Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm planning on purchasing a 1.1 pair of yellow ackies this week, and the female is possibly gravid. I would also later be introducing the male to two other females I've raised. I have experience breeding bearded dragons and have two hova-bators at home, but from what I've been told by everybody ackie eggs are much more difficult to incubate and require something better than a hova-bator. What type of incubator should I use for monitor eggs and if anybody can send me a link to a website which sells them that would be helpful. The only limitation is I can't have one of the refrigerator-sized incubators, just not enough room and not enough eggs to justify it. Any nesting box tips would be helpful too, as I would presumably end up with three laying females, I don't know whether they would need to be separated once gravid, given different nesting boxes, etc. I've kept them as pets successfully and enjoyed it but I have no experience breeding monitors so this is a new step. Thanks!

Evelyn

A couple things. Buying a gravid female, with monitors, is usually not a good thing. Monitors differ from snakes in that area. shipping and handling a gravid monitor has not proved to be a good thing.

Next, ackies are no harder to hatch then bearded eggs, with one exception, time. They take longer to incubate. They also do not take change well. At least quick change. This is where those little bubble incubators are inferior. Monitor eggs normally go thru a season change. U know, like summer to winter, winter to spring, etc. I would suggest something with mass.

Which probably has something to do with this. Beardeds lay eggs very close to the surface. Which means, they "must" have to have the ability to take temp and other changes(rain). Monitors normally lay deep inside something consistant, Like the ground, termite nests, large hollow limbs/trees, etc. They must do that for some reason. Cheers