Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We were having a discussion about natural materials vs. artificial materials. Towards the end I mentioned after all these years and lots of clutches, I understand you can breed monitors in trashcans.

Well that statement can be taken in many ways. From, disparaging to being normal. Truthfully, a large trashcan, can be made into a very nice enclosure with some modifications.

But re-reading that post got me laughing, it struck a funny bone. Thinking about it, many of us normally modify and breed monitors in cages that are essentially trashcans. That would be cattle troughs. They are indentical in construction to a trashcan. Except shorter, retangular in shape and don't come with a lid. hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Cheers

Frank,
You crack me up man,First time we discussed enclosures(artificial or otherwise) you said "all that matters is results",but in the thread below you say "don't come to me with results,get over it".Hahahahahaha funny stuff.
I think where you are getting tripped up is your line of thinking= artificial vs natural.I have never advocated artificial over natural I just think that they both have something to offer captive monitors,I don't feel black and white about it,I simply don't discount the use of artificial props in the same way you do.I have had different experiences than you, not better or worse,just different.
The really funny thing (to me) is that CAPTIVITY is ARTIFICIAL, so using artificial props sorta goes hand in hand with captivity,or is keeping a monitor in one of your cages "natural"?
I appreciate your take on all of this Frank,I think you make valid points,monitors need usable cage furiture not something that looks cool or satisfies a keepers artistic vision.
I believe that both can be acheived( function/aesthetics) it just takes work.
I don't know if it is my "task" to explain my approach,I just stick with what works for me.
Wish I had more time to elaborate.
Cheers,
Ben

Ben please use your head, you can take any answer and put it out of context and it becomes meaningless.

Yes, in the context of meeting basic husbandry, having monitors do what they do naturally is of course a prequisite. But in the context on artificial vs. natural, that sir is another context altogether. You do understand, I can produce monitors easily without a branch or limb or rock. So sir, its not needed. But it can by of benefit to both the keeper and the kept. Like the enclosure recently posted with pvc pipe and shade screen. IT will indeed work. So will artificial, so will natural. But that is not my concern, to work. I like attempting to give them what they recognize. For instance, my lacie nesting in a real hollow log, then peeling the inside of the log off with her claws and covering the eggs with monitor made sawdust. how cool is that? Ain't gonna do that with a artificial log.

As a exhibit manifacturer, I know darn well what chemicals those materials give off. Put very simply, I am sure they are not a pleasent smell, not to humans, muchless something like a monitor that has many many times the ability to smell.

I do not know what your problem is other then your trying to sell that stuff and I wish you well. But I choose to use real materials. On this scale. You do understand the scale we are talking about? We are not talking about a giant jungle exhibit. Sure that requires artifical decorations. But normal sized cages, common, its cheaper and easier and better to use real. Cheers

I suppose I am not so simple as to think one answer fits all. I also suppose I am not confined to keep the same answer year after year. I suppose I do learn and change. I suppose that may confuse you. Thanks and good luck

I love trashcans

To raise young monitors or to keep other smaller reptiles they are just as good if not better then commercial cages, the fun part is they coast me $10 fully equip.

Thats an interesting pic. I have seen that setup before and I wonder if there is a common thread. Is that part of what that fella that died, Mr. Huff, had for a setup.

I knew of him and some of the things he did, but I did not know him. A friend and his canadian friend did. They were from our northwest. One setup a cricket breeding business in that exact same way. Using plastic chemical barrels, on their sides, mounted in racks. Yes, cats can be skinned in many ways. Cheers

I knew Tomas well but didn’t see him use these drums; however I wouldn’t be surprise if he did (such a resourceful man)
Also I use drums that contained liquid sugar solution (diabetes) for hospitals, once I used a barrel that contained soap destined for car wash, though IV washed it many times it killed 2 baby jobiensis. I imagine some of these barrels can be very toxic; those from vegetable oil, wine, dish soap, and medical supply are quit safe.

rgds

I remember parts of one very well. He was giving a talk on Island boas. Some one asked if he did something to cycle them to get them to breed. He looked around the room and thought for awhile(i think I know what he was thinking, more later) Then he said. I place them in a snake bag, place them in the back of my car and drive around. When I get home they are breeding.

Many people thought that crazy, but as you can imagine, I loved it. Althought it took me a few years to figure out why it worked.

About what he was thinking. My guess was, he was weighting whether he should say that or not. You know, because people would think him crazy. But he said it, because its what happened.

Which is much like many of the things I have said. I said them, because they happened. I really do not need to know the exact why. hahahahahahahahahaha

You were lucky to know him. The only problem I had with him was, here in the states, he partnered up with a fella that in my opinion, had no feel for reptiles at all. I attended one of his talks, this other fella, and he was saying this and that, then showed him trying to feed a blackheaded python. He kepted it in a small glass tank. Way to small. And only had newspaper a water bowl and a hide something or another. Well, he said to get this species to feed, you beat the snake in the head with a rat. and he showed that. I left. Of course, I thought of a few choice words for him. Cheers

I have nothing but respect for him, however I disagreed more with him then I ever did with you, I guess humans aren’t perfect.

I remember that story about the pick-up ride on a bumpy dirt road, I also remember how dominant he was with his bangal monitors, I use to think this to be rude, but now I understand his logic even though I don’t do this with my animals.

Yes I feel lucky to have known him as I do with many other old timers.
rgds