Very, VERY exciting news!!

**actionplant** · #11 11-16-2005, 10:29 AM

Thanks! I intend to do exactly that. They'll be checked on every ten to fifteen minutes throughout their photoperiod, and after until they've settled down for the night. My female was up at the crack of...well, her dawn this morning, basking and looking very plump indeed. It took her two hours of work to completely eviscerate and swallow that rat, but she got it down and is looking perkier and far more alert than I've seen her in a good long while.

The male is sleeping in. He burned a lot of energy chasing her around yesterday.

**Cornyballpython** · #12 11-16-2005, 11:53 AM

dude those monitors are soo cool!

not that I could get one but wow much could you sell the babys for?

-sara

**actionplant** · #13 11-16-2005, 01:18 PM

Honestly? If I was able to captive breed babies from this pair, I wouldn't even think about selling from the first batch. The second batch I would raise for a year, and then talk with zoos to find out who's qualified. All this time I'd be sharing findings with other breeders. It's not about greed, though I'm positive the market could easily support $1000+ per animal considering.

I hadn't honestly thought about it though. My hope is that we can figure out a tried and true method. They really do make incredibly fun pets and are easily some of the most fascinating animals I've ever owned. Considering their rarety, I'd like to see captive-bred animals eventually selling for the same price as imported, and hopefully collapse the import trade on tree monitors altogether. They are rare, and while the Indonesian government supposedly restricts their capture, well...we'll just say that money talks and as long as the CITES paperwork is done and the right people are paid, reptile exporters over there can do whatever they bloody well please.

I'm far more interested in conservation than turning a profit. I'm hoping in a few years that the big shroud of mystery encompassing these animals is lifted, and that people who are bent on owning them can enjoy easily accessable captive-bred animals of known parentage, rather than getting expensive imports with an unknown history.

These aren't common animals. If we can sell healthy captive-bred animals for the same price as imports, hopefully the importers will eventually give up and leave the wild population alone.

**Cornyballpython** · #14 11-16-2005, 01:31 PM

I bet zoos would be more intrested in CBB than WC.

-sara

**actionplant** · #15 11-16-2005, 01:44 PM

I don't know of very many zoos that have this species, much less any tree monitor. I would certainly hope there is an interest, at least from zoos known for their excellent husbandry. I really wouldn't be interested in talking to zoos with a bad reputation in the reptile department (at least one close to me comes to mind).

**Rich** · #16 11-16-2005, 03:13 PM

Hello,

Congrats actionplant. I of course am very interested in seeing some hatchlings as I am sure many others are. lol I wish you the best of luck with this. It could be a great step forward in husbandry!

**Brittone05** · #17 11-17-2005, 05:48 AM

I would also like to say how great it is that you are more concerned with the long term benefits that you are creating by having a breeding pair of tree monitors than making a profit from selling them short. Lots of people would just go "yay $1000 each, lets go on holiday". It's fantastic to see someone more concerned with the preservation of a species than making a bit of extra money. I wish you all the luck in the world and please do keep us posted. Can I also ask if you are keeping a video diary/photo diary of their progress? I am sure if you were then it would be extremely useful in helping to creat more CBB babies.

**Merlin** · #18 11-17-2005, 08:43 AM

Quote:

I wouldn't even think about selling from the first batch. The second batch I would raise for a year, and then talk with zoos to find out who's qualified. All this time I'd be sharing findings with other breeders.

Good for you! Its nice to see someone breeding who isn't in it only for the money!
And by the way our Zoo in Oklahoma City has them!

**actionplant** · #19 11-17-2005, 12:36 PM

I wasn't aware that Oklahoma had them. I did know of Houston, primarily because they were the first to successfully breed them in the late 70's.

We have had a setback, the rat that was fed to my female turned out to be a bit too large and she has regurged it. It's critical now that I pull them out of this, though speaking with Bob over at treemonitors.com it would seem that my female simply won't be receptive nor will she cycle if she isn't healthy enough to do so, which is something of a relief. I wasn't home when she took the rat (my fiance offered it) and looking at it now, I'm wondering how she got it down. Pups are more her size. I'm also wondering if perhaps all the hair irritated her stomach lining, considering she held the meal down for almost twenty-four hours. After re-hydrating her and re-establishing gut bacteria, I'll start her off very light with some small, fatty roaches (hissing probably) and when I feel comfortable will offer her a rat pup from a hairless line. I'm fortunate enough to have local breeders who do sell hairless. Hopefully that'll help.

I do know that these animals can keep rodents down. While they wouldn't normally eat a mouse or rat considering they live in the treetops in their native Aru Islands, a rat is some of the best nutrition you can offer a carniverous reptile. Hopefully I can get her taking them regularly, and will try to cycle in a rainy season again within the next six months.

EDIT - Sorry, I missed the question...yes, we're taking a LOT of pictures to document the whole thing, and I'm focusing hard on monitoring (no pun intended) "weather" conditions so that I can exactly duplicate them later. Anywhere from 30-100 pictures a day...yikes. I'll have a lot of sorting to do when this is done.

**geckoguykc** · #20 11-17-2005, 10:47 PM

those look even cooler everytime u post pics of em lol


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