Sad but true (food for thought)

[BH Varanus]

Originally Posted by murrindindi

Hi again, thanks for your detailed reply.
I`m not quite sure what you mean when you say that many "tropical varanus" keepers try and have a "steady humidity"? In my experience I (and I know many others) offer a range, it would be practically impossible to have a specific figure throughout the day (or night), or throughout the whole enclosure?
I`m also a little confused about "a varied diet causes ornates to reject the fat mouse standard"?
I always fed some variety to my male ornatus, he would eat anything offered, and even as a 7.5 feet adult would take a small insect or very small snail as readily as a large rat, fish, etc. I certainly never noticed him becoming a "selective feeder" in the 14 years I had him.
Neither have I found a difference in temperament between ornatus and salvator and several other species, they are ALL pretty nervous as hatchlings/juveniles but seem to calm down as they mature, possibly because they are more "confident" in their ability to defend themselves, not to mention they become acclimated to the keeper to a greater extent in many cases (in my personal experience).
Obviously between the two of us we`re only referring to a very small number of animals, I`m not sure we can say that everything we`ve observed occurs generally in this and the other species mentioned?
I don`t know which part of their range you`ve checked the humidity levels, but I doubt there`s much difference at all at times between Tropical West Africa and many parts of Asia. I`ve visited India and Sri Lanka several times, as well as Africa.
With the greatest of respect, I think you`re making it more complicated than it needs to be in part!

all in all a good varanus debate is always good for the experienced keeper. I hope anyone reading our post doesn't view this convo as a verbal combat but as a reason to dig deeper into their own keeping strategies.. Bravo gentlemen. a tips list is a good idea 'md'

[varanus_mad]

Originally Posted by BH Varanus

all in all a good varanus debate is always good for the experienced keeper. I hope anyone reading our post doesn't view this convo as a verbal combat but as a reason to dig deeper into their own keeping strategies.. Bravo gentlemen. a tips list is a good idea 'md'

To be honest I find it hard to follow your stand point... But then again I'm a big believer in the KISS strategy,


Aside from your dietary changes in v. Ornatus how did your husbandry differ from the standard,

125f -160f basking spot 75f-90f temp range and a decent humidity gradient?

I am also assuming you provided for digging facilities to?

While it is true that monitors differ in dentition and head shape they all tend to use a similar range of temperatures, and humidity options... We also have an extremely limits range of feeder options, and while I fully understand your approach of inverts and carrion over mice again it seems to work for all species of varanid with the exception of odatria who deffinatly do better on an invert based diet versus a mice one.

ATB Shane,