Reptile & Amphibian Forums

maybe i should keep my glaeurti separate? ackies too?

or maybe they cohabitate well and learn to "need" eachother?

i will go with the latter for now.

andrew

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VARANUS CREATIONS

Breeders and Hobbyists of Pilbara Rock Monitors, Kimberly Rock Monitors, Red Ackies, Argus, Argus x Flavi crosses, Gouldi x Flavi crosses, Argus x Gouldi x Flavi crosses, Jungle Carpet Pythons, Bredl's Pythons, Dunn's Pythons, Western Hognose Snakes, South American Boas, Atheris Squamiger, Leopard Geckos and rare Spiders.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here. In both the photo of the ackies and the photo of the glauerti they appear to 'like' the basking spot.

If I go to my favourite spot on the beach every day and my neighbour Joe Blow goes to his favourite spot at the same beach every day, do we 'like' each other or do we 'like' the beach?

my camera is not here right now, but oh well, i don't feel a huge need to prove anything with pics.

but my pilbara pair is laying on top of eachothr right now in the coolest part of the cage under a hide.

why is that dk?

andrew
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VARANUS CREATIONS

Breeders and Hobbyists of Pilbara Rock Monitors, Kimberly Rock Monitors, Red Ackies, Argus, Argus x Flavi crosses, Gouldi x Flavi crosses, Argus x Gouldi x Flavi crosses, Jungle Carpet Pythons, Bredl's Pythons, Dunn's Pythons, Western Hognose Snakes, South American Boas, Atheris Squamiger, Leopard Geckos and rare Spiders.

on really hot days at the beach I like to take shelter under a nearby awning to avoid overheating. My neighbour, Joe Blow, who is also human and around my size, also feels the need to avoid overheating and is often under the same awning. Fortunately, we get along.

Perhaps if there were a dozen similar awnings Joe and I would share the same awning some days, but not others.

What I should be asking you, Andrew, is what YOU think them sharing a basking site says.

Hey you big loser. You dont know anything about monitors. All youve gotten is 2 clutches! You newbie!

hahahahaha! Hey, thanks for FINALLY responding to that e-mail. I figured I would wait a day or so before i wrote back... I mean, you only made me wait a MONTH!

okay, so they just follow each other around all the time because? i just don't buy that it is because they have the same need at the same time.

i am just basing this on what i see on a regular basis though.

andrew
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VARANUS CREATIONS

Breeders and Hobbyists of Pilbara Rock Monitors, Kimberly Rock Monitors, Red Ackies, Argus, Argus x Flavi crosses, Gouldi x Flavi crosses, Argus x Gouldi x Flavi crosses, Jungle Carpet Pythons, Bredl's Pythons, Dunn's Pythons, Western Hognose Snakes, South American Boas, Atheris Squamiger, Leopard Geckos and rare Spiders.

I'm not trying to invalidate what you see on a regular basis, for all observations are valid observations.

All I'm inferring is that what you are seeing on a regular basis is the behaviours of monitors living in a box and that those behaviours can't be extrapolated to other monitors living outside that box.

I think your analogy is a little off. You're implying that monitors are not social and only occupy the same area because they like/need it by comparing them to humans, who are social, liking the same spot on the beach or utilizing another spot to get out of the rain.
That being said, I also don't think that any animal group's social structure can really be proven by what they do in captivity, because their choices are limited. Just because monitors have proven they can tolerate and thrive in a social setting in captivity does not make them "social" creatures in my opinion. If they were found in wild family groups on a consistent basis, well, that would be a different story altogether.

that's why I used the example of 'joe blow, my neighbour' rather than 'my good friend Leeanne', implying that Joe and I might be familiar with each other and get along, but the main reason we are on the same beach is our love of sun rather than each other's company, ditto our need for shelter under the awning.

However, that's irrelevant and your second point is what I've been getting at. If monitors were commonly found in social groups in the wild, we'd have something.