Monitor Care Opinions wanted - Page 2

crocdoc · 04-27-04, 05:18 PM

my lacies will freeze on the spot at the sight of a large, soaring bird or an airplane/jet in the distance. They'll keep their head up watching it, but will not move a muscle until it is out of sight.

Small birds, on the other hand, evoke entirely different responses. Many of the small bird species here are instinctively inclined to swoop on monitors whenever they see one, even well outside the nesting season. When a single bird spots one of my monitors near a window, it will take up a position near the window and let out a distress call until other birds arrive, then they will take it in turns to swoop. My monitors always show a distinctive, instinctive ducking motion, even if they are some distance from the window (I've seen wild lacies do exactly the same motion when swooped upon). Pretty cool to see. Some of our native birds are particularly aggressive and will not hesitate to take out an eye if they can, so it's a handy instinct for the monitor.

One of the funniest (albeit painful) things I saw/experienced with one of my monitors concerned two birds. I had one of my monitors outside to catch some sun and he had noticed a pelican soaring overhead. Pelicans have the same wing profile as a large soaring bird, like an eagle. The monitor had frozen on the spot, with his neck raised, and was staring at the pelican with one eye. Suddenly, out of the blue, a little Indian mynah landed right next to the monitor. Not native, but have the instinct to scream at and swoop on monitors anyway (there are monitors where they come from, too). It had done neither, just landed, but the surprise caught the monitor offguard (especially as it was so tense while staring at the pelican) and it freaked out. It ran full speed up me, to the top of my head. I would have laughed if it hadn't hurt so much.

mbayless · 04-28-04, 01:12 AM

Hi Dk,

HAHAHAHAHA - that same scenario happened to Late Raymond Cowles with Varanus niloticus in south Africa in 1940's - it saw a bird and ran right up Dr. Cowles, clawing him as it went up his chest - fortunately for him it stopped there, not climbing over his face!

My bengal monitors used to get so excited when birds came to window to see what was inside the lizard room, they would jump at the windows, but one time a crow came cawing up the window, banged against it, but managed to perch while its dizzy spell wore off, cawing still, and my male bengal ran right up me to me chest until he realized he had climbing onto "that thing" that feeds me and smells like a mammal!! In utter surprise to both of us, I froze, but he jumped back into his open cage and under a log....later he got his courage back when he lunged at me with open mouth in unprovoked typical bengal monitor style....

funny but not fun,
markb

Steeve B · 04-28-04, 11:51 AM

Doc did he run to you for safety? Or you just happened to be on his path?
Rgds

mbayless · 04-28-04, 02:13 PM

Hi Steve!

How have you been? Long time no talk too - did you get my mail to you ok? All ok?

Best Regards Steve,
markb

crocdoc · 04-28-04, 08:19 PM

Hi Steeve,

As much as I'd like to be anthropomorphic and say he ran to me for safety, in all likelihood I was the nearest vertical surface and a familiar one at that.

Steeve B · 04-29-04, 08:03 AM

well at least we get them to run for us with food!! one of my female cycled mated and seems gravid? shes only about 40in TL, are you aware they can produce this small.

hello Mark no I havent got your mail yet, or maybe I did? I need to go to the post office. aim presently working on my moutain house no TV computer dont even know if we have a phone there?
will email you later cheers, tell john to get some darn leaches for cody.

reptiguy123 · 04-29-04, 11:26 AM

Was he fenced in outside or what? Do you let him run around the house without a leash?

crocdoc · 04-29-04, 06:17 PM

he was outside catching some sun under my supervision, no lead, no fence (at least, none that would stop him). A very calm animal, normally, wouldn't dare put any of my others outside like that.

Steeve B, what sort of SVL are we talking? Female lace monitors can reproduce at a smaller size than you might think. 40cm SVL (~16 inches), if not smaller, so if your female is 100 inches total she should be well within range.

Good luck with that! Not sure if my female is typical, but it's very very subtle to tell when she's gravid (she can look bigger when she's just cycling), even when carrying quite a few eggs. First clutch was even harder to tell, but her behaviours gave the game away.

Steeve B · 04-29-04, 10:03 PM

doc shes only 40 inches total, very far from 100 inches! This is why aim wondering if your aware of any breedings with such a small female? anyway I put her in a nesting cage, will see!

crocdoc · 04-30-04, 12:53 AM

haha, sorry, I meant 100 cm total. I was doing conversions in my head when you said 40 inches and forgot to convert back in my post. I can't deal in imperial any more, been too many years. I'd love to see a 100 inch Varanus varius, though!

So, in answer to your question, if she's 40 inches (100cm) total and has a fairly average tail length (for the species), I'd guess her SVL to be around 16" (40cm), in which case I have not only heard of them breeding at that size but have seen it for myself. Make sure the substrate in the nesting cage is around 30C (or at least has a gradient on either side of that temperature). Mine has dug holes all around the enclosure before laying, but has so far ended up crawling through a small hole into an enclosed nest box to lay and the eggs have been in a spot that is 30C