Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here are some new pics.

My pair has been together since late April of this year. I have not seen any mating. What gives? If I was confined in a box with a female, I'd be all over her.
But seriously, is it just a matter of time?
My husbandry should be adequate for them. I guess I am just anxious.
The dirt seems fine, they burrow and sleep inside of what they dig. The temps are good. Their diet is consistent and they are active.
I have seen some head bobbing and a few attempts by the male to hold onto the females legs. But that’s about it. What to you think?
Thanks
RoadSpawn

Your monitors look great and obviously healthy. So that looks to be in order.

The key to breeding monitors is have two sexes. I know that sounds funny but its very confusing with monitors.

In order to make heads or tails out of what they do, you must be positive about what sex they are, or you will forever become confused.

The next step is to have two functioning sexes. This is harder to tell. With this, you can tell when reproduction fails. As in infertile eggs or a non producing female. Remember you need to know its a female.

For me, some individual monitors produce in the winter, some in the summer, and some produce thru all the seasons, non-stop. Until you gone thru several seasons, you cannot tell what yours are going to do yet. So keep them in good health(as they appear to be) and keep going.

Even when they form a pattern, these patterns have always changed thru the years.

Also, you commented on having good soil. That is unknown to you as of yet. As monitors will burrow in any type of dirt, but they will not nest in any type of dirt or substrate.

The two main points are proper sexes and timing. That is closely followed by suitable substrate.

You can scroll down and read several current posts where the poster states, my male does this, and the female does that. Then its followed by, If its a male or If its a female. Make it clear, you sould not think of them as a certain sex, until you know they are that sex. There are many ways to know. And sometimes it takes all those ways to be sure.

The same for dirt, many people claim their dirt is good because it holds a burrow or the monitors dig in it. Neither of these have much to do with the substrate being a good nesting material. To think of it as good, is only when you have recieved many clutches and there is little impact of hard nesting on the female. Most female monitors will nest in really bad substrate. You will recieve a range of success from this. When they refuse to nest, its worse then really bad, it means its totally unsuitable. Cheers

Can you tell if I do indeed have a pair from the pics? I was told the "would be" female laid a clutch. I trust the source but you never know.
RoadSpawn

From the pics, it could very well be a pair. The female looks female, the male looks male, except I cannot see his spurs, that would add another clue.

But the problem is, I said could be. It also could be one of those he/she males, that appears male, but is not sure, yet.

I tend to wonder when someone offers pairs. If its a working pair, what you seem to want, they would also be offering lots of babies. Or they are excessing an old pair. I would rather start with babies. You can get them mature and laying within six or seven months of age. And its under your control. Then babies have a full reproductive life ahead of them. Cheers and good luck

I'll keep my fingers crossed. The male was given to me. I then looked for a female and found her from a reliable source. So as far as I can tell, they should be a pair but time will tell. Thanks
RoadSpawn