Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[AS]

I have posted this topic myself on a few other forums, and have read other peoples posts on this topic with interest, and I would like to know what everyone here thanks too.
Let me start out by saying that I have no intention of attempting to acquire an olivaceous myself, nor do I have any other commercial interest in this species. As was said to me before, I think that the money one would spend on this species is better off being donated to conservation projects in the Philippines.
With that said, the purpose of this post is to get people thinking about how they would maintain olivaceous in captivity, what you would offer the animal and why. I'm not just talking about the issue of the widely misunderstood diet, I really want to hear any ideas or theories you may have about this species, although if you do have any opinion on the their diet feel free to chime in.
Although many of us may never have the opportunity to work with this species, that doesn't mean we can't have some fun kicking a few ideas around and seeing where it takes us.
Regards, AS

[Sean]

Hello AS,

Its puzzles me why you are interested in V. olivaceus and V. bengalensis and monitors alike if you say that you have no interest in keeping them. Why do you want to know how they rate as captives then? I too read your post on the other forums. Varanus olivaceus I personally have no interest in them because I do not think they are very appealing to the eye and especially when they are older they become much duller and the same for bengalensis as well. A few years ago I was offered an adult sexed trio of olivaceus but like I said I do not find them very appealing. They are in Europe but not many so they must be being sustained on some diet that is not their natural. I think although I have never kept this species they are probably opportunists when it come to food like most monitors are.

[Sean]

AS I know you keep monitors because you have told me so before, what I mean by monitors alike are the ones that are considered rare or hard to acquire which you always seem to ask about and how they fare and if anybody as any experience which such animals in captivity. You yourself told me that you were wanting bengalensis.

[AS]

OK point taken, and yes I know I said I wanted bengalensis, I also told you about the problem I had with getting them, I mentioned it because you said I kept saying that I had no commercial interest but kept asking about rare species as captives. I asked questions about bengals because I was preparing to get them and olivaceous because their ecology interests me. Aside from that I have never asked about animals like griseus, flavescens, komodoensis, zugorum, eremius and giganteus all rare and or difficult monitors to obtain ( and I actually spoke to a first time keeper who wanted a k dragon to go with the black mamba he wanted, so there are people more annoying than me out there;, the sorry thing was that someone had actually offered to get him one for the right price, so before anyone says that komodos aren't out there they are); do they interest me, like all monitors, of course, but I have never asked questions because a) I have no interest in attempting to acquire them (at the moment any way, and never will with komodos before you say) and b) I have read plenty on the requirements of the above mentioned species. I asked about olivaceous and bengals because there is little in the way of information on them (aside from the Auffenberg books that I cant track down for love nor money)
Like I said, the debate surrounding the actual dietary requirements of olivaceous interest me and they seem to be so contentious amongst more experienced than I, and that was the whole point of the post to defer to those more experienced than me and to see what other hobbyists thought, it was the reasoning behind the ideas that interest me.
Anyway, the amount of controversy and conflict that a seemingly innocent inquiry has caused on a number of forums has left me somewhat bewildered so I think it best just to pretend I never asked anything in the first place.
If I have done anything to offend you on a personal level, then I apologise for that as well
Regards, AJS

[Sean]

Hey there is no need to apologize you have not offended me or done anything wrong. Like I said it just puzzled me.

Anyway I too like some of the hard to acquire varanus but only the ones that appeal to my preference, some just don't appeal to me. My interest in keeping is to breed some of these species as you will know I have the griseus.

[arborgoanna]

My apologies, this post was supposed to be for this thread, as opposed to the newer Varanus olivaceus thread, and is more appropriately posted here:

From the topics of many of your posts on this forum as well as others, it is very easy for fellow forum participant like myself to misunderstand your motives or interests, since the majority of your posts involve inquiries about rare or potentially difficult species to acquire. For example:

your inquiry of Varanus bengalensis vietnamensis:
http://www.varanus.nl/forum1/viewtopic.php?id=89
http://www.varanus.net/cgi-bin/eboard30/index2.cgi?board=Main&message=14787&mode=Current&frames=no

your 'rant' on how it wasn't fair that you were unable to acquire CITES I paperwork for a protected species:
http://www.varanus.net/cgi-bin/eboard30/index2.cgi?board=Main&message=14831&mode=Current&frames=no

your inquiry of Varanus glebopalma being kept in Europe
http://www.captivebred.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3225

your inquiry of the availability of Lanthanotus boreneensis in the pet trade
http://www.varanus.nl/forum1/viewtopic.php?id=131

your inquiry into the captive care/diet of V. olivaceus- "if any of us are ever lucky enough to get one"
http://www.varanus.nl/forum1/viewtopic.php?id=139

Like I said before, it would be very easy for people like Sean or myself to misunderstand your motives when the majority of your posts on varanid fora deal with either the acquisition or care of rare and/or protected species. Not to take any sides on this matter, but I do feel that Sean's comments were justified, given the history of your posts. To the everyday forum peruser, it would seem as though you were only interested in obtaining rare or dificult to attain species.

Again, I am not trying to take sides on this matter or start any arguments, as I am unaware of your ambitions or goals pertaining to monitor lizards. I thought that I would share my thoughts on this matter, based on the similarity between your posts over the past couple of months. I can understand where Sean is coming from with his thoughts.

[AS]

Guess I must come across as some kind of fickle, status obsessed inadequate when you list all my posts like that, honestly though it is because I am interested in the status of these animals as captives and why people keep them the way they do (if they are kept that is) like I keep saying it is the theory that interests me. Also, due to ill health and university commitments I have lost touch with most of my contacts in the industry and thought the forums would be a good way to catch up. Like I said before I asked about bengals because I was intending to keep them, the others interest me but not particularly the idea of keeping them myself.
You mention my rant, my license was turned down because the guy was jealous that I attend Oxford university and he went to Northampton; also he cheerfully admitted never having kept an animal in his life and I felt angry being judged by him. Also he became very threatening when I stopped subjugating myself (in the interests of remedying the situation) and started being assertive,
Like I said, I can see how I must have come across when you list my posts like that, I have always been very inquisitive about everything herp related, I never had any ulterior motives but I guess that didn't come across on various forums. Sorry if I caused anyone offense or concern regarding my intentions.
AS