Suitable diet for ridge tailed monitors (ackies)?

[SnakeyJay]

Hi everyone, well sadly I decided that I may have chosen the wrong monitor species for what I wanted.. I had a VTO but he was so skittish and reclusive that I couldn't even begin to build trust 4 months in.. The gist is I traded for an ackie with someone who's kept quite a few monitors. I lost money in the trade but I think a more brazen species is better suited for us..

So anyway, what's a few good things to feed him? So far I've fed locust, mealies and Dubia.. All gut loaded and dusted of course. But what else? I've heard mixed opinions on egg as a treat. How often should I offer a chopped pinkie to an ackie?

Any extra info/advice is welcome :)

[Lankyrob]

When we had ours we would give any pinkies that the snakes didn't eat (our corns were babies at the time). Some months he would have none and some he would have three or four.

We loved to releases some locusts in the tank and then drop some Dubai into the substrate as he would chase all over for the locusts as they were active and then over the next day as a dubia would move he would hear it and hunt it down.

Ours never ate mealworms, but locusts, dubia, crickets and the odd pinky would be packed away nicely.

[franks]

Add earthworms to the substrate at night. He will dig them up during the day. I love Rob ' s idea with the dubai roaches. He told me that when I first started 2 yrs ago. I fill the enclosure with grape leaves and dump the roaches in at night. The next day is excavation day.

[SnakeyJay]

See I was going to let Dubia go in the viv but I expected them to just hide away in the logs etc.. The VTO never really hunted the Dubia like he did with the locust... I might try it with this ackie.

So what else.. What's the verdict on egg etc. I know not to use meat bits etc but unsure on egg.

[smy_749]

egg once a month is fine, just a treat. Stick to inverts and occasional mice. Any inverts are fine, just dont feed worms more than locusts/roaches/etc. They dont contain enough 'roughage'

[Pirarucu]

Whole raw eggs are ok as a treat, but I wouldn't feed them too often. Fertilized eggs are better than raw, if you can get them.
Ackies eat lots of other reptiles in the wild, and they love them in captivity too. You might contact breeders to see if they'll give you any deformed hatchings or dead/infertile eggs. Things like Corn Snakes, Ball Pythons Bearded Dragons and Leopard Geckos are produced in large enough numbers that you should be able to get your hands on some without too much trouble. You could also catch wild stuff, with the slight risk of parasites. I wouldn't be too worried about it but would stick to Brown Anoles or House Geckos just to avoid taking out native species.
I would be surprised if you manage to give him some worms, from what I've heard Ackies tend to turn down any sort of earthworm.

[SnakeyJay]

I'm in the uk so catching my own isn't going to happen haha.. However I've no problem buying him feeder geckos as a treat :) I'm feeding mainly roaches, locust, crickets with the odd pinkie (only one so far).. I'll just carry on, thanks everyone :) also any tips on handling would be good..

Atm im just building trust, he's happily taking some locust and crickets off tweezers and doesn't seem scared so next week in gonna start trying to coax him into my arm at feeding time.

[Lankyrob]

Our guy was real easy to handle, open the door and he would tun up your arm! It was harder to get him back in the viv and get the door shut ;)

[SnakeyJay]

Sounds good Rob! Hopefully mine will become like that..

[smy_749]

Drop the pinks, use small fuzzies or chopped up hoppers. Something w bone structure. And yes, ackies go bat **** crazy over lizard treats. Ideally theyd be the best staple.

[SnakeyJay]

Ok I'll use fluffs then, it was the last pink I had anyway.. :) he's busy the last 2 days digging burrows etc, fascinating to watch.

[Gatorhunter1231]

My ackies chow down on anything. Small adult mice, roaches, crickets, locust, baby corn snakes (failed to thrive), lizards, hognose/cornsnake eggs, as long as it is whole food then they will thrive. I get tons of eggs off this diet.

[SnakeyJay]

I'm looking into getting done feeder geckos sorted out etc.. :)