I make at least three rounds through my house every day, checking on all my animals to make sure everything is hunky-dory. Lately I've been even more meticulous, considering we just got our first winter snowstorm and a majority of my reptiles are going off their regular feeding schedule and into breeding mode.

However, this year a first has happened. I went downstairs today to discover my male Black Tree Monitor actively courting the female! This has never happened before in their two-year history together, and certainly happens EXTREMELY rarely in any captive setup in the US. I can count on one hand the number of successful Beccarii breeders I know of in the US (in the past thirty years, no less).

In addition to the courtship, my male is usually quite flighty and will scurry off to hide at even the hint of a touch. Today for the first time he stood his ground and actually scratched my girlfriend when she tried to spook him off in order to feed the female. Up to this point the two have ignored each other, but today he's become extremely protective of her.

Of course if more people have had experience in this, they're sure keeping quiet about it. There is little information out there on breeding Beccarii because it is such a seldom occurrance.

Well, I've dropped their UV exposure quite a bit, temps are down fifteen degrees (from 95 to 80 in the daytime, around 72-74 at night) and they're getting mistings 2-3 times daily (as opposed to once every two days). I know the previous owner of these fine animals, and I know for a fact that he's never seen them court before, though they were previously kept at an ambient 85 degrees in a much smaller screen cage. Increasing the number of hides from one to four or five certainly has helped.

Some of you have seen them before, but I'll post another picture (old one) and try to update with more recent photos as this behavior progresses.

I believe the next course of action is to build two more hides, this time little more than birdhouse-style moist boxes so that the female can begin to nest. I'm also, as of today, switching her from a roach-based diet to one comprised entirely of rodents to help keep calcium levels high.

Wish us luck! I'm terribly excited. If I take any pride in my animals, it's through exhibiting proper husbandry. What better example than through the successful breeding of such rare and notoriously difficult-to-breed animals? Huzzah!

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1.4.0 cornsnakes
2.0.3 firebelly toads
1.2.0 redfoot tortoises
3.2.0 ball pythons
1.2.0 beardies
1.0.0 asian water monitor
1.1.0 burmese pythons
1.1.0 basilisks
0.1.0 black tree monitor
1.0.0 Green Iguana
0.1.0 chinese water dragon
2.2.0 redtail boas
1.0.0 CA rock python
1.0.0 emperor scorpion
1.2.0 leopard geckos

actionplant.com

Aww Actionplant. You must be soooo excited. I really hope that all goes well for you and that your female does indeed produce a clucth of adorable babies for you. Got our fingers crossed for you. It certainly goes to show that with proper care and a loving home, our herps can thrive to the best of thier ability. well done x

I'm not expecting anything yet (don't want to be disappointed) but getting the behavior is a HUGE step. With any luck she may give us a couple of eggs (they don't produce much). It's just...I'm not exactly one of those herpers who's been doing this for thirty years or anything...so getting breeding behaviors out of these animals when so, so very few people have ever successfully done so is just a huge boost of confidence for me.

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1.4.0 cornsnakes
2.0.3 firebelly toads
1.2.0 redfoot tortoises
3.2.0 ball pythons
1.2.0 beardies
1.0.0 asian water monitor
1.1.0 burmese pythons
1.1.0 basilisks
0.1.0 black tree monitor
1.0.0 Green Iguana
0.1.0 chinese water dragon
2.2.0 redtail boas
1.0.0 CA rock python
1.0.0 emperor scorpion
1.2.0 leopard geckos

actionplant.com

Congratulations! That's fantastic news!
Those are beautiful animals and they are obviously doing really well and feeling very comfortable in your care.
Good luck and keep us posted!

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Andrea

thats nice and all....but what is the animal your talking about? lol. i dont recognize that latin name.

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-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

Varanis beccarii...the Black Tree Monitor.

And we'll see how my female eats. For the first time in her life she took a rat today...which is a huge step and has me feeling very good. However, she's still a little underweight for her size, due to being switched off of that roach diet, so I'm not 100% certain I feel comfortable letting her go gravid yet. I may try to nurse them out of heat and wait one more season.

Either way this is huge, I seem to have discovered the right conditions to put them in the mood...which is a massive step forward.

__________________
1.4.0 cornsnakes
2.0.3 firebelly toads
1.2.0 redfoot tortoises
3.2.0 ball pythons
1.2.0 beardies
1.0.0 asian water monitor
1.1.0 burmese pythons
1.1.0 basilisks
0.1.0 black tree monitor
1.0.0 Green Iguana
0.1.0 chinese water dragon
2.2.0 redtail boas
1.0.0 CA rock python
1.0.0 emperor scorpion
1.2.0 leopard geckos

actionplant.com

Those are very beautiful. Good luck!!

awww..thats great news!! i hope all goes well

Very beautiful monitors!!! Good luck!

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Answers are great. But I prefer questions!

Visit me at www.jaysreptiles.com

And you have every right to be proud! Reproductive activity shows that your husbandry is great! Keep close watch on them and you may be able to record previously unknown knowledge regarding their breeding!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!