Monitor lizards are among the many most extraordinary teams of lizards. Their intelligence, excessive prey drive, and hardy nature make them very alluring pets for reptile keepers. Among the many most affordable of the varanids is the spiny-tailed monitor, higher generally known as the Ackie monitor (Varanus acanthurus). It’s a superbly coloured monitor that lives within the northwestern territories of Australia as a primarily terrestrial reptile with occasional semi-arboreal exercise that feeds on bugs and different reptiles. The title “Ackie” originates from its species title acanthurus and its frequent title derives from the scaly spines down on its tail. When retreating into their burrows, these reptiles will inflate their lungs and block the doorway of their burrows with their tails as a protection mechanism. This species is a part of the subgenera of varanids generally known as Odatria (aka the dwarf screens) which includes the small screens that inhabit Indonesia and Australia. (1)
In recent times, this species has grown in reputation, and for good motive. Their small dimension in comparison with their bigger cousins makes housing one way more affordable, and regardless of being small, they nonetheless possess the innate appeal and persona of a monitor lizard. Ackies even have totally different regional variants, with some being crimson and others being yellow. This supplies unbelievable selection of their look and supplies many coloration choices.
Present your ackie with a number of climbing branches. Photograph by Eric Los Kamp, DVM
Their personalities, when correctly socialized, are unparalleled they usually can develop robust bonds with their homeowners, virtually like that of a canine or cat. Moreover, all Ackies are captive-bred, that means the problems and potential issues of wild-caught specimens reminiscent of parasitic an infection, emaciation, worry of people, and others are diminished. Which means you usually tend to get a wholesome lizard. This text discusses intimately the husbandry of Ackies to make sure that your animal lives a protracted, fulfilling life.
The place to Discover an Ackie Monitor
As beforehand said, the Ackies within the pet commerce are all captive- bred people. Thus, among the finest methods to amass an Ackie is thru a good breeder, of which there are a lot of. You can even sometimes see Ackies at native reptile specialty pet outlets and reptile expos. No matter the place you get your monitor, I all the time suggest getting a visible of the animal, whether or not that’s in particular person or via a video. You need your potential Ackie to be in good physique situation with applicable motion and exercise ranges. Moreover, if the breeder/provider can convey the animal to a certified reptile veterinarian for an examination earlier than buy that can make sure that the animal you might be getting has a clear invoice of well being.
Ackie Monitor Enclosure
As monitor lizards, Ackies require substantial area to have the ability to discover. Whereas the sort and dimension of the enclosure can differ, there are a number of issues that should be met.
Concerning enclosure kind, enclosure supplies want to have the ability to retain warmth and humidity. Very best enclosure supplies embody PVC and wooden. With wooden, care must be taken to deal with the wooden first earlier than inserting the substrate so the enclosure doesn’t rot. Moreover, Ackies are likely to do higher when the perimeters of the enclosure are lined.This will help acclimate a skittish Ackie to its new residence and cut back stress. Because of these elements, glass just isn’t a super enclosure for an Ackie.
You can begin your ackie in a 4’x2’x’2 enclosure. Because it grows, so ought to the enclosure. Photograph by Eric Los Kamp
So long as the environmental parameters of the animal are met, there may be variation within the different facets of the enclosure. Ackie enclosures can have display screen tops with lights on high of the grate, or may be strong with the lights inside. From private expertise, I’ve discovered that the strong enclosures do a significantly better job sustaining warmth and humidity, as much less bulbs should be used. Nonetheless, having the lights within the enclosure does cut back the climbing area of the enclosure, particularly in shorter enclosures. Display screen high enclosures should be modified to scale back warmth and humidity loss, however they’ll present extra alternatives for climbing and substrate.
Enclosure dimension can differ, however a very powerful difficulty is maximizing enclosure area. Begin with a 4’x’2’x2’ or 5’x2.5’x3’ enclosure and go larger from there as they develop. Ideally, the biggest enclosure you’ll be able to present is greatest apply. Smaller enclosures may be modified to maximise the area out there, reminiscent of making the partitions climbable and offering a dig field if a deep substrate layer can’t be supplied all through all the cage.
Enrichment gadgets so as to add to an Ackie enclosure embody slate rock, a number of climbing branches, cork tubes, rock ledges/climbable backgrounds, a number of hides, and a water bowl deep sufficient for the Ackie to soak in however heavy sufficient to not be flipped over. I’ve all the time had nice success with using slate rock for my basking spots, as they maintain warmth very nicely. Climbing branches are key for offering enrichment and train to your Ackie.
Cork tubes fill this position and likewise function an space of refuge to your Ackie. In my most up-to-date Ackie’s enclosure, I’ve buried the cork tubes into the filth to advertise burrow formation. You can even connect cork rounds to the partitions, offering extra dimension to each hides and climbing, which perform equally to magnetic rock ledges and climbable backgrounds. Hides are very important to make sure your Ackie has locations to retreat to if confused. I all the time attempt to partially bury the doorway of the disguise to advertise burrowing behaviors.
Substrate
As a fossorial species, Ackies require deep substrate layers with a view to be wholesome. Within the wild, they’ll simply dig to depths of 1.3 toes for developing their burrows (2). Thus, a minimal of 1 foot of substrate is really useful. This may be supplied all through all the enclosure or in a localized space reminiscent of a dig field. Regardless, the very best substrate for Ackies is a mix of natural topsoil and washed play sand combination. The ratio can differ, however most significantly the highest layer wants to stay dry and the deeper layers moist. Ackies get rather a lot (~70%) of their hydration from humid air by way of pulmocutaneous trade, so offering this depth of substrate is necessary for his or her total well being.(3) That is supported by Dav Kaufman’s observations of humidity in wild Ackie burrows, the place they’ll attain >90% relative humidity (RH). Digital probe thermometers/hygrometers buried into the substrate can be utilized to watch substrate humidity. Biking the substrate to scale back the buildup of fungi/micro organism needs to be carried out usually.
As a fossorial species, Ackies require deep substrate layers with a view to be wholesome. Photograph by Pavel Filatov/Shutterstock
For the quantity of substrate the enclosure wants, it’s extremely really useful to transform enclosures to bioactive set ups. When selecting vegetation to your enclosure, it’s essential to watch out to make sure the vegetation you might be selecting should not poisonous. Regardless that Ackies don’t eat vegetation, if the bugs eat the vegetation, they’ll sequester toxins of their physique that then may be handed to your Ackie. I’ve discovered that grasses reminiscent of Mundo grass are nice additions to Ackie enclosures so long as they don’t seem to be too near the basking spots. With regards to the cleanup crew (CUC), all kinds of invertebrates can be utilized. I personally have had nice success with dwarf white Isopods and springtail species. You possibly can add different invertebrates reminiscent of superworms; nevertheless, the beetles will propagate uncontrollably and might overrun an enclosure.
Temperature and Lighting
As diurnal Australian reptiles, Ackies require highly regarded basking spot temperatures. Nonetheless, a super basking spot ought to present a gradient of a number of basking spot temperatures, in order that the animal can select an applicable temperature it needs to be at. This may be completed with the utilization of a Rete’s stack (rock or plywood with areas in between), slaterock, or picket branches of various distances from the basking spot. The temperature vary of this basking spot needs to be between 120 to 150 levels Fahrenheit (48.9 to 65.6 levels Celsius), and this needs to be monitored with an infrared temperature gun.
Each Ackie goes to have a special most popular basking spot temperature, thus it’s essential to monitor your animal’s basking behaviors to make sure you have the suitable thermal gradients. Ackies are intermittent baskers, that means they are going to spend small intervals of time basking in between their regular every day actions. In case your Ackie is basking for extended intervals of time or avoids the basking spot, you would wish to extend or lower the basking spot temperatures, respectively.
Present a number of basking ranges so your ackie can select which is its favourite basking spot at any explicit time. Photograph by Eric Los Kamp
For ambient temperatures, of their native ranges Ackies usually will expertise temperatures starting from 59 to 90 levels Fahrenheit (15 to 32.2 levels Celsius). (3) For the enclosure, really useful ambient temperatures ought to vary from 80 to 85 levels Fahrenheit (26.7 to 29.4 levels Celsius), with areas nearer to the basking spot reaching 90 levels Fahrenheit (32.2 levels Celsius). Ambient temperatures needs to be monitored with a number of digital thermometers/hygrometers on each the nice and cozy and the cool aspect of the enclosure to make sure correct thermal gradients.
As a diurnal reptile of open environments, ultraviolet (UV) supplementation is obligatory. The Ackie monitor is a partial/open solar basker/Ferguson Zone 3 reptile with a UVI zone vary of 1.0 to 2.6 and a most UVI of two.9 to 7.4 within the basking zone. UVB supplementation may be supplied in a wide range of alternative ways, from LED tubes or fluorescent bulbs to mercury vapor bulbs. I’ve used a mixture of all of those in varied enclosures, and all of those bulbs have their execs and cons.
In my most present arrange, I’ve a ten.0 LED tube that extends half the enclosure size. General, I really feel the LED tubes present the very best protection of UVB supplementation for Ackies. No matter the kind of UVB bulb used, offering areas the place your Ackie can escape the UVB lighting is essential as nicely, therefore why I don’t suggest having full cage UVB lighting. All UVB bulbs have to be changed in accordance with the producers suggestions to make sure optimum output.
Apart from UVB supplementation, offering LED bulbs are additionally essential for illuminating enclosures, as warmth bulbs and UVB lighting alone could also be inadequate to totally illuminate an enclosure. Whatever the lighting fixtures utilized in an enclosure, Ackies needs to be supplied a 12 hour day/night time cycle to advertise wholesome circadian rhythms and pure environmental biking.
Ackie Monitor Humidity
Whereas the ambient humidity of the habitats Ackies stay in are usually low, they don’t seem to be uncovered to those low humidity ranges chronically. Continual publicity to low humidity ranges (30% RH or much less) can result in dehydration and renal illness. As said earlier, their burrows are literally areas of excessive humidity, and Ackies will typically discover humid microclimates to spend their time. (4) Thus, I attempt to keep up humidity gradients of fifty to 80% RH in the course of the day, with substrate and nighttime humidity approaching larger than 90% RH. Humidity needs to be monitored with a number of digital thermometers/hygrometers on the nice and cozy and funky aspect of the enclosure to make sure applicable gradients are maintained.
Humidity may be maintained with a deep substrate layer, water bowls positioned near the basking spot, stay vegetation within the enclosure, substrate biking, and occasional misting. To assist with shedding and promote extra hydration, a heat water soak as soon as every week may be carried out for 15 to twenty minutes. Water mustn’t lengthen past the highest of the Ackie’s toes, and baths needs to be began at shorter durations to regularly acclimate the Ackie to bathing.
Feeding Ackie Screens
As said beforehand, Ackies within the wild are predominantly insectivores with frequent consumption of smaller lizards. The most typical prey gadgets that kind the weight-reduction plan embody grasshoppers/locusts, beetles, lizards, and cockroaches.(1) Captive diets ought to attempt to copy related dietary proportions, with the majority of the weight-reduction plan forming grasshoppers (if authorized in your space), then totally different roach species (Dubia, Discoid, Pink Runner, and so forth.), beetles and their larvae, and a wide range of different bugs reminiscent of crickets, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, and hornworms. Bugs reminiscent of superworms and waxworms needs to be averted as a result of extreme fats consumption. I typically will substitute these for big mealworms. All bugs needs to be gut-loaded with excessive calcium diets and supplemented with calcium with out D3 at each meal and a multivitamin with energetic Vitamin A as soon as every week. With the dearth of a top quality captive-bred feeder lizard inhabitants, lizards shouldn’t be provided presently. Moreover, non-invertebrate meals gadgets reminiscent of scrambled egg, mice, chicks, and floor turkey shouldn’t be provided. These meals are excessive in dietary fats and might result in weight problems if provided in adequate portions. If provided, these ought to solely be given as a really uncommon deal with and closely supplemented.
Hatchling Ackies needs to be fed every day, juveniles ( as much as 6 months) needs to be fed each different day to 3 instances every week, and adults (1 12 months and up) needs to be fed two to 3 instances every week. A standard, and sadly incorrect, feeding suggestion on the quantity of prey gadgets to supply per meal is as many because the animal will soak up a given interval. That is executed as a result of screens are sometimes seen to have increased metabolic calls for in comparison with different lizards; nevertheless, research present that varanids truly would not have totally different metabolic charges in comparison with different lizards.(5) Moreover, research on wild Ackies discovered their contemporary meals consumption fee (the quantity of meals matter they soak up a day) to be 13.2g/kg/day. (3) Thus, a 100 gram Ackie would solely require 1.32 grams of meals per feeding to keep up itself. I take advantage of this calculation and meals scales to weigh out insect parts to make sure my lizard is getting an applicable quantity of meals. This apply of weighing out meals will help cut back the chance of your Ackie growing illnesses reminiscent of weight problems and gout.
Beginning insect colonies are a super and financially aware choice to offer the bugs your Ackie requires via its totally different life phases. I preserve a discoid roach colony and have had nice success sustaining them in a butterfly cage and offering upkeep meals within the type of romaine lettuce, bell peppers, and different vegetable scraps to make sure the bugs are wholesome and propagating.
Interplay
Among the best qualities of getting an Ackie as a pet is to work together with it, and lots of of my fondest recollections with my Ackies have been once they willingly climb onto my arm and out of the enclosure. Like different screens, Ackies are very smart, thus belief have to be established earlier than you’ll be able to deal with your animal, particularly as a hatchling.
Whereas there’s multiple solution to socialize your monitor, among the finest strategies I’ve seen and personally used is Kevin McCurley’s “Threads of Belief” method. I ensure that my lizard is aware of that my presence within the enclosure is as pure as any of the branches or rocks. I’ll typically place the enclosure in a room with reasonable site visitors. You don’t need the enclosure to be in an space with numerous stimulation as this may occasionally stress out your animal. Conversely, if the enclosure is in a comparatively quiet space, any motion via the room could cause vital stress.
I are likely to let my Ackie alter to its new enclosure for not less than 4 to 5 days earlier than interacting with it. Throughout this adjustment section, if I’m placing meals within the enclosure, I’ll use tongs to take action to assist construct the affiliation between tongs and meals. As soon as my Ackie is nicely adjusted, I’ll begin tong feeding and easily laying my hand within the enclosure. As I do that extra, I’ll slowly transfer my hand in the direction of the monitor with my palm dealing with down. I attempt to keep away from eye contact if attainable to reduce stress.
Over time, this finally desensitizes the Ackie to the touch they usually typically will climb on my hand. All through this course of, you need to make sure that your monitor is making good, lengthy tongue flicks. That is an indicator that they’re in a “considering mode” and being curious over reactive. At this level, many Ackies will then begin to wander and discover the enclosure even with my presence within the enclosure. I proceed to maintain my arm stationary throughout this section, as I don’t want my lizard to understand I’m chasing it via the enclosure. Ultimately, the monitor will take its first steps on my arm after which out of the enclosure. Don’t make any sudden actions and easily help your monitor because it crawls onto you. If it jumps off your shoulder, that’s okay, merely choose it up gently and permit it to stroll again into the enclosure.
Folks will typically say if belief is damaged, it’s essential to restart the entire means of socializing. I’ve not discovered this to be true. If my Ackie will get spooked, I let it go right into a protected area and can both wait within the enclosure till it comes out of its hiding spot or will finish that interplay and begin once more at a later time.
There are some necessary issues to recollect when interacting with Ackies. Each monitor is their very own particular person. Every Ackie I’ve owned has had a singular persona regardless of being the identical species. Some Ackies could by no means tame down totally, some could take rather a lot longer than others, and a few could not want a lot work in any respect. Go at your Ackie’s tempo and don’t rush it. Moreover, be aware that though small, Ackies can nonetheless ship a robust chew and infrequently is not going to let go willingly. These bites are sometimes mistaking fingers for meals or in the event that they really feel threatened. Appropriately studying your Ackie’s physique language and never triggering your monitor’s prey drive (pulling fingers away rapidly, wiggling fingers, and so forth) will help cut back this considerably.
Conclusion
Ackies are by far my favourite species to maintain in my private assortment. They’re the species that bought me again into reptile maintaining. Having the privilege to share my life with these unbelievable reptiles is one thing I’m grateful for on a regular basis. Whereas the preliminary arrange and studying curve may be steep, every day upkeep tends to be very minimal which leaves extra time to completely take pleasure in all of the issues that make Ackies superb.
References
- Ki1ng , D. (2008). The Eating regimen and Foraging Technique of Varanus acanthurus. Biawak, 2(1), 11–17. D
- Doody, J. S., McHenry, C. R., & Clulow, S. (2017). Varanus acanthurus (Spiny-tailed Monitor Lizard). Communal nesting and commensalism. Herpetological Overview, 48(1), 203–203.
- Dryden, G., Inexperienced, B., King, D., & Losos, J. (1990). Water and vitality turnover in a small monitor lizard, Varanus acanthurus. Wildlife Analysis, 17(6), 641–646. https://doi.org/10.1071/wr9900641
- Pavón-Vázquez, C. J., Esquerré, D., Fitch, A. J., Maryan, B., Doughty, P., Donnellan, S. C., & Keogh, J. S. (2022). Between a rock and a dry place: Phylogenomics, biogeography, and systematics of Ridge-tailed screens (squamata: Varanidae: Varanus acanthurus complicated). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 173, 107516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107516
- Thompson, G. G., & Withers, P. C. (1997). Normal and maximal metabolic charges of Goannas (Squamata: Varanidae). Physiological Zoology, 70(3), 307–323. https://doi.org/10.1086/639605
