Questions before purchasing my first Ridge Tailed Monitors

[Jesse_H]

Hi all,

I have had an ELN turtle for a while now, and am planning my first land herps - a pair of juvenile Ridge Tail Monitors (aka Spiny Tailed Monitors, 'Ackies').

Here's the plan so far, and some questions to follow. If anyone with experience would be kin enough to share knowledge with me I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks in advance!

Enclosure: - Exo Terra L36"xD18"xH36"
- Clay-mix substrate for tunnelling
- Apply extra foam backing to sides of enclosure for heat retention
- 1x 2ft Exo Terra UV lighting unit with 3x UV globes
- 2x 100W heat lamps
- Rest of the cage roof covered with a blanket for heat retention
- Mushroom-style turtle rock/ledges on sides for basking

Ornaments: - Real cattle or ram skull
- Real rocks/slate for climbing/basking
- Hides as appropriate


Questions:
- Are cricket feeders ay use? Are they worth considering?
- I have been told that being a desert species these guys don't hang around in water bowls like other species - Does this mean I should just get a water bowl big enough to hold drinking water or should I get one that can hold adults in for when they get bigger?
- Will this 3ft long x 3ft high Exo Terra unit be big enough to house 2 x adults? I'm being quoted $595 for the unit, including background.
- Can live plants be used in this sort of environment? If so, what types would suit a desert set up? Is it better to just stick with fake plants?
- How easy are they to breed?
- Final and most important question - Can ANYONE recommend a breeder in VIC that does this monitor - even the pet shops here are in short supply because they have no breeders!

Thanks again for your input everyone.

Kind Regards

Jess

 

[harley0402]

I have a 900m x 500m x 500m wooden enclosure, with a 150 watt infrared heat bulb. desert sand as substrate, a water bowl, slate under the basking site and a log in the other end. He is fed on crickets, meal worms, woodies and pinky rats

They are very enthusiastic feeders and chase everything. great to watch, love to dig and scratch around.

 

[Jesse_H]

Cool, thanks Harley. I've been recommended this clay-based substrate over sesert sand as apparently when they dig their borrows remain intact! If they made a little tunnel against the glass where you could look in that would be so cool!

 

[harley0402]

that sounds awesome, my boy always goes into his log at night and leaves his tail half hanging out. If you touch him while he is like that, he will push his ridges on his tail up into the log so as to wedge himself in. I think they are pretty cool.