Hi Mike, a couple of things. If you sent the email thru here I did not get it. my email addy is, frankretes@gmail.com.

Also please try to understand the difference beween attack and counterattack.

In most cases, I was attacked first. All you have to do is look at the posts. I only post here and on our forum. I do not travel the world wide web talking about those fellas. Yet, wellmeaning people are always emailing me and telling me so and so and who and who who is saying this and that about me, on another forums. It appears I am on their minds. This should tell you something.

They are never on my mind, I never think about them with my day to day work with monitors, or when I am in the field. Other then, I do not understand how they do not see, what I have seen.

Also, its most likely more about whos having success. I am, so they have to attack me. I believe its about that simple.

ALso, I normally post to help someone on KS. I share updates and progress on our forum. Most of those do not come here to help others. They come to fight or so it seems.

Which is pretty normal on these type forums. I have not posted here for weeks at a time. Normally someone else tries to help, and whomever that is, gets attacked as well. I think it goes with the position.

Many of those that fight, never devulge what they would do thats better or as good, or even not as good but works, then simply want to prove me wrong. If they provided something that showed some success, I could not argue against that in any way, it may simply become several right ways, which as far as I know is better then one right way.

Again, to post what has shown success, no matter who states is, IS GOOD. But to try to confuse what has worked, is not productive at all. Why would this folks do that. As far as I can tell, many of those natural history academics, did not try to improve the captive condition. Did they? They tell me I am wrong then leave. Whats that about?

Your remark about breeding or babies, is and never was a point of contention. The point I make is, a healthy pair of monitors lay eggs like pez despensers. Ok, that is not a nice comparison. A healthy pair will lay many clutches per year and do so for many years. That is what all wild reptiles do, THEY RECRUIT to the limits of their support. And we are suppose to support them. in fact, we are not suppose to offer minimum support, are WE?

As I mentioned in my "natural history" comments, we really cannot provide the conditions that make "Peachies" peachies. That is, we do not provide predators and the exact habitat they live in. That would be impossible in a cage. What that means is, we limit most of what makes them interesting.

We can allow them to recruit. That is to pair, breed, nest, and do that many times. What I find interesting is, monitors will give their life to achieve this. Which means its something they strive to do, both in captivity and in nature. In simple terms, they love to be envolved in the process. They want to be envolved in the process. ITs what they do.

So that is the least I can do is allow them to do what they are designed and strive with their lifes to do. Surely you do not have to hatch all the eggs, I know I don't.

Then all of a sudden, this process makes these monitors so darn interesting. They form pairs, then groups, they nest is such amazing ways, the group will build the nests. They protect eachother. Guard nests. Man, they DO lots of very interesting behaviors.

As an example, I bred ackies for many years, hundreds of them. Then all of a sudden I learned something very important, ackies start the nesting process BEFORE they copulate. I only had to slow down and open my eyes. Then of course, I had to see if other species did that.

Anyway, its all of that that makes it interesting to me. And what it takes to do that is not making the cage pretty, its making the cage useful to the monitor.

For instance, lets include both natural history and captive flavis. In nature, flavis live mostly in a very featureless landscape. Nothing but sand for miles and miles upon miles of scrubby short bushes. No rocks, not trees and in some cases no nothing. Yet, their life is full and enriched. Their life is in the ground. All thats above ground is a burrow. Wait, no, they cover that from the inside. Not even a hole.

So we provide them that life. And instead of being nice to our eyes, I make it nice to their eyes. Then they entertain me with their actions.

THis winter I will be breaking out some natualistic cages I build many years ago. I will post them when I put them in service. Cheers

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