how 'r them lil' bug eaters comin' along ?
still too early for progress pics ? (i know you don't wanna wig 'em out...)
short update would be fine...
ck

Short update you want then short update you shall have, my little punam.

All 5 are out of the egg and in their baby cage. They are spending most of their time hiding. Quite normal.

One little bugger has more chutzpah then the others and he has made a few appearances. Checking out the cage, testing its limits, doing the lemme try to walk through the glass thing. Caught two of them basking this morning but they scurried into hiding. They are going to be *very* shy for about another week. Then they will start coming into their own.

I did put some crickets in there the other day and they are gone. I checked all over, gone. So some of them are eating at least. I also gave them a dish of fresh ground turkey and some of that disappeared as well. But of course I dont know who has started feeding and who hasnt. I do know at least one and probably two have started feeding.

The last guy was late coming out of the egg so he will be pulling up the rear as far as development.

They are on paper towels right now and they hate it. I only do that for a little while to give their little bellies a chance to heal and also for feeding. Im not one to be paranoid about impactions but for the first two weeks or so when they are so little and so stupid I worry a little. I dont want to use a particle substrate since Im afraid they will swallow some. They have to learn how to eat. Once Im confident they are all feeding its bye bye paper and they go on 6" of my varanid dirt mix.

I did provide them with a humidity box filled with moist spagnum moss and Ive seen the little buggers hanging out in there. Im trying to cover all my bases. Their cage is humid but with babies you gotta be so careful as they dry out easy. So just in case the cage humidity drops a little they have the shelter to retreat to. And they were using it quite a bit at first so that told me "More humidity please". I hear ya boys. Since Ive cranked the humidity I dont see them in there as often. They go in, they dig around, but I havent caught 4 of them in there at the same time in a while. Listen to the lizards they will tell you everything.

One has taken up the banjo. I find this unusual since varanids usually prefer percussion instruments. Hes pretty good, too.

Ill be taking some pics soon. Just dont wanna mess with them too much. But all are alive and appear to be ok. Fingers crossed still this is the scary time period.

V thanks for the update. I'm sooo excited to see more pics of those lil guys.

V thanks for the update. I'm sooo excited to see more pics of those lil guys.

Thanks for all the kind words Tama.

I would have really thought one would have picked up the bongo...but banjo's can be nice to I suppose :rockon:

Thats good news brother. Glad to hear you're having some food is disappearing.. Hows there tude?

Ackies have really good 'tudes, Boss. They start out shy as babies and then as they get a little bigger they get big cajones.

They are bold and will take food from your hands. They dont run when you enter the room. They just dont care. Not mean either. They are not as docile as say a bearded dragon which will just sit on your head. The ackies, if picked up, like to be able to move around a little from hand to hand. But they will settle down and relax. They arent nervous lizards. Very curious though. If Im screwing around in a cage with adults in it they will sometimes come over to see what Im doing.

Babies dont usually snap. They are just nervous. Ive had a couple hatchlings in the past take a wack at me but they just thought I was food. Their little mouths are so tiny they cant really do anything. But once they overcome their shyness and really start with the chow look out. They will come gitcha.

And Ive never had an ackie at any age try to tail whip me. I dont even know if they do that. Ive never seen it. Never been hissed at by one. They just chill. Every time Ive been bit it had something to do with food and me being careless.

As adults they really are just about fearless.

I wanna see the banjo playin' one :wamma: I'm glad to know they are OK.

i too am a big fan of banjo playing varanids, so i second quig's aforementioned request. let's see that sucker play !

ck

Oooh boy it was hard enough getting them to hatch.

Now you people actually expect one to play the banjo??

Alright, I'll give it a try...