Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i got a red ackie about 2 weeks ago and it seems to be doin great. he's eating well, and pretty active but i have a question. it seems like he's trying to get out of his cage a lot. he's always trying to climg up the glass wall. is this normal? i want to get a climbing branch for him because his cage is kinda bland and i think he gets bored with it. there's only 2 stacks under the basking site, a water bowl in the middle, and one stack on the cool side. how do you guys have your ackies set up? any pics?
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-Marshall
1.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 red ackie

is this such a stupid question that it doesnt need an answer?
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-Marshall
1.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 red ackie

Looks like you stole my idea from a few posts down.
Anyway, about your ackies....I don't personally have an ackie, but hes probably climbing on the glass front because he wants to get out. This could be because he is either not in a large enough cage or because he's not happy with the conditions. You should definately get some branches and give him some places to hide and explore. Be creative! Have fun...you really don't need to see everyone else's ideas to make a cage he will be happy in.

Its not about you or a stupid question, but about others and they don't have an answer.

The problem is, most questions asked on these forums do not have an answer. So people make up answers and then use some made up theory(this includes academics)

The truth is, you have the animal in question and only you can find the solution. Yes, theres no answers, only solutions and there are lots of those.

Most likely, its because your monitor does not like what your offering and is looking for something more suitable. Generally, this is about hiding places.

The first thing all monitors look for, and this includes all wild and all captive monitors, is a suitable place to sleep/hide. If they cannot find that, they keep moving until they do. When they do find a suitable place, they then look for food/water, and other necessities. Around that shelter.

Consider, a place to hide/sleep, must have the right temps, the right humidities, and give the monitor a feeling of safty. The monitor cannot feel like a predator can get at it.

Then consider, once a individual monitor finds a home, that becomes the center of their lifes. Everything they do revolves around that. So yes, its most likely trying to get out to find a better home. Of course, it could be looking for more food, you may not be feeding enough. These two are the most common causes for what you discribe.

About the solution, only you can figure it out. Try feeding more and see if your monitor stops trying to escape. Try thinking like a monitor and giving it a more secure home with suitable temps and humidity.

Yes I know, you gave it retes boards. hahahahahaha, Truly, that means nothing. Retes boards can be used wrong and not provide whats needed. For instance, if the gaps(cracks) are too large, they do not provide shelter from drying out or give a feeling of security.

Lets see a bad analogy. Lets put you in a fenced in back yard. A large mean dog is in there with you. Its trying to bite you, its growling and barking and showing its teeth. You have no place to hide. And the dog has a leash, but its really thin and starting to wear out. HOW DO YOU FEEL?

Add to that, its cold and hot out there, and it rained(to wet) then it got really hot(no shade)HOW DO YOU FEEL?

I think you will try to get out, YES?

Now, the back yard has a house attached. Wouldn't you feel better if you could go into the house? lock the door(in a burrow, and cover the entrance) or even go in your bedroom in the house. Or even lock yourself in the closet if the dog gets in the house. How does your monitor feel? your the dog. Cheers

thanks guys, well i ordered a climbing branh yesterday and im off to go fix his cage. right now he seems to be okay though. hes sleeping under the board on the cool side. i know i give him enough food because i put 5-6 in there and he only eats about 3 of them. they're big crickets though so im not worried that hes not getting enough food.

does anyone have any pics of how they have their ackies set-up? id like to see a shot of the whole cage.
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-Marshall
1.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 red ackie

First, you do not know the solution, do you? Also you already knew how many crickets you offer. So why is there a problem.

You may want to not make answers, but keep in mind the possible solutions I mentioned. You think your monitor has enough to eat. How do you know? what if it wants something other then crickets, or different sized crickets. I do find, they will at times refuse or only eat lightly one size cricket. Then I switch to another size and they eat them like a pig. Still crickets, just different sizes. This can go for other food items as well. So just because you think you offer enough, you may not be. It could still be hunger that is forcing your monitor to try to escape.

It still could be improper hiding and temps.

You do not need to see others setups. You only need to do something and see how it works. And why do you have to order a climbing branch, are there no branches were you live? or other things for the ackie to climb on. Or burrow under? etc.

The fun of keeping IS seeing how your pet reacts to different things. As long as you make it so the monitor cannot get squashed, you should be fine. What bad can happen? It won't use what you offer.

Sometimes the solution for restless individuals is as simple as moving it to another cage(I do this all the time) even if the cage is exactly like the first one. The monitor can and do treat the cage differently.

Consider, you are not stuff with anything, you can do whatever you want. Thats the benefit of getting a captive hatched monitor. They do not have hidden problems. Cheers

well, i didnt mean i was going to go fix his cage, more like i was going to change it around. i slanted a halflog into the dirt and he seems to like it. he's made a burrow in it and he slept all this morning. i also slanted the retes stacks to where he can squeeze himself as tight as he wants to into them. he seems alright now. he's eating, and hasnt tried to escape at all today. ill see what happens.

im not trying to mimic what everyone else does with their ackies, i just want to get some ideas from what they do and see what works for them.

im just trying to gain some knowledge so my ackie is happier and thriving which i feel is my responsibilty with any pet.
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-Marshall
1.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 red ackie

But you did something, now you want and see if it works. Thats exactly how its done. To do that, you do not need to see others.

There is nothing wrong with seeing what others are doing. But surely its not that complicated that you cannot come up with your own solution.

Also, others tend to add to much to the mix. It takes time to figure it out. A little move, and wait, a little more and wait. Over the internet, you can get 100 ideas and opinions. Then what do you do. This wave of ideas is particularly hard on beginers. Stick with a few basic things, work on them, take your time.

You know my feeling. Many people fail be doing to much. Not to little. They don't stick with something long enough to see if it really works.

Heres the deal, people can say anything and everything, it could be right or wrong or useless on very useful. The question is, as a newbie, how do you know which is which? Cheers

>>But you did something, now you want and see if it works. Thats exactly how its done. To do that, you do not need to see others.

well, i think what i did worked. he hasnt tried to escape today and he's mostly been basking all afternoon, and coming off the top board to explore a little bit. he's only eaten two crickets but i dont think he's hungry because, like i said, he hasnt tried to escape to look for different crickets. im going to offer im some smaller crickets tomorrow and see what he does.
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-Marshall
1.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 red ackie

If there is anything that needs to be understood its this.

You fixed the problem(lets say you did) Do not ever take any solution as permanent. As they are not. As your monitor grows, its changes, it outgrows what was once suitable. Its behavior changes(matures) and it will indeed require different things. Both physically and mentally.

This lesson is very hard to understand and apply. Even these giant brained academics cannot seem to figure this out. All animals change. They change from very short periods, to very long periods.

As keepers, we control everything. We must understand and adapt to these changes. Remember, you control everything in your monitors life.

For instance, they out grow the cage, we all understand that, but they also outgrow their hiding areas, dirt depth, water bowls, food schedules, etc.

In biology(ethology=behavior) its understood that all animals grow and change. Yet the academics forget(do not apply this) As just a local lizard breeder, I understand, you must grow with your charges(pets) They change, so you must change.

The problem with keepers is, they seem to want to be right. Unfortunately, keeping animals is always a momentary right. And unfortunately, a permanent wrong(if it dies). You can be right today and wrong tomorrow. That is exactly what happens on a day to day basis. You are never right for long.

Again, Academics like to make rules, they like their rules to be right. The reason they shy away from living animals is, their rules fail. The rules may work today(happy academics) but fail tomorrow(bad bad animals do not go by their rules). They then tend to blame the animals, or make more rules. Its not really the academics fault, they are taught to do that.

But your young and can still learn. Keeping animals is always making decisions every stinking day, day after day. If the animals outgrow or change their mind(they do that) You must change too, if you have rules, then your done. FORGET ABOUT IT. hahahahahahahahaha.

I know patterns, I try to follow a pattern that has worked. But very very often I must change that pattern. If I get bullheaded, I will fail. Which means, the monitors failed, if they fail, its ALWAYS my fault.

I am wrong a lot. I could never be an academic, I am wrong to much. But then, as am also a million times more successful then academics at keeping monitors. Hmmmmmmmmmm that is until they learn its not about right or wrong. Its about adapting to the subject. THE MONITORS.

Sorry for going on a mini rant. But its an important lesson to learn. In a month or two, you may have to re-arrange the cage again, if you are successful and your monitor grows like the wind(they do that). I am only using academics as an example, as they are keen on making and following rules. I guess I was always a rebel at heart, I read the rules, but I always keep an eye on things outside the rules. They may actually be the real right. Cheers

wow, thanks Frank, for this lesson. its only been 2 days but my ackie has gotten WAY better, i can already see the difference. he's eating more, he doesnt try to escape, and he seems way less stressed. no need to apologize for typing such a lon reply. that was some very helpfull reading and i appreciate it. you definitely know your monitors and i look forward to learning more from you.

he's going into his first shed with me in his care s i guess we'll see how that goes. its so fun to keep these little guys!
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-Marshall
1.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 red ackie