Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I dug this clutch up today. Its from our old cross, its her 50th clutch. Yes, That is something I am very proud of. To support a monitor thru 50 clutches.

This clutch was 16 eggs, 11 fertile. Her record is 18, shes done that several times. But to have 16 on her 50th clutch, amazing. For those who do not know what an infertile egg looks like. this pick is good example. The ones on the lid, are infertile.

Then she also took a bath, like I discribed with the lacie a few days ago.

Yea, shes a little beat, but wouldn't you be after your 50th?

Heres some of her babies.

Again, husbandry is about support. Support is something thats judged on a daily basis. Its about doing something to support, not thinking something. Sorry for the tag. FR

What exactly does support intail? Is it feeding abit heavier, raising or lowering temps? What?

I'm also curious as to whether or not your breeders are all captive bred animals and if not did/do you treat the ones that aren't for parisites right off or only when and if a problem/symptom presents itself?

Also, have you had that female that just laid her 50th since she was a hatchling? Either way you have done a remarkable job with her and if you keep doing what you have...sh!t she may lay another 50. Excellent work, you must be quite proud. Keep it up!

Cheers and bottoms uo to ya!
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0.0.1 Varanus Salvator (Gator)
0.1.3 Varanus Exanthematicus (Adisa "long term captive" other 3 "yet to be named hatchlings"
2.0 Ferrets (Chaos & Kasha)
1.0 Cat (George)

Hi Monitorman,

Support really has little to do with feeding, as odd as that may seem(Check JC's posts below).

Support is feeding when its needed, and having the right choices at the right time(ask Rope). Support is removing cagemates if needed and in a timely fashion, support is, understanding nesting and keeping it in the proper heat and humidity range(bloody pain in the booty) Support is getting rid of the obsolete and doing(building) whats needed. Support is keeping the monitor fresh. That is, if it gets tired of its cage(and boy they do) give it a new cage or redo the one it has. Support is doing that year after year, after year.

I have no idea if its a record for others, But, its a record for us. And thats good enough for me. I have had other amazing females. My old bag female V.gouldi, laid 20 clutches in two years, but has leveled off to one or two a year. I bought her as an old adult. Also a V.kingorum, had 14 clutches in one year. Of course they are like a gecko, lots of small clutches.(2-6 eggs)

I feel the doing is so important because of my own experiences, my own failures are not from not knowing, its more from not doing. Or simply putting something off. The basics are sooooooo simple. Just keeping at it is hard.

About WC's, I learned way before I got into monitors, that they are great gene donors, but not great captives. So I tend to get eggs and babies from them then get rid of them. Raise up the babies and go from there. Althought, that once bit me in the bum. I bred a pair of whitelipped pythons(the adults were fairly nice) kept some babies and they were devils, total devils, hahahahahahahahahaha. I have had horrible experiences with monitors that have been wormed, I do better without intervention. Thanks FR

Thanks for the info but im curious as how you know when their no longer happy with their enclosures? Being unhappy with nesting sites seems simple, when they no longer find it usable and start dumping, holding too long or absorbing then trying other things would be logical. But the cage change signs seems like they'd be a bit more difficult to tell. Could you discuss that further?
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0.0.1 Varanus Salvator (Gator)
0.1.3 Varanus Exanthematicus (Adisa "long term captive" other 3 "yet to be named hatchlings"
2.0 Ferrets (Chaos & Kasha)
1.0 Cat (George)

Hmmmmmmmm, thats the easy part and the hard part. Lets start with, all monitors have a sequence of behaviors and events. From hatching to old adult and all the normal things in the middle. My job is to progress them thru the events. Once you have done that a few times, you know what to expect. If anything is out of the sequence, then that requires attention.

Thats why I recomend keepers who are serious about breeding monitors to start with ackies. They will pull you thru events in order. Then when you see that, you can apply that to other monitors. All monitors go thru the same events in the same order. They start as a hatching, then subadult, then adult, then post-reproductive. Each of these has stages within them.

The problem with WC's is they do not have their events in order. Its all screwed up. You as a keeper, are required to realign them and get them progressing in proper order.

For instance, you have a single water, i believe. At some future date, you may introduce a potential mate. When you do, you have no idea a what stage they are at. Or are they at the same stage. You can see almost anything, males breeding males, females breeding males, anyone killing anyone. One may want to pick a mate and breed, but the other may still want out(a ticket back to indo)

I hope that sounds confusing, cause it is. But if you started with babies and kept them together since they were young. By the time they are adults, you have already worked out the getting along part. Which is the start of the next step in the sequence. Adults not getting along is not a pretty sight.

I feel its very very important to socialize the monitors. That is, have them know how to get along with eachother. I could careless if they do or do not in nature, they need to here, or we have hamburger in our cages. We have to have them get along because they are in cages.(the part somebody does not get) Funny part is, they are prone to get along, Its not like asking them something they do not want to do. Once monitors pair up, its heartbreaking to take them apart. For instance, when Georges mate died, he was depressed for months and has never returned to his former self.

I will ask you, what has a better chance of producing offspring, monitors that get along, or ones that do not? Thats easy huh? Sorry I rant.

Experience teachs you what to look for, for me, its in the eyes, monitors express thru their eyes. I believe I said that, in those interviews. If monitors do not have fire in their eyes, then they are not monitors. Maybe Sam would agree with me on that. IF they lose the fire, somethings wrong. Enough for now, back to work with the monitors, FR

>>Hmmmmmmmm, thats the easy part and the hard part. Lets start with, all monitors have a sequence of behaviors and events. From hatching to old adult and all the normal things in the middle. My job is to progress them thru the events. Once you have done that a few times, you know what to expect. If anything is out of the sequence, then that requires attention.
>>
>> Thats why I recomend keepers who are serious about breeding monitors to start with ackies. They will pull you thru events in order. Then when you see that, you can apply that to other monitors. All monitors go thru the same events in the same order. They start as a hatching, then subadult, then adult, then post-reproductive. Each of these has stages within them.
>>
>> The problem with WC's is they do not have their events in order. Its all screwed up. You as a keeper, are required to realign them and get them progressing in proper order.
>>
>> For instance, you have a single water, i believe. At some future date, you may introduce a potential mate. When you do, you have no idea a what stage they are at. Or are they at the same stage. You can see almost anything, males breeding males, females breeding males, anyone killing anyone. One may want to pick a mate and breed, but the other may still want out(a ticket back to indo)
>>
>> I hope that sounds confusing, cause it is. But if you started with babies and kept them together since they were young. By the time they are adults, you have already worked out the getting along part. Which is the start of the next step in the sequence. Adults not getting along is not a pretty sight.
>>
>> I feel its very very important to socialize the monitors. That is, have them know how to get along with eachother. I could careless if they do or do not in nature, they need to here, or we have hamburger in our cages. We have to have them get along because they are in cages.(the part somebody does not get) Funny part is, they are prone to get along, Its not like asking them something they do not want to do. Once monitors pair up, its heartbreaking to take them apart. For instance, when Georges mate died, he was depressed for months and has never returned to his former self.
>>
>> I will ask you, what has a better chance of producing offspring, monitors that get along, or ones that do not? Thats easy huh? Sorry I rant.
>>
>> Experience teachs you what to look for, for me, its in the eyes,

>>>>Hmmmmmmmm, thats the easy part and the hard part. Lets start with, all monitors have a sequence of behaviors and events. From hatching to old adult and all the normal things in the middle. My job is to progress them thru the events. Once you have done that a few times, you know what to expect. If anything is out of the sequence, then that requires attention.
>>>>
>>>> Thats why I recomend keepers who are serious about breeding monitors to start with ackies. They will pull you thru events in order. Then when you see that, you can apply that to other monitors. All monitors go thru the same events in the same order. They start as a hatching, then subadult, then adult, then post-reproductive. Each of these has stages within them.
>>>>
>>>> The problem with WC's is they do not have their events in order. Its all screwed up. You as a keeper, are required to realign them and get them progressing in proper order.
>>>>
>>>> For instance, you have a single water, i believe. At some future date, you may introduce a potential mate. When you do, you have no idea a what stage they are at. Or are they at the same stage. You can see almost anything, males breeding males, females breeding males, anyone killing anyone. One may want to pick a mate and breed, but the other may still want out(a ticket back to indo)
>>>>
>>>> I hope that sounds confusing, cause it is. But if you started with babies and kept them together since they were young. By the time they are adults, you have already worked out the getting along part. Which is the start of the next step in the sequence. Adults not getting along is not a pretty sight.
>>>>
>>>> I feel its very very important to socialize the monitors. That is, have them know how to get along with eachother. I could careless if they do or do not in nature, they need to here, or we have hamburger in our cages. We have to have them get along because they are in cages.(the part somebody does not get) Funny part is, they are prone to get along, Its not like asking them something they do not want to do. Once monitors pair up, its heartbreaking to take them apart. For instance, when Georges mate died, he was depressed for months and has never returned to his former self.
>>>>
>>>> I will ask you, what has a better chance of producing offspring, monitors that get along, or ones that do not? Thats easy huh? Sorry I rant.
>>>>
>>>> Experience teachs you what to look for, for me, its in the eyes,
-----
0.0.1 Varanus Salvator (Gator)
0.1.3 Varanus Exanthematicus (Adisa "long term captive" other 3 "yet to be named hatchlings"
2.0 Ferrets (Chaos & Kasha)
1.0 Cat (George)

>>Hi Monitorman,
>>
>> Support really has little to do with feeding, as odd as that may seem(Check JC's posts below).
>>
>> Support is feeding when its needed, and having the right choices at the right time(ask Rope). Support is removing cagemates if needed and in a timely fashion, support is, understanding nesting and keeping it in the proper heat and humidity range(bloody pain in the booty) Support is getting rid of the obsolete and doing(building) whats needed. Support is keeping the monitor fresh. That is, if it gets tired of its cage(and boy they do) give it a new cage or redo the one it has. Support is doing that year after year, after year.
>>
>> I have no idea if its a record for others, But, its a record for us. And thats good enough for me. I have had other amazing females. My old bag female V.gouldi, laid 20 clutches in two years, but has leveled off to one or two a year. I bought her as an old adult. Also a V.kingorum, had 14 clutches in one year. Of course they are like a gecko, lots of small clutches.(2-6 eggs)
>>
>> I feel the doing is so important because of my own experiences, my own failures are not from not knowing, its more from not doing. Or simply putting something off. The basics are sooooooo simple. Just keeping at it is hard.
>>
>> About WC's, I learned way before I got into monitors, that they are great gene donors, but not great captives. So I tend to get eggs and babies from them then get rid of them. Raise up the babies and go from there. Althought, that once bit me in the bum. I bred a pair of whitelipped pythons(the adults were fairly nice) kept some babies and they were devils, total devils, hahahahahahahahahaha. I have had horrible experiences with monitors that have been wormed, I do better without intervention. Thanks FR