does anybody have ... - Page 2

Dragoon · 12-30-02, 06:38 AM

I also take it that you keep/ have kept in the past, a black tree monitor??
D.

Dom · 12-30-02, 07:35 AM

Dragoon -

I got to say - that post was inspiring .. you made very good points ..

Jeff - I agree with many things you say but there is one thing that strucks me its that u generally refer to Sav's and niles and water as the type of manitor that hardy and will live through any conditions .. I agree on this in general but disagree that they give no clues .. If u meant that the beginer keeper can't catch on to the clues then sure..

3 years ago when i started keeping monitors I got my first savanah and a water. .. Tey were both on cypres and for the longest time too .. I read many things but nothng told me what i was doing wrong was wrong and never picked up on any clues they gave me .. ( I WAS basically the typical bad keeper of monitors)

But now my husbandry is COMPLETLE different and i can't even beleive how rewarding and how expressive these animals really can be in a proper enviroment..

I don't really knwo what I am babling about but just want to put my word in there..

And as fr the blck tree's .. I personally think there amazing monitors ... I work with two LTC of a good 5 + years and they are by far teh easiest monitor to keep IMO although i am sure a New WC would be very hard.. I personally thinks its easier to make a LTC or even wc balck tree thrive then a savanah or a water or a nile .. Just my oppinions .. although I would never ever recomend them as a first monitor .. actually ..

I think first time moniotr keepers should not be aloud to keep monitors lol If that make any sense .. U can read all u want but the majority of what u learn comes from the animal .. its **** u can't read up on learn from someone else..

mahhhhh

Dom

V.aw · 12-30-02, 01:03 PM

Dragoon -

Vetting them is important, or deworming them yourself if you can.
I guarentee you no importer/wholesaler will or has dewormed the animals. In canada there are next to no good wholesalers, that actually do so. Working in pet stores, and purchasing from all of the big names brought me to this conclusion. ( I was medicating each reptile that I purchased after I monitored them for any visable worms, and believe it or not you would see very visable parasites in almost all the monitors that came in.)

Just from my Exp, every wholesaler tries to sell out their monitors asap if they are WC (with the exception of Sav's, as they do very well providing they are kept in optimal conditions) We had a baby black roughneck come in.. Looked great, was very active, then within a few days it went downhill.

I mean, yeah i completely agree, med's arent always the best, But i personally trust my own judgement alot more than I'd trust any of the pet stores/wholesalers out there.

V.aw · 12-30-02, 01:04 PM

Sorry, another note.

Any monitor being kept under optimal conditions can usually fight off most of the basic parasites on its own. Husbandry is the key!

KaHane · 12-31-02, 01:18 PM

We have a trio of the black trees and hopefully getting a pair of green trees soon. I must say they are rewarding and wonderful animals, but they are no way a beginner monitor. As for medicating your animals, I agree with V.aw. Under optimal conditions they can fight off most parasites, just as long as the enclosure is kept clean and all fecal matter and substrate that has made contact with it is removed immediately. When we recieve a recent import, the first thing we do is quarantine it and give it a place that isn't stressful so it could rest. Then we get it to feed and we wait until it feeds on it's own for a couple of weeks before we decide to do any medication on it. The KEY is to get it healthy before you medicate it. If your animals is weak and stressful while you medicate it, it will most likely die. Not necessarily only from the medication, but also from the buildup of dead parasites in it's system that the medication killed. So an animal that is stressed and weak from being recently imported will not have a strong immune system to take the medication and it's aftermath( Buildup of dead parasites in it's system) Just my thoughts and experiences.

Jezabel · 12-31-02, 02:49 PM

This discussion is really interesting!

Any pics of your trio KaHane? Are they adult? Are you trying to breed them. Keep us update if you get the prasinus

KaHane · 12-31-02, 03:27 PM

Hopefully I will get some new photos up of the Kimberleys and black trees, First I need a new camera!!

V.aw · 01-02-03, 11:32 AM

KaHane, what types of monitors have you produced? I noticed you've got one heck of a collection.

Quakezombie · 01-02-03, 10:57 PM

Very good discussion fella's !

Myself, i have "babysat" 1 Nile and 1 Asian water (long term).
You ALL know i preferred the latter,hehe.

The local herp shop around here has only had 2 GTM's and 5 or more BTM's over the years (6,7,8 ?),as well as many other highly exotic herp's.So rare is definetely the word to use.
(It is a very nice mini-zoo

)

So yes i too long for the day i have the confidence/experience to keep one of these beautiful aboreal monitors properly.
Just isn't that day yet.

Envy runs rampant around here though LOL,
Nice Black tree man,very nice !

KaHane · 01-03-03, 10:37 AM

Jezabel, I have gotten eggs from my black trees but everytime they were infertile. This year I'll be pairing up the females with another male and hopefully everything will work out. Monitors are very intelligent, all you could do is give them what is necessary to survive and breed, but it'll still be up to them if they actually want to produce. Maybe they do not like each other, or are not stimulated to be fertile or maybe the male is just not fertile. Who knows, I just enjoy having them and studying their behaviours. If I they do produce, that's just a BONUS!! Everyday is a learning process, I'm the student and they are the teachers, and I'm not near graduating yet

V.aw Thanks, Our collecton of monitors just keeps on growing and this year HOPEFULLY!! with some luck and alot of hard, but enjoying work we should have kimberleys, Whiteheads, Black trees, and Cummingi's(Golden Water monitors) Producing. Past years we have produced both the Yellows and Red Ackies, but have gotten out of them and looked forward to other species. We have been searching for a Trio of Green tree monitors for some time now, and hope to have them in a couple of months