them and they inturn breed. Kinda some design of theirs.
And lastly. This stamina may not be what you think. Monitors copulate(mock copulation) as a form of social positioning. As in females will mate females. I already mentioned this.
I could easily be wrong, but I see no evidence your male is a male. Male rudis have huge long noses(compared to females) and very visable hemipenal bulges. Males also tend to be darker(Nearly black) Females tend to be more patterned and have more of that blue thing going. But as I say, tendencies, not absolutes.
Monitors also include tweeners, that is, individuals that are more or less neutral in sex. I know, more then you want to hear.
The point is, you are far from getting a gravid female. In fact, females appear gravid(swollen and fat) before they copulate. They develop huge fat stores internally and use this stored energy to enlarge the ovum into eggs. This occurs before copulation. If this is not apparent, then you have nothing to worry about.
The real problem is, if improper nesting or no nesting is provided, these fat bodies/ovum or eggs, are held and become septic and you lose your female. Once the sequence starts the safest easist thing is to allow them to lay the eggs as fast as possible. The problem is, they hold the eggs if conditions are not right. They will hold them until the eggs die inside them and become infected. Its not a good thing. There are many on this board that have experienced this. SHvars wonderful blackthroat female had to have her eggs removed. She survived, she was lucky and she had SHvars support. I know I said the same thing twice in this paragraph, but even twice is not enough.
Lastly, in my experience, offering several types of nesting is another common approach. But unfortunately, its not a good approach. Is like giving a bunch of slices of different kinds of pie. When whats needed is one whole pie. Not slices.
Again, there is most likely no need for this yet. But just in case, keep it in mind. Good luck.
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RE: Wait~ I missed part - FR, Wed Jun 14 00:59:33 2006