Posted by:
FR
at Tue Jul 15 09:45:58 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
Hi Again Tom, your not asking to many questions, your actually asking REAL questions, which is what these forums are for.
I am like you. All varanids should not be treated for parasites. BUT, there are exceptions and those are very much common sense.
With lite bodied reptiles, they do not have the reserves of a heavy bodied reptiles. So they cannot withstand un-natural stresses as well. The thin bodied prasinus group can be OVERPOWERED by parasites much quicker then a similar heavy bodied specie.
So, I do this. I always set them up(all species) get them to progress and measure the progress. If they take off and prosper, I will never ever treat them. If they are reluctant to progress in Known satisfactory conditions, then off to the vet they go to be treated.
I commonly mention, that wild monitors consume parasites with every meal. I say that because it shows that healhy monitors can and do co-exsist with parasites. Also as you mention, there is starting to be a wave of understanding that these parasites also provide a benefit to their host.
The problem is, when these animals are kept in such poor conditions that they become immune suppressed. Which is common with wild caughts. You know what they often experience. Its also common with most captives. They do not die from a particular desease or parasite, they die from a compromised immune system.
My task is to build up their immune system. To me thats easy, give them a reason to live. This is not all that scientific, but people put an animal in a box and then wonder why it dies when the box has nothing to offer the animal. The box does not give the animal any reason to live. It merely encloses the animal, which is reason to NOT live.
The truth is, when given reasons to live, which I call "basic normal life events" monitors are impossible to kill, you actually have to beat them to death(so to speak) Take away their reasons to live and a normal healthy individual will fall over dead.
Even a sorta specialized species like the prasinus group STILL eat everything, they will eat all manner of insects and mammals and birds and fish and crustations(sp)AND Plants and fruit. Which means, they are still very generalized. This goes for behavior as well. They are, as you mentioned, complicate behavioral beasts(social???) They are easy when it comes to conditions, but complicated when it comes to behavior. Easy means, they will easily and without problem pick what they need and from a wide range of conditions. Hard or specialized means, they cannot pick from a wide range and must have a very tight narrow range to prosper.
The key with monitors is, they require different temps for different tasks. Which means they may not use a temp or conditions UNTIL its needed. Then its requires. Which explains lots and lots about captive failures.
Yours being outside, will have that range and where you live you will only have to keep them away from freezing, which is very rare for you. But it happens.
So of the tropical species suffocate when the temps near freezing. And they do not behaviorally understand how to escape freezing. ITs something tropical island/coastal dwellers never had to learn. Cheers
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RE: ONE QUESTION NOT ANSWERED IS HOW - FR, Tue Jul 15 09:45:58 2008