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Anyone keep these? I just got a pair of red ackies for free. Woowho! I'll get pictures up as soon as I can borrow a digi cam.
Mike
Mike
Varanus acanthurus
- Thread starter Lasiodora
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Wow...free???
Lucky guy, I used to work with these when I worked for Rare Earth...great,great, GREAT lizards. The dwarf monitors are awsome. The Ackies have so much personality, they were one of my favorites. Second only to the he Kimberly rocks we had.
Wade
Lucky guy, I used to work with these when I worked for Rare Earth...great,great, GREAT lizards. The dwarf monitors are awsome. The Ackies have so much personality, they were one of my favorites. Second only to the he Kimberly rocks we had.
Wade
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God...Now that I've been corrected (Thinking Argus and Ackies were the same thanks to bad petstore advice) I'm going to have an even harder time resisting these...
Hurry up with the pictures ;P
Hurry up with the pictures ;P
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Here's the female. It's not the best pic because these guys don't stay still and the lighting was bad.The other one did not want to pose. They are both still shedding so their colors aren't at their fullest.
Mike
Mike
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Here's a shot of her back. The darker patch is where she still has old skin.
Mike
Mike
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NICE! Again, I am jealous.
Wade
Wade
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Thanks Wade,
You said you worked with them at rare earth. Did you find that the females were easy to distinguish from males. When they were adults of course. They were given to me as a pair and I think they are. I've had a couple of differing opinions on which of the two is the female. I have an idea myself. They are both a year old. I'd just like another opinion. I am eventually going to get another known female.
Mike
You said you worked with them at rare earth. Did you find that the females were easy to distinguish from males. When they were adults of course. They were given to me as a pair and I think they are. I've had a couple of differing opinions on which of the two is the female. I have an idea myself. They are both a year old. I'd just like another opinion. I am eventually going to get another known female.
Mike
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I don't remember seeing anything noticeably different between the males and females, but it's been a couple of years. When I started there, the breeding groups were already set up and established, so I'm not sure how they determined which were which. I remember that the owner was able to tell thell them apart by examining the underside, but again I can't remember what he was looking for, sorry (femoral pores? hemipenile buldge?).
I did read an interview with the guy who ran the Goanna Ranch (Frank somebody) and he suspected that the sex of the dwarf monitors (and probably many others) did not really develop until sometime after hatching, and that it might actually be effected by the presence of other monitors. He based this thought on his observations that after having raised (and sold to others) many, many unsexed trios of hatchling and he never saw a group where all three grew to be the same sex, there was always a 2:1 or a 1:2 ratio.
Good luck with those, hopefully you'll get eggs. When I was at RE they were selling hatchlings for like $600 to $800 dollars! I don't think they command anything like that now, but they are still in high demand. We had them in large cages, 2' x 6' with a large rubbermaid "Roughneck" container (the shorter one) with a round hole in the lid and filled with a moist mixture of sand and bed-a-beast as a nest box. They also cooled the room to the low 60's in the winter. During the warmer season, we fed very heavily, alternating crickets with diced fuzzies.
Wade
I did read an interview with the guy who ran the Goanna Ranch (Frank somebody) and he suspected that the sex of the dwarf monitors (and probably many others) did not really develop until sometime after hatching, and that it might actually be effected by the presence of other monitors. He based this thought on his observations that after having raised (and sold to others) many, many unsexed trios of hatchling and he never saw a group where all three grew to be the same sex, there was always a 2:1 or a 1:2 ratio.
Good luck with those, hopefully you'll get eggs. When I was at RE they were selling hatchlings for like $600 to $800 dollars! I don't think they command anything like that now, but they are still in high demand. We had them in large cages, 2' x 6' with a large rubbermaid "Roughneck" container (the shorter one) with a round hole in the lid and filled with a moist mixture of sand and bed-a-beast as a nest box. They also cooled the room to the low 60's in the winter. During the warmer season, we fed very heavily, alternating crickets with diced fuzzies.
Wade
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Wade,
They were probably looking for hemipenile bulges. I don't believe monitors have femoral pores. What Frank Retes thinks is interesting, but it could have been coincidence. I have them set up on sand and coco already. They are doing great. Their prices have dropped but they are still pricey and I'd still keep them regardless of their worth. They are just so alert. When I walk in my room they look up and make eye contact and look to see what I'm up to.
Thanks again
Mike
They were probably looking for hemipenile bulges. I don't believe monitors have femoral pores. What Frank Retes thinks is interesting, but it could have been coincidence. I have them set up on sand and coco already. They are doing great. Their prices have dropped but they are still pricey and I'd still keep them regardless of their worth. They are just so alert. When I walk in my room they look up and make eye contact and look to see what I'm up to.
Thanks again
Mike
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Update
Well the two ackies I recieved turned out to be yellow ackies, not red. After months of watching their behavior, I finally determined the pair to be both males. I just bought a pair of babies that I will pick up at the white plains show that I hope will be females.
Here are some pics of the cage I built. It is 48"x24" and is made of melamine. The hinged lid is made of pine and acrylic, with a small portion of screening under the heat lamp.
Well the two ackies I recieved turned out to be yellow ackies, not red. After months of watching their behavior, I finally determined the pair to be both males. I just bought a pair of babies that I will pick up at the white plains show that I hope will be females.
Here are some pics of the cage I built. It is 48"x24" and is made of melamine. The hinged lid is made of pine and acrylic, with a small portion of screening under the heat lamp.
Hi Mike,
I am supremely jealous! I've been wanting to get some Ackies for some time, but i'm putting it off at the moment dues to a lack of space and the fact that i dont want any more long term commitments at this stage in my life. I've heard to many great things about them though, its getting hard to resist. How much do they cost over there? In the UK they aren't cheap, about £150 each. I thonk they areworth it though, especially as they are meant to be relatively easy to breed.
How tame have you found yours to be, are they in the bearded dragon category of tameness?
Cheers,
I am supremely jealous! I've been wanting to get some Ackies for some time, but i'm putting it off at the moment dues to a lack of space and the fact that i dont want any more long term commitments at this stage in my life. I've heard to many great things about them though, its getting hard to resist. How much do they cost over there? In the UK they aren't cheap, about £150 each. I thonk they areworth it though, especially as they are meant to be relatively easy to breed.
How tame have you found yours to be, are they in the bearded dragon category of tameness?
Cheers,
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Babies go for about $125 here. It all depends on the bloodlines. They are well worth the money though. They don't exceed 3', eat a diet which is primarily made up of invertebrates, and can be kept in groups. They are also very active, inquisitive, and agile. To be honest, I don't handle mine. They are defintely not biters but will squirm when I pick them up to examine them. I actually sit at my desk and watch them interact, dig for mealworms, and chase crickets. From what I hear though, they tame down pretty well. I love them and can't wait to pick up the other little guys this weekend.
Mike
Mike
I really want a Red Ackie. I like monitors but I am only able to keep dwarf species. I have a Timor Monitor which is really cool and nice looking except they are not as handable as ackies.
Can you guys recommend a place where they sell captive bred ackies? Theres a place around here but they are $200. I wanna see what othr places have to offer. Thanks
Can you guys recommend a place where they sell captive bred ackies? Theres a place around here but they are $200. I wanna see what othr places have to offer. Thanks
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Try placing an ad in the classifieds at varanusweb.com I don't think you'll find them any cheaper than $125-200 depending on the size and color of course. Local breeders will sometimes be willing to work on the price if you buy a couple at a time. Good luck on your search.
Mike
Mike