KevLuvsMonitors
06-23-18, 06:57 PM
Hello there,
I hope to begin caring for an Ackie monitor in the near future, and perhaps keep something larger later on. I've been reading and researching the genus: Varanoid Lizards of the World, Giant Lizards, I've subscribed to Biawak Journal and have been researching online as well.
When I was a boy, I captured and kept snakes (Garter snakes, Fox snakes), salamanders (Eastern Spotted and Tiger) and bought and kept several American lizards (Anole, Fence Swift and a Desert Spiny Lizard, with varying successes and failures. The Fox snakes, Anoles and salamanders thrived but I had bad luck with the non-native to my region Swift and desert lizards. I released the salamaders and fox snakes back into the wild before heading off to University.
Now, many years later, my love of herps has been rekindled and I find myself drawn to Varanids in particular. I have begun building my first reptile enclosure, a 4' x 2' x 2' which I hope is a decent minimum size for one Ackie or a temporary enclosure for one or two of them. I'm not a woodworker or a carpenter so this has been a challenge for me which is why I had opted for a very simple enclosure for my first build. I've measured out a max size enclosure that I can fit into my apartment at 8' long by 3' wide and up to 6' high that I intended to build for a Quince monitor, but I think I'll build something in that space for my future Ackies to move into.
I intend to first build and setup an enclosure, get it running with a bio-active substrate and then see if I can maintain an optimal thermal gradient and humidity levels. When I'm satisfied I'm able to do that, then I'll start looking for a young Ackie from a reputable breeder. I expect I'll have a lot of questions and I'm open to all of the advice the users of this forum might have for me. Thank you for accepting me as a new member of the forum.
Kevin
I hope to begin caring for an Ackie monitor in the near future, and perhaps keep something larger later on. I've been reading and researching the genus: Varanoid Lizards of the World, Giant Lizards, I've subscribed to Biawak Journal and have been researching online as well.
When I was a boy, I captured and kept snakes (Garter snakes, Fox snakes), salamanders (Eastern Spotted and Tiger) and bought and kept several American lizards (Anole, Fence Swift and a Desert Spiny Lizard, with varying successes and failures. The Fox snakes, Anoles and salamanders thrived but I had bad luck with the non-native to my region Swift and desert lizards. I released the salamaders and fox snakes back into the wild before heading off to University.
Now, many years later, my love of herps has been rekindled and I find myself drawn to Varanids in particular. I have begun building my first reptile enclosure, a 4' x 2' x 2' which I hope is a decent minimum size for one Ackie or a temporary enclosure for one or two of them. I'm not a woodworker or a carpenter so this has been a challenge for me which is why I had opted for a very simple enclosure for my first build. I've measured out a max size enclosure that I can fit into my apartment at 8' long by 3' wide and up to 6' high that I intended to build for a Quince monitor, but I think I'll build something in that space for my future Ackies to move into.
I intend to first build and setup an enclosure, get it running with a bio-active substrate and then see if I can maintain an optimal thermal gradient and humidity levels. When I'm satisfied I'm able to do that, then I'll start looking for a young Ackie from a reputable breeder. I expect I'll have a lot of questions and I'm open to all of the advice the users of this forum might have for me. Thank you for accepting me as a new member of the forum.
Kevin