monitor idea

[varanio]

I'd have thought maybe something like V. storri or red ackies might work; I'm told yellows get approach 3 feet so maybe a big big for the trough...I'll defer to varanio though re: the monitors.

Some other things you could maybe try in there are the already mentioned BT skinks, uromastyx, or jewelled lacertas.

You could still keep any ackie in there 1.1 or 1.2 but if jason wants to keep any monitor species in there then the best approach is to enclose the top somehow so that humidity does not escape. If not then the other agamid or BTS suggestions would be a better fit.

 

[jason longboard]

hey you changed your avatar without making a thread for it,lol.Thanks V.Its nice to get ideas from you guys.They got some at a filthy shop here in town,i think the adult yellow was around 260 and the timors were around 185.The guy said they are ok humid or dry.Thats why i dont buy herps there anymore.Hes the one that left a special order hog island boa all the way on a heat pad and it bit itself to death before i could get their,also sold baby beardeds to him and if any dies they would be in their for days on end.List goes on,unfortunatly he has a big selection of herps at the moment and i hope those poor monitors find homes because they are in small tanks half on some old heat pad with no heat for the air temp.Its cold here and they are all piled up where the pad is.Ppl that go to his shop are not likely to aford these so god help them.

 

[Kioka]

The only thing I can see in there are some of those small tortoises.

I am not an advocate of keeping lizards in top-down enclosures like that since they adopt weird behaviours akin to watching for the terror from the sky.

 

[jason longboard]

interesting you bring that up,i always wondered that about my old dragons,you do kind of pop out of noplace but after they realized that i was a food provider they would run right to me as soon as i showed.Are moniters not that way i wonder.This isnt for sure yet though,just getting ideas.

 

[varanio]

The only thing I can see in there are some of those small tortoises.

I am not an advocate of keeping lizards in top-down enclosures like that since they adopt weird behaviours akin to watching for the terror from the sky.

And dont you think that the weird behavior of watching whats above is not natural? This isnt a behavior that is adapted, its a behavior that is embedded in them and has been for millions of years. (which is why they have survived this long) If they didnt have this behavior I dont think we would have any terrestrial lizards. We would have a bunch of fat, happy birds of prey.

 

[Kioka]

Alright, then how come varanids, or most lizards, in European-style cages don't have that same behaviour?

 

[davo]

Alright, then how come varanids, or most lizards, in European-style cages don't have that same behaviour?

because they have adapted not to do it I imagine? Take one outside and see what happens. They will always look out the way they know you can get in at them/they can see out at... no matter which way it is.

there's no way they aren't great catches for birds of prey.

 

[varanio]

Alright, then how come varanids, or most lizards, in European-style cages don't have that same behaviour?

Davo has it dead on. And I can take it a step further. Put a European still cage (which I have ) if you look at my pictures. And put it on the ground. Then walk over to the cage and see what the varanid(s) will do. There is a reason why these cages are done the way they are. They are done this way so the animal is viewed more (which is fine), because once the animal is at eye level they are more comfortable with being out and about in front of people. (this is specially true with W/C animals), but again it all goes back to what the animal has adapted to in the past few million years. Arboreal lizards they look down from the treetops terrestrial will look up for danger. An ackie is not as comfortable up in a tree, just like a prasinus will not be as comfortable on the ground. Its all in the way the animal has designed itself to cope with its enviornment. There is a reason why there are so many species, so many sizes, so many colors, so many patterns, and the list goes theyve all adapted to their niche.

 

[Kioka]

There is a reason why these cages are done the way they are. They are done this way so the animal is viewed more (which is fine), because once the animal is at eye level they are more comfortable with being out and about in front of people. (this is specially true with W/C animals)

Then shouldn't the goal of everyone regarding captive care of animals be trying to make it less stressful for them as possible?

I hope you guys realized what I have just done.

 

[davo]

it's gunna be just as stressful no matter what way you are peering in... they get used to you, or not. Having them out and about for us to see them is our deal, not theirs. It also depends if you are disturbing them all the time or not.

Was just pointing out that it is not a weird behaviour for most ground dwelling lizards and is in fact a definite natural behaviour, and instead captives have learned not to do it, so it's the other way around. Your feelings on how to keep them is fine, but it really makes no difference what so ever, you can keep your animals in a glass box, and as long as you have appropriate hides, it won't matter one bit.

When I am working with my snakes however, I prefer to do it at their level, as this makes them more comfortable, and I'm sure it will be the same for the other animals...