The actual problem is, people have no concept they are working with reptiles. They somehow thing they are working with mammals.

Reptiles are not mammals, I know that sounds dumb, but its true. Reptiles do not have a consistant body temps, which means they do not have a set metabolism either.

In nature on our field site. The reptiles spend 99% of their lifes mirco managing their temps. They are constantly moving to increase or decrease their body temps, DEPENDING ON NEED.

In captivity, most folks do not give them an option. Normally petshop keepers(sorry folks) keep them barely warm enough to feed and not hot enough to expend energy. So they store most energy consumed into FAT. Which is a normal natural part of their life. But its only a part in nature, the some other parts of their life is to expand energy, through growth, reproduction, etc. Or the simple increasing of their metabolism to enable them to move around.

These obese individuals are a product of conserving energy. PERIOD. It has little to do with actual diet. That is, unless your feeding donuts or candy bars.

Get it. Whole natural foods is what they normally consume. With that in mind, its all about energy spent. and most do not allow that.

And its not about exercise. Its simply base metabolism that is the culprit.

About exercise, its a factor but only a very small factor. You know, like fine tuning.

one reason we recomend deep substrate for varanids is, its like an exercise wheel for rodents. They dig, and dig somemore, etc. About the only method of continued exercise, IN A CAGE. In my experience, thats not the base problem.

You could keep them in a giant cage and they would still get obese when their metabolism never reaches normal.

Just think what it would be like if your body temps never went above 90F.

The problem is, many folks want to blame something they cannot control, that way, they take no blame. The truth is, you can control obesity, and they are to blame.

Me recomendation is, if you cannot take blame, do not keep living animals. Because if they are in our cages, WE ARE TO BLAME FOR EVERYTHING THAT happens when they are in our cages. Cheers, End of mini rant number 703451

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