Most of the trade in these monitors from Indonesia is probably directed at other parts of Asia. I didn't say that gravid females accounted for all or the majority of trade but that they are PREFERRED by exporters. If the business was being run with sutainability in mind these animals would always be left alone. The fact that most of the USA imports are adults simply indicates to me that not enough gravid females can be found to satisfy demand. I am surprised by Harold's assertion that only 1 in 1000 of the black tree monitors imported into the US are juveniles. Not sure how he arrived at this figure, unless it is derived from CITES declarations, although these don't normally specify age of animals but should include origin (i.e. wild caught, captibe bred,ranched etc). Coming from the man who reliably informed us that the Nile monitor was extinct in Egypt and that Varanus olivaceus supplements a "typical forest monitor diet" with fruit I tend to be very sceptical of his statements...
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Mampam Conservation

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