First Daniel, you know I like and respect you and your work. Please for all to understand, its not about Daniel. He is doing the best he knows how.
But, there is a serious problem as I see it. And yes, I know I see things much differently. So Please take it for what it is, just something to think about.
When you do a study on a species, like your doing. You gather information and make all sort of assumptions and graphs and diagrams and such. You read them, and others read them and think this and that. You think its real and meaningful. The problem is, what does this information have to do with that species?
For instance your post is to correct the original poster because they were making weak assumptions based on previous poor assumptions. Theory based on theory and false assumptions, does not make good information. This is what your post is trying to correct.
Lets go on, Of course I have heard you say this and that about the importance of this species to that prey species, and visa versa. Which is always true even it they did not eat them. All species are important to other species, in a ecosystem.
The problem is, you have no base to work from. As with most other varanid studies I have read or seen. You and others work from what has been written, and use the animal to verify that work. Or so it seems. The problem is basic, its not about what was written, good bad, or indifferent. Its always about the species or individuals being studied, whether they agree with previous studies or understandings or not. Is not important, not to the animals or the REAL understanding of the animals.
The Key is to form a base to work from. Not from what was written about a species, but what HAS to occur for this animal to exsist.
1. This animal(Greys or any species) Must hatch from an egg. It must as far as we know, IS THAT TRUE?
A. have you seen eggs, or hatchlings, nests or associated evidence of this? how much?
2. These hatchlings must grow up to reach reproductive ability. Is this true?
A. what are the hatchlings feeding on to grow up? Have you seen this? how much?
B. are hatchlings abundant? they should be.
3. Once mature, females must copulate to produce offspring. Have you seen this? How much?
A. nests, nesting behavior. HYST?(have you seen this)
B. pairing to copulate, HYST?
C. or simply a fat female suddenly becoming skinny. HYST?
Its a biological fact, they must copulate. In captivity we KNOW, they are not a wam bam thank you mam, type of breeder. The males attend females for an extented period. Have you seen this? You know, a pair. or even males following females, mam do they do this commonly. This is not about the difinition of social, its simply a fact, varanid males attend females for 10 to over thirty days.
For the purpose of simplicity, I will leave it at a simple, 1, 2, 3. now understand, each of this catagories has many many subcatagories. These are what define the species. Not one simple part of a diet, fruit. This is why I am a bit negative about this type of study. You are stuck on fruit and not looking at the animal. What would happen if you took the fruit away? of course you think the animal will not exsist, but this animal understands a wide range of prey types. I would bet it would simply feed on something else. As that is what monitors do. (of course you will argue that)
I also understand from our previous conversations, that your study site is limited, and I am sure your right, but that has little to do with Greys monitors, it mainly has to do with you and may restrict your study.
This brings up lots of questions. For instance, in auffenburgs study, I remember reading he found Greys sheltering in rock crevices. Have you found where they shelter? The reason I ask is, wait, you know I am a reptile detective. I go in the field and figure out what a certain species is doing. I do very well at this. When doing this, such important things are where they perfer to shelter, is a dead give away as to what else they are doing. Its a place to start to look for more evidence. Why, monitors and a good percentage of all reptiles, shelter in holes, crevices, etc. not in the open like some other lizards, Chams, etc. It appears from what I asked you in the past, yours go up to the top of the trees. Are there holes up there? or are they sheltering on a branch? The reason I ask this is, Residents shelter in holes, transients shelter anywhere. The key here is, you need to be studying the residents, not the transients. Of course, this may not occur on your site, you may have nothing but transients. First you have to understand, there are transients and residents.
Which brings up many questions. Since you started, have you tracked single individuals throughout their lifes. What percentage of RE-observations do you see? or are you simply following different individual transient animals. Sir, this is very important when it comes to diet. Transients have a survival diet, and residents use a progressive diet. This should be clearly understood. Which again takes me full circle. What are your study animals doing? What have you seen to indicate they are doing anything more then exsisting. Remember, exsisting at minimum levels is what reptiles are expert at. But at some time or another they must change and progress in order to add to the eco system(recruit)
I hope I am somewhat clear with this post. Two things, you must find evidence of what the animals are doing. This will indicate, what the diet is supporting. In simple terms, I do not argue with your findings, your study animals are eating fruit, but what the heck are they doing with it. Its what they are doing on that diet thats important to your findings, ARE THEY EXSISTING or ARE THEY PROGRESSING. What is the fuel used for?
The question of eating friut is too darn simple, of course they are, how does that add or support their life, thats the question. Do you have evidence of this? Your friend Frank Retes
