I am not assuming anything. I did not know it was about you. I think you made it about you.

I simply stated, before you can judge a diet, YOU and others must set a realistic baseline of what is normal. And to reproducce IS NORMAL.

Its also not about monitors. If you fed your dog or cat a diet that was not good enough to allow that dog or cat to reproduce, you would clearly understand there is something wrong with that diet. A horse, a cow, a pig, would all be the same. What about a mouse, if what you feed them did not allow them to make babies, you would think there is something terribly wrong with that diet. So I ask, why is your or others monitors different????????

The answer is, they are not different, they are no different then any other animal. The diet must support the minimum level of success and that is to reproduce. Thats minimum with all animals.

The maximum or anything more then minimum, is expressing better then that. And there is lots of room to express better then barely being able to breed.

In most cases with captive monitors, they never acquire the energy to reproduce. PERIOD and that is not an assumption its fact.

Its also fact that once you understand what varanids require and you provide it, you cannot stop them for laying eggs.

What is horrifying is, folks like you cannot except that varanids are designed to breed, or better yet, recruit. After all, if yours or other non producing monitors were in nature, they were go extint.

The real point is, you make it personal. I ask you, stop that and look at the animal(s). If they are adult, they should lay eggs(if female) that is their normal natural design.

That you expect or rationlize otherwise is something the matter with you. As its absolutely normal for them.

If I want to make it personal, I fully realize that if one of my female varanids does not develop eggs, its my fault. Period, they are in my cages and I am the one that is responsible for taking care of them.

Lets change the subject a little. If its not food thats the problem then what is the problem. The conditions?????? So your saying your not giving them the conditions that supports what they do naturally??? Well sir, thats as bad as not feeding them a diet that supports reproduction.

The truth is, varanids do not require some trick to reproduce. Females will start laying eggs at about one half their full adult size and keep laying eggs for a very long time. And they DO NOT REQUIRE tricks like raincycle, or photoperiod manipulation, or hibernation. They simple require a decent temp range and normal humidity, and LOTS OF FOOD. The more food, the more eggs. If your not getting that, its YOU, not your monitor.

Lastly I going to get a little rude, and its not about you. I think there should a permit system to own varanids(reptiles) and there is only one question or statement on that test to get the permit. To get a permit, you should be required to be RESPONSIBLE for your animal. Period. What ever happens to it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

Now, some tiny advice, as a person(keeper) that has seen many many species reproduce in captivity and have supported that. I will tell you this. Any medium sized varanid fed an insect diet would have a very very very hard time gaining the energy required to reproduce. its not impossible, but very very unlikely. It would take as much as they could consume, each and every day. Are you going to do that? anyone going to do that? I don't think so and that is reflected by how commonly varanids are produced(laying eggs) on these pet monitor message boards.

in short, it appears people undermetabolize their captives, that is, keep them where they cannot reach normal operating temps, then restrict their diet to not allow them to build fat. Not wonder these poor animals do not live full or even half lives.

Not one more little tidbit now that you got my dander up, If you think its lack of exercise, which its not, but if you think that. Then its your stinking responsibility to give them the minimum amount of exercise to maintain a NORMAL LIFE and that includes the ability to lay eggs.

I repeat, if you kept any "other" animal in such conditions that it could not physically reproduce, you would be arrested.

If you want to make it personal, or about the people, Why do you think so little of yourself that you cannot expect these animals to reach the minimum level of success. or think so little of the animals, they you again do not expect them to do what they do normally and naturally in all manner of natural conditions, from drought to floods. Sir, you think very little of these animals and yourself. Personally, if my animals do not reach the minimum levels of health it takes to reproduce, ITS MY FAULT, I did it, I am to blame.

Lastly there is NO excuse, none what so ever. You are on the internet and the information to keep and breed varanids is and has been written on the internet for several decades. Yet, your outlook and expectations is exactly the same as when I obtained my first varanid over two decades ago. I bred them like crazy two decades ago, and I still do now. What is the matter with you. Again, when I say you, it means, those that refuse to look at the overall picture and are only/mainly concerned with how keeping reflects on them.

On a side note, I have no problem getting someones healthy fat monitor and getting eggs out of it. But its not so easy to get eggs out of a chronically skinny monitor.

Another lastly, so from my perspective, a keeper who has seen lots and lots of success(lots of work). I see what your doing as misleading and wrong. What you do is not important. Your welcome to have undermetabolized, underfed monitors(my assumption from your words and methods) but its not alright that you think you have to teach others to do the same. Good luck, I hope you learn

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