Posted by:
FR
at Tue Jul 15 00:03:45 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
Hi Tom, Sorry I could not answer your question from way below, but I was sitting in the corner(banned) for a week or so. I asked a friend to get you my e-mail addy. all you had to do is click on my name, but then, then may have banned that too.
On to the monitors.
The key is making sure you have a actual pair. The prasinus group are very easy to sex. They are so thin, their tailbases are a give away with adults. They are also very easy to palpate, so you can tell when they have eggs(big eggs, skinny lizard) and have up to five or so eggs. I would imagine the really large prasinus have more.
Next would be, how well your monitors bond. This is key. When recieving large numbers of clutches, the pair must not stress eachother at all. Of course, you can recieve one clutch with any pair, but after that its all about support. We have had two females lay 18 clutches in a row. Many species up to 8. We had one female we hatched just lay its 62nd clutch and its still going(wow) not in row hahahahahahahaha.
Which leads to diet, I fed crickets and mice, but this group loves birds and its amazing how large a bird they can take apart. They shred their prey. I once put an adult dove in with a trio of blacktrees, then went back to take it out, as I realized the dove was too big. Well, I went to remove it, but it was gone and there was three fat blacktrees looking very happy.
I had no problem multiclutching this group. And at the time, I did not understand the effects of nesting, as I do now.
Nesting is key. Monitors will hold the eggs until the eggs start to perish inside them. With good nesting, they lay the eggs very very quickly, we have had monitors lay perfect eggs that hatch, every two weeks. Or even medium to large monitors lay once a month. We have had medium sized monitors, gouldi group lay 8 days after breeding. They do not have a set time for gestation, as least until we figure out their nesting better.
Then again, if we do not allow good nesting, we can see prolonged periods between clutches. Or no eggs at all.
Also, nesting outside is much much easier then inside, particularly with larger monitors.
If I were you, I would provide a large hollow log filled with leaflitter or some other natural plant material such as coconut husk and sand mixed. With leaflitter on top of it.
This group is very good at burrowing and have a very unique method. They wiggle a burrow, not dig it. Most monitors dig a hole, then dig and compact the dirt from deeper down. But this group simply sticks their head in the ground and pushes in and expands their body to compact the substrate to form a burrow.
They will make extensive systems like this and have chambers and tunnels that cover many many feet(if allowed)
I am sure if you tend to them like you do other species, you will not have problems once you get past the social side and bonding. I imagine it will be much like some of your other species.
Also, you acquired two, do not think of them as permanet, you may have to try other individuals. We find that with adults monitors, they will pick who they want and at times NOT listen you us. hahahahahahahahahahaha Of course its far better to start with babies, but then, we do not always have that choice.
I wish you luck, because I know you have the skill. Cheers
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RE: ONE QUESTION NOT ANSWERED IS HOW - FR, Tue Jul 15 00:03:45 2008