Not-so-common Monitors being kept?

[Simon_Archibald]

Hi all,

I've been out of the herping picture for a little while (young family and all) and a little out of touch with whats happening in the hobby. For everyone who knows me my real reptile interest is in monitor species - all up I've kept 9 species so far.

There are the usual species all being offered but I'm keen to know what not-so-common species are being bred these days? Things like:
* Mitchell's Water Monitors (V. mitchelli)
* Long Tailed Rock Monitors (V. kingorum)
* Black Palmed Rock Monitor (V. glebopalma) - did any of Gavin's animals remain in the private trade and being bred?

Finally, if anyone is working with, or may have a chance to work with, Varanus pilbarensis that would be great. The Pilbara Rock Monitor has been a dream species of mine for a while. Would love to keep and try to breed these guys.

 

[OzGecko]

One of the species I keep is Varanus primordius. I currently have a small clutch incubating.

 

[ecosnake]

Hello Simon, thinking of getting back into varanids again?

Marc

 

[Simon_Archibald]

Hi Marc...yeah I recently purchased a young V. indicus and happy to be keeping again. Currently building a house (so living with the mother in law until its finished). When the house is finished I'd like to get a couple of pairs of varanids.

 

[Snakeluvver2]

I have kept Mitchelli.
They are great!
Would love to have a trio but I'm having trouble finding breeders.
Another species I have my eye is Kimberly Rock Monitors hopefully in 2013 there should be some more readily available (long waiting list suck)

 

[saximus]

Why are monitors (other than accies) still so rare in captivity? I'm hanging out for July/August for a clutch of lacies to hatch so I can get one. Can't imagine having to wait till 2013 though!

 

[Snakeluvver2]

I wouldn't say Monitors are rare, Gillens, Tristis Tristis, Tristis Orientalis, Lacies, Mertons are all pretty common.

 

[saximus]

Yeah but I mean they aren't as common as dragons or geckoes. They are in pretty much constant supply whereas monitors only come up every now and then in the for sale section

 

[Snakeluvver2]

Depends who you know I guess.
Find a monitor man who just breed Monitors.

 

[Laghairt]

I suspect that the large amount of space required to keep monitors may have something to do with it.

The only species that I see advertised regularly are lacies and ackies. I recently obtained a pair of gillens and I had been looking for a long time before I found a pair.

 

[Tiliqua]

There is a pair of Glebopalma in NSW in private hands. Varanus Baritiji are being worked on. Mitchelli are about, i noticed Storrs arent no-where near as common as they were 5 or so years ago.

 

[bigguy]

As far as I know I am the only keeper that has ever kept v. pilbarensis legally in Oz. They are a great monitor to keep.. Baritji have suffered a setback with a few breeders losing their males. Brevo's are getting more common and are regulary getting bred now. Erimius and caudo's are nowhere to be seen. I know both are held but there is no sign of them breeding which is a shame as they are great to keep. Great to hear that OzGecko has a clutch of primordius cooking. This is another species that needs to be improved in numbers

 

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

Is anybody doing any work on kingorum?

 

[saximus]

Or prasinus?

 

[OzGecko]

I previously kept V. baritji, but only ever got infertile eggs.
Tiliqua, funny what you say about the Storrs. I had a really good breeding pair which would produce several clutches a season. At the time I could barely give them away. I recently lost my origninal female and now wish I had held onto some of the young I had bred. Mine are the larger Qld form. I only have the male left and very few of the people who bought young from me still keep them. Most moved them on.

 

[bigguy]

Kingorum were getting bred regulary years ago, but your right. have not seen them advertised for quite a while. As for prasinus, I dont think any are being kept in Oz. I had Rusty's years ago, but these days I do not know of anyone with these either.

 

[OzGecko]

Not too long ago Danny Brown had V. semiremex listed on his site, but they have been removed.

 

[sesa-sayin]

don.t have eremius, globs, praesinus, cauds,pilbarensis.....but do have multiples of all the other small/meds. have bred only storii storii. the following drop eggs , but i am totally hopeless and incompitent at trying to breed them. the kingies will not mate, only attack each other........primordius, baritjii, kingorum, scallaris locale Lake Vic NT (male above photo )... will upload a pic of baritjii pair, which i took a few days ago, in the next day or 2

 

[Jonno from ERD]

Unfortunately V.kingorum are virtually absent from the hobby, apart from the above post (I think we chatted about them a couple of years ago?). It's a shame, I had three perfect adult females for a couple of years that would produce clutch after clutch of obviously infertile eggs...I could never find a male and eventually moved them on. I'm fairly certain all three are dead now.

 

[AllThingsReptile]

what about V.Rosenbergi ?? i dont know much about monitors soo......