Ridge Tailed monitors

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Andrew_thompson

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Hey everybody i am new to this website and the reptile world, i have currently got 2 bluetounges but am now really starting to love reptiles and get into them my next pets i want are 2 ridge tailed monitors hopfully getting them for christmas this year but need to know if there are breeders on here that are likely to have 1-2 near christmas and also how much will they be sold for? The next thing id like to know is some basic info and other things i need to know before owning ridge tailed monitors as pets, i am building a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure would this be big enough for a pair and also what is needed for them any help or info is appreciated also if people have pics of ackie enclousures please send some pics?
 
heres sum info for

Captive Husbandry of the Ridge-Tailed Monitor
(Varanus Acanthurus)
Introduction
Ackies as they are affectionately known are a medium sized monitor ( total length about 60cm) inhabiting northern West Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of north western Queensland. They are mainly found in arid rocky areas with sparse vegetation cover. There is considerable colour variation between populations from different localities with the western Australian Sandfire form being the most sought after ( due to their more vibrant red colouration ). Ridge-tail monitors are one of the more commonly kept goannas in Australian collection . This is probably due to their adaptability to a captive environment, relative ease of breeding and attractive appearance.

Housing
As a general rule I prefer larger rather than smaller enclosures when keeping this species. By this I mean a minimum enclosure size of 120 cm by50cm floor area with a height of 45 cm for two or three individuals. They are a very active species and can get very aggressive ( this is not only amongst males but also in females) therefore a larger enclosure will provide them with extra room to get away from each other . Males should not be housed together , especially during breeding season if females are present. For general lighting in the enclosure I use a 18 watt NEC T10 blacklight in combination with a 18 watt cool white tube regulated by a timer which turns the lighting automatically off at night and on in the morning. A 60 watt spotlight with a reflector dome is positioned about 15 cm over the basking area to provide a hot spot of about 65 degrees. All lighting is turned off during the night and no extra heating is provided. A temperature gradient should be provided in the enclosure where the cooler end ( the area furthest away from the basking light) should be kept around 28 degrees. Adequate ventilation away from the basking spot will make the establishment of temperature gradient easier and avoid overheating. This will allow the lizards to thermoregulate and choose their preferred temperatures. We provide a layer of peatmoss ( 3 cm depth) as a substrate but sand would be equally as suitable. Plenty of hides in the form of hollow logs, stacked glued tiles and tree bark are provided around the enclosure. A small water dish is provided at all times and refilled when necessary.

Feeding
Our Ridge-Tailed monitors are kept on a diet of Woodies, crickets ,mealworms and pink mice. Insects make up probably two thirds of the diet and they are dusted with Rep Cal powder every third feed. Feeding is carried out two or three times during the warmer months and once a week during winter. Breeding females should be fed more often. Other food items which can be offered are canned dog food and minced meat.

Breeding
Sexing Ridge-Tailed monitors can be achieved with the following methods and observations. Males generally have broader heads than females and have rougher and bigger looking cluster of spurs at the base of their tail. Mating behaviour between males and female ( this seems to be only reliable in mature animals ). Or X –rays taken by a veterinarian showing the absence or presence of hemipenal bones. I have used this method successfully with my gillens monitors. Sexual maturity can be reached within the first 12 months of age . The breeding season usually commences in early spring and finishes mid summer. Eggs are deposited in a special prepared egg laying box filled with moist sand ( make sure the container is not too small and holds about 15 cm depth of sand). Eggs should be incubated in moist perlite or vermiculite at 31 degrees and will take three to four months to hatch. Raising hatchlings is fairly straight forward and feeding usually commences a few days after hatching. Neonates can be raised under the same conditions as mature animals, just in somewhat smaller enclosures.
 
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