Post by geekcoboy103 on Aug 30, 2006 12:26:27 GMT -5
This was posted on Herp Domain by OIpunk1980.
Enjoy.
BLACK TREE MONITOR- V. BECCARII
INTORDUCTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
V. beccarii is a member of the prasinus complex. This complex of varanids is highly arboreal, they are all equipped with long prehensile tails and sticky pads on the soles of their feet, like some arboreal geckos. These monitors occur in Paupa New Guinea and sorrounding islands and one species, V. keithhornei (cannopy goanna) is found on the Cape York Peninsula in Australia, it is the only species found outside of Paupa New Guinea. New species are found every year, like V. amrillio (Yellow "prasinus", it is known right now as V. armarillo which is the Spanish word for yellow).
V. beccarii is found on the Aru isalnds, as it is also known as the Aru island monitor. They average 30-39 inches, females being the smaller. Their prehensile tail makes up nearly 2/3 of the monitors total length. In the wild these lizards feed on Stick insects, Kadydids, and various other insects. These monitors are jet black in color with a grey underside. They are actually rather irredescent, they almost look powder blue in different shades of light.
HOUSING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
First off let's talk about quarentine enclosures. For a quarentine enclosure I use a 45 gallon rubbermaid garbage can with a piece of 1/4 inch acrylic (which can be purchased at glasscages.com) mounted on top. I drilled holes in it and mounted the basking light right on the acrylic (Acrylic has proven to be vary affective for Bob (treemonitors.com) as he has found it won't melt or warp as easy as plexglass will). For quarentine cage furniture I would have either some pieces of cork bark or garden trellace in there. Also I am screwing in some polyurethaned (oil based) pieces of 2x2's horizontally to provide more basking/ climbing room. I wouldn't use any substrate in the can either just a large water pan.
quarenitne check list
*
*
*
Hydration
*
*
*
Proper body weight
*
*
*
Good feeding response from tongs
*
*
*
Tolerent of your presence
*
*
*
It will taks males usually about 7+ months to pass quarentine and females 12-14 months to pass quarentine.
You will need a vertical oriented enclosure. I am constructing a 3x2x5 ft. enclosure. You can use ply wood and FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer (plastic) or you could build a frame out of 2x2's and screw tile board on the frame. I think tile board is a much better and economical alternitive to FRP. It is water resistent and is thicker than FRP. I will be constucting my enclosure around a large cement mixing pan (with a bulkhead/drain mounted to it), I like the technique of using a "substrateless" enclosure for tree monitors as they will probably never come down from the "tree tops" of your enclosure. It also helps drain water from the side of the enclosure and keep humidity up. On TREEMONITORS.COM there is very detailed instuctions on "how to build a tree monitor enclosure" in the DIY section.
For cage furniture I would provide a lot of limbs and fake plants, and corck bark. Alot of hiding places, which cork bark is good at creating. You might also want to add some cork tiles to maximize enclosure "climbing surface area".
TEMPERATURES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
*
*
Basking- 130-140 degrees, surface
*
*
*
Warm part (upper area of the enclosure) 85-90
*
*
*
Cool part (lower areas of the enclosure)
75
*
*
*
Humidity- 70-100%
*
*
*
No need for any special rip off UVB crap lights, just use good old flood lights, avoid the ones with the hexogonal center lens as they are SPOT lights. I highly recomend the use of a digital thermometer with a hydrometer and min/max setting and a temp gun, I like the 45-100$ ones.
FEEDING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A lot of keepers will attempt to use a mostly insect diet and few have had sucess. Insects will sometimes just not add enough body weight for females or males for that matter. I like the whole prey item diet, like hoppers. I highly recomend feeding your females everyday as they will need the energy if you plan on breeding. You must witness the female eating, that is why feeding of tongs or hemostats (I like hemostats) is the best way also I HIGHLY recomend feeding frozen/thawed mice. Feed males about 4-5 days a week.
I have no info on neonate care as most people will never see a baby, so there is virtually no information on the care of neonates.
BREEDING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have never produced any eggs, as I am still waiting to aquire my pair. But I like the use of immitation wet/dry seasons, I would use at least 3 automatic misters in the perminent enclosure. For 9 months "rain" on about 30 percent of the enclosure for 2 min. 1-2 times a day also mist the entire enclosure 2-3 times a week. For 3 months have the misters rain on 100% of the enclosure for 10 minutes 3 times a day also increase feeding during the wet season.
Enjoy.
BLACK TREE MONITOR- V. BECCARII
INTORDUCTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
V. beccarii is a member of the prasinus complex. This complex of varanids is highly arboreal, they are all equipped with long prehensile tails and sticky pads on the soles of their feet, like some arboreal geckos. These monitors occur in Paupa New Guinea and sorrounding islands and one species, V. keithhornei (cannopy goanna) is found on the Cape York Peninsula in Australia, it is the only species found outside of Paupa New Guinea. New species are found every year, like V. amrillio (Yellow "prasinus", it is known right now as V. armarillo which is the Spanish word for yellow).
V. beccarii is found on the Aru isalnds, as it is also known as the Aru island monitor. They average 30-39 inches, females being the smaller. Their prehensile tail makes up nearly 2/3 of the monitors total length. In the wild these lizards feed on Stick insects, Kadydids, and various other insects. These monitors are jet black in color with a grey underside. They are actually rather irredescent, they almost look powder blue in different shades of light.
HOUSING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
First off let's talk about quarentine enclosures. For a quarentine enclosure I use a 45 gallon rubbermaid garbage can with a piece of 1/4 inch acrylic (which can be purchased at glasscages.com) mounted on top. I drilled holes in it and mounted the basking light right on the acrylic (Acrylic has proven to be vary affective for Bob (treemonitors.com) as he has found it won't melt or warp as easy as plexglass will). For quarentine cage furniture I would have either some pieces of cork bark or garden trellace in there. Also I am screwing in some polyurethaned (oil based) pieces of 2x2's horizontally to provide more basking/ climbing room. I wouldn't use any substrate in the can either just a large water pan.
quarenitne check list
*
*
*
Hydration
*
*
*
Proper body weight
*
*
*
Good feeding response from tongs
*
*
*
Tolerent of your presence
*
*
*
It will taks males usually about 7+ months to pass quarentine and females 12-14 months to pass quarentine.
You will need a vertical oriented enclosure. I am constructing a 3x2x5 ft. enclosure. You can use ply wood and FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer (plastic) or you could build a frame out of 2x2's and screw tile board on the frame. I think tile board is a much better and economical alternitive to FRP. It is water resistent and is thicker than FRP. I will be constucting my enclosure around a large cement mixing pan (with a bulkhead/drain mounted to it), I like the technique of using a "substrateless" enclosure for tree monitors as they will probably never come down from the "tree tops" of your enclosure. It also helps drain water from the side of the enclosure and keep humidity up. On TREEMONITORS.COM there is very detailed instuctions on "how to build a tree monitor enclosure" in the DIY section.
For cage furniture I would provide a lot of limbs and fake plants, and corck bark. Alot of hiding places, which cork bark is good at creating. You might also want to add some cork tiles to maximize enclosure "climbing surface area".
TEMPERATURES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
*
*
Basking- 130-140 degrees, surface
*
*
*
Warm part (upper area of the enclosure) 85-90
*
*
*
Cool part (lower areas of the enclosure)
75
*
*
*
Humidity- 70-100%
*
*
*
No need for any special rip off UVB crap lights, just use good old flood lights, avoid the ones with the hexogonal center lens as they are SPOT lights. I highly recomend the use of a digital thermometer with a hydrometer and min/max setting and a temp gun, I like the 45-100$ ones.
FEEDING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A lot of keepers will attempt to use a mostly insect diet and few have had sucess. Insects will sometimes just not add enough body weight for females or males for that matter. I like the whole prey item diet, like hoppers. I highly recomend feeding your females everyday as they will need the energy if you plan on breeding. You must witness the female eating, that is why feeding of tongs or hemostats (I like hemostats) is the best way also I HIGHLY recomend feeding frozen/thawed mice. Feed males about 4-5 days a week.
I have no info on neonate care as most people will never see a baby, so there is virtually no information on the care of neonates.
BREEDING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have never produced any eggs, as I am still waiting to aquire my pair. But I like the use of immitation wet/dry seasons, I would use at least 3 automatic misters in the perminent enclosure. For 9 months "rain" on about 30 percent of the enclosure for 2 min. 1-2 times a day also mist the entire enclosure 2-3 times a week. For 3 months have the misters rain on 100% of the enclosure for 10 minutes 3 times a day also increase feeding during the wet season.