Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

Here is three of my group of four kims. They bask on a pile like this routinely and will constantly change positions in order to better thermoregulate. They pile on even when there is another beam of light directly to the left. They really prefer to be in the same spot.

The breeding male was on top when this photo was taken. A non-breeding male was nuzzling and arm wrapping the gravid female on the bottom. After the photo was taken, she wiggled out and got on top of the pile. I don't believe this is really dominance related, as they all take turns on top.

What is interesting is that the breeding male has no problem with the other male being in close contact with the female, but as soon as the 3rd male (on the next level down in the Retes stack) gets near her, all hell breaks loose. This has occured since her cycle began (a week ago). The breeding male gave the male that is out of sight an a$$ wuppin' yesterday but they have been amicable since. I have another trough set up if things continue to get ugly, but I'd like to see if they can work it out.

I'm not drawing any conclusions here, just noting some observations. Thanks for looking.

Will

Another shot that I took a couple of weeks ago, but that I didn't get a chance to explain. This is the female on top of her mate looking all dominant...until he wiggles out and gets on top They do this all day, everyday. They began breeding a few days later, on and off for about three days. Thanks.

Will

you honestly think any "social" behaviour is going on there?

i would say they're all basking together because 3 monitors have to share a basking spot thats not even suitable for one. they probably alternate getting on top of eachother because they need to get to the heat!!
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-Marshall
1.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 red ackie

They have the potential to be violent as told in his story... as well as "They pile on even when there is another beam of light directly to the left. "

Yet they choose to get along and take turns... Maybe you're just interpreting it too narrowly.

i would like to know what the temperature differences are with the two basking spot.
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-Marshall
1.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 red ackie

They are both 30 watt floods that get to about 135F on the top level. the temperatures go down from there as they go to lower levels, all of which the monitors use all day long. Sorry if the picture doesn't adequately reflect their heating options. Do you honestly think that they would have grown at this rate and produced eggs..and bred again at eight months of age if they didn't have adequate basking areas?

As so often happens on this forum, you see a tiny slice of whats going on...a picture and a caption, yet you feel as if you have the wherewithal to critique the post based on such limited info. Get over yourself.

Will

and all, But Marshall, has one ackie all by itself, how would he understand anything Will posted? Hes only going by what hes told or has read. Which surely superceeds reality.

What Will is showing is common and I experience those types of behaviors all the time. Of particular interest is the male to male interaction.

When I first started, we kept a group of yellow ackies in an outside cage that is 20 by 20 and 10 feet high. There were many backing areas and trees and deep dirt over the entire floor. Yet the ackies hung out in the same area.

In this group there was a dominate male. Yet he was only partically dominate. As he would run off other males and breed the females. Except, he had a habit of sleeping late and the other males would get up early and breed the females before he emerged.

Then a funny thing happened, I placed a young male in the cage, his son. And much to my surprise, the older male did not run his son off. He always ran of other males, but not this one. To a point of, one day, the younger male was breeding with the old male right next to him.

Again, while this may not be social, it expresses a distint ability to have different behavioral relationships, with other individuals, both male and female. And that ability does suggest a possibility of being social.

over the years, these relationships are commonplace to a point of seeming normal. Even with members of another species. Cheers

Re-read the post. There is another basking spot immediately to the left. If you look at the photo you can see the beam of light. Take it easy dude, what's with the hostility?

Will

Yeah, that's a rough reply...ouch! It may not be just the temperature that determines why they crowd that bask and "pile on". There are other factors to consider. What can they see from one vs. the other? How close is the nearest hide if a predator comes too close or a theoretical bird flies overhead? It may not be just the heat that they feel on their backs.

Do they bask on both basking areas and alternate between the two beams or do they favor one beem all the time?

I think if they alternate between the two beams, it could be that they choose to be with each other (social). They could be more social than you give them credit for.

Or if they just use one beam of light all the time and never use the other, they could be together for just those choices Who knows, they could just have a favorite spot... maybe not.

Sean