A caresheet for the Roughneck Monitor can be found here:

Roughneck Monitor Caresheet (Varanus rudicollis)

__________________
.:: Rich ::.

+ Spread The Info

If you would like to add to the information found within this caresheet, or perhaps discuss the contents of this caresheet, I invite everyone to do so.

If you wish to donate some images of your Roughneck Monitor for use within this caresheet, with credit being given to you of course, please add them to this thread as well.

This thread is now a "sticky" at the top of the "Monitors" forum.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discussion within this thread is ONLY relevant to the caresheet found in the first post. Please do not ask questions about caring for your animals in this thread. Start a new thread in the appropriate forum for the species in which you need answers.

__________________
.:: Rich ::.

+ Spread The Info

Some errors in the care sheet information:

If the whole line of taxonomy is to be shown:
Subclass Lepidosauria = between Class and Order
Suborder Sauria (Lacertilia) = between Order and Infraorder
Infraorder Platynota = before Family
(source: European Molecular Biology Laboratory- Heidelberg)

Habitat: Varanus rudicollis has been found all the way into what is considered Northern Thailand, specifically the Umphang District, Tak Province. Although they have been found in rainforest and even oil palm plantations, they are most closely associated with primary forests (rainforests included but there are many forest types in the tropics- rainforests being just one type) and peat swamps, where they have been found most often.
(source: Distribution- J. Nabhitabhata, T. Chan-ard & Y. Chuaynkern 2000. Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles in Thailand. OEPP Biodiversity Series. Vol. 9: 152pp. Habitat- compilation of numerous sources)

Temperament: ‘Roughnecks’, both Varanus rudicollis and Varanus dumerilii do not show a ‘healthy dislike of humans’; they are much rarer than their presence in the pet trade suggests and they are cryptic (secretive). Daily handling serves more to stress out a Varanus rudicollis much more than calm them down. I have handled my rudicollis twice (in order to move it from enclosure to enclosure). He now feeds readily off of tongs (could feed him with my fingers, but I am not reckless with any of my reptiles, no matter how docile they are), I can touch him without eliciting a defensive response and I can even come face to face with him.

Size: The size given for hatchlings (25cm) is twice the size of hatchlings of Varanus rudicollis, which is between 10.0-12+cm (slightly over in mm). (Source: Dale McGinnty personal comments)

Substrate: newspaper-no, paper towels-no, repti carpet-no, the rest on the list was good as you listed- to hold in humidity. Ingestion of substrate is not a concern in a well hydrated specimen.

Breeding: Temperatures of 59-63°F are extremely low, lower than temperatures that are ever experienced by them in the wild. Over most of their range, the temperature never reaches those lows. Eggs are laid primarily at the end of the monsoon/rainy seasons, which in parts of their range comes twice a year (from the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean storm cycles). Females will produce 1-3 clutches a year? What is the source for that information? I have much of the information available on this species and there is no information to substantiate that claim. As of last year, there have only been 21 documented clutches in captivity ever with Tracy Caron and Dale McGinnty (Tennessee Zoo) being the only ones to have had great success. (Source: M. K. Bayless unpublished manuscript. A Survey and Checklist of the Roughneck Monitor, Varanus rudicollis Gray, 1845 (Sauria: Varanidae) of Indo-Malaysia and Thailand)

Cheers,
Michael