Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Any ideas on the best way to go about this? I want to have one in with the savs just in case, I am thinking about putting like 3 feet of topsoil / sand mix in one corner of the enclosure and keeping it pretty humid. Would that suffice?
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1.1 Savannah Monitors (Annah & Terrance)
1.1 Nile Monitor (Lyle)
1.0 Timor Monitor (Timmmmaaayy)
1.0 Blood Python (Kevin)
1.0 Ball Python (Martin)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Bella)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Peter & Jack)
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Hector)
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas (Wayne & Maude)
1.0 Dwarf Gecko (Little Girl)
1.0 Curly Hair Tarantula (Pube)
1.0 OBT Usumbara Orange Baboon Tarantula (Sin)
1.0 Emperor Scorpion (Ashoka)
2.0 D. auratus (Poison Dart Frogs)
1.0 Peacock Bass (Gary)

How were you planning on containing the substrate? some sort of retaining wall, or a large tub type thing?
Also, 3' sounds like it might be hard to keep the temps and humidity. Do they need it that deep, or would 2' be easier to regulate? Bennett/Ravi's Sav book says the average depth of Sav burrows found was more like 12", the range being 4"-43".
I hope someone will shed some light on this for you and all of us newbs!)

Back when I was breeding argus monitors, and before I discovered the wonders of dirt, I used a rubbermaid tote box with a hole cut in the side big enough for the egg-laden female argus to enter. I filled the box with dampened moss. She layed her eggs in it and they often hatched, so I guess it worked. I expect a box of deep dirt would work as well, if kept slightly damp, but can't say for sure.

Good luck!

Luke

When my argus female laid her first clutches she laid in the deep dirt substrate. After digging the entire enclosure up a few times I decided to put a nest box in the enclosure to give her more options and to make it easier on me when I dig up the eggs. The temperature in this nest box was warmer than in the substrate since it was next to the lights on top of the dirt. She laid 13 beautiful eggs in there which should start pipping soon. I just used moist sand in the rubbermade with a slightly buried piece of plywood covering half the top to give her something to dig under.
Here she is on the nest box.

The eggs

I incorporated an external nest box in their new enclosure. I have heat tape connected to a thermostat under a rubermade container in an insulated wood box. I have not had a chance to try it since the argus will be in the old enclosure until she lays again which should be this month.

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Ed

drzrider...those argus look great!