Post by Roughneck on Nov 15, 2012 13:37:26 GMT -5
This was copied from: www.ehow.com/how_7778301_breed-roughneck-monitors.html
How to Breed Roughneck Monitors
By Brenton Shields, eHow Contributor
Roughneck monitors are very difficult to breed, but with a little luck on your side you may be able to pull it off.
Breeding roughneck monitors is an extremely difficult task that requires a great amount of patience and, most likely, multiple attempts before it is accomplished. In fact, breeding these large lizards in captivity has only been documented 21 times in history. However, if you still wish to proceed, there is a basic procedure for inducing roughneck monitor reproduction that can be done fairly easily provided you already have a temperature-controlled enclosure large enough for two animals (at least 6 feet long and 4 feet wide) and a breeding pair that are at least 3 years old. A good amount of experience dealing with reptiles is a good bonus
1.Establish the breeding pair in their enclosure for at least a month. Over this time, the two should be fed regularly according to basic roughneck monitor care guidelines, and their enclosure's temperature should be maintained around 85 to 90 degrees F during the day with a drop to around 74 degrees F at night. Humidity should be between 70 to 90 percent, and a basking spot with a temperature around 110 degrees F should be provided.
2.Gradually drop the daytime temperature in the enclosure to around 65 degrees F. Drop the average daytime temperature by about 2 degrees per week. The nighttime temperature can drop to around 59 degrees F. A basking spot should still be provided, but use a lower-wattage bulb to bring the temperature down to around 75 degrees F. The humidity should remain the same. This will induce a winter cooling period, simulating what happens in the wild. This temperature should be maintained for 2 months.
3.Warm the temperatures by about 2 degrees per week until average daytime temperature is between 85 to 90 degrees F again, and bring the basking spot back up to the original 110 degrees F. Combine this by doubling the animals' feeding regimens (give them twice as much food) to induce the female's ovulation and the pair's breeding cycle.
4.Place a cat litter box filled with topsoil in the enclosure to serve as a nesting box where the female will eventually lay her eggs. However, you won't need to if the enclosure, itself, has a substrate of topsoil.
5.Wait for the two to breed. The male will nudge the female, and the two will eventually entangle. After a few weeks, the female will dig in the topsoil and lay her eggs. She will lay one to three clutches over this time period, with each clutch containing two to 14 eggs.
6.Prepare a breeding cup. This cup can be made of Styrofoam and filled with a 50-50 vermiculite and water substrate. A plastic lid with several holes punched in it should also be included.
7.Remove the laid eggs from the enclosure and place each one in a breeding cup. Be careful not to turn or flip the eggs.
8.Place the breeding cup in a reptile incubator, which should keep the eggs warm (between 81 and 90 degrees F) and provide a 100 percent humidity level. If your incubator does not have a humidifier, you will need to spray the eggs several times a day with warm water. After 90 to 160 days, the eggs will begin to hatch.
9.Immediately place the hatchling monitor in its own small enclosure (29-gallon tank), which should have identical temperature gradients to your breeding enclosure. The babies should be fed small crickets as it grows. You can keep pairs together, but they may need to be separated as they grow.
How to Breed Roughneck Monitors
By Brenton Shields, eHow Contributor
Roughneck monitors are very difficult to breed, but with a little luck on your side you may be able to pull it off.
Breeding roughneck monitors is an extremely difficult task that requires a great amount of patience and, most likely, multiple attempts before it is accomplished. In fact, breeding these large lizards in captivity has only been documented 21 times in history. However, if you still wish to proceed, there is a basic procedure for inducing roughneck monitor reproduction that can be done fairly easily provided you already have a temperature-controlled enclosure large enough for two animals (at least 6 feet long and 4 feet wide) and a breeding pair that are at least 3 years old. A good amount of experience dealing with reptiles is a good bonus
1.Establish the breeding pair in their enclosure for at least a month. Over this time, the two should be fed regularly according to basic roughneck monitor care guidelines, and their enclosure's temperature should be maintained around 85 to 90 degrees F during the day with a drop to around 74 degrees F at night. Humidity should be between 70 to 90 percent, and a basking spot with a temperature around 110 degrees F should be provided.
2.Gradually drop the daytime temperature in the enclosure to around 65 degrees F. Drop the average daytime temperature by about 2 degrees per week. The nighttime temperature can drop to around 59 degrees F. A basking spot should still be provided, but use a lower-wattage bulb to bring the temperature down to around 75 degrees F. The humidity should remain the same. This will induce a winter cooling period, simulating what happens in the wild. This temperature should be maintained for 2 months.
3.Warm the temperatures by about 2 degrees per week until average daytime temperature is between 85 to 90 degrees F again, and bring the basking spot back up to the original 110 degrees F. Combine this by doubling the animals' feeding regimens (give them twice as much food) to induce the female's ovulation and the pair's breeding cycle.
4.Place a cat litter box filled with topsoil in the enclosure to serve as a nesting box where the female will eventually lay her eggs. However, you won't need to if the enclosure, itself, has a substrate of topsoil.
5.Wait for the two to breed. The male will nudge the female, and the two will eventually entangle. After a few weeks, the female will dig in the topsoil and lay her eggs. She will lay one to three clutches over this time period, with each clutch containing two to 14 eggs.
6.Prepare a breeding cup. This cup can be made of Styrofoam and filled with a 50-50 vermiculite and water substrate. A plastic lid with several holes punched in it should also be included.
7.Remove the laid eggs from the enclosure and place each one in a breeding cup. Be careful not to turn or flip the eggs.
8.Place the breeding cup in a reptile incubator, which should keep the eggs warm (between 81 and 90 degrees F) and provide a 100 percent humidity level. If your incubator does not have a humidifier, you will need to spray the eggs several times a day with warm water. After 90 to 160 days, the eggs will begin to hatch.
9.Immediately place the hatchling monitor in its own small enclosure (29-gallon tank), which should have identical temperature gradients to your breeding enclosure. The babies should be fed small crickets as it grows. You can keep pairs together, but they may need to be separated as they grow.