Black roughneck Monitors~ CB breeding?
 

I used to keep a pair of Black roughnecks~ Varanus rudicollis~ which I had to sell for a number of reasons about two years ago. When I was keeping the pair they bred several times~ and I got eggs from her a couple times but I was never able to successfully hatch the eggs. My understanding at the time (a couple YEARS ago) was that no hobbyists had succeeded in Captive Breeding AND Hatching Varnus rudicollis at that point. Well~ today I read in the classifieds here where a fellow says

That read to me that he bred the parents and successfully hatched the eggs. I'm really very interested in the methods he used if this is a fact. I doubt I'll get another pair of Rudis but that doesn't stop me from being interested. I thought about posting in his ad to ask about the methods~ but was afraid that would look and sound like I was challenging the authenticity of his ad. Thats not my intent~ what I want to know is..........

HAS someone successfully bred and hatched Rudi's in Captivity?
Anyone got pics and/or info on what methods, temps, incubation times and mediums were used?
Thanks!

Breeding them is not an easy feat in any sort i will say that there are plenty of times that i got there to late to do anything about the Rudicollis damaging them. I have been playing with them for a while but failed alot, Really to much of a headache to justify the low clutch size and the eggs actually hatching.

I really cant say our of 4 eggs 2 hatched to my amazement. As far as husbandry goes I have several 4'x5'x6 1/2' arboreal cages i built and threw them in there. I would allow them hib time for about 3-4 months with just the room temp to accomodate them. After which i turned up the heat so to say and nature took its coarse. I found the eggs in the corner after investigating what i thought was feces.

I incubated them a total of 74 days at a constant 85 deg F at 100% humitity and as luck would have it i got 2 hatch and 2 duds.

I did this starting out, I had bred Panoptes alot so i figured i could do the Rudicollis but I know several people that have successfully bred them in captivity to a much more successful rate than i did.

As far as photos I need to find them they are hard copy I didnt have a digi cam at the time but i will scan and post in reply.

Wow~ thats cool. I hope you can find the pics. I'd love to see what a fertile egg looks like. My girl laid more than 4 per clutch~ but I can't recall exactly how many. I have pics~ and I suspect the eggs she laid for me never were fertile despite the adults seeming to breed CONSTANTLY!

This is what her eggs looked like~
http://thereddragonsden.com/images/B...gs2_small1.jpg

http://thereddragonsden.com/images/Rico/eggs1_small.jpg

and as I said I suspect there were infertile though I did try incubating the different clutches at different temps. I don't recall for sure~ but I think I tried with 3 clutches~ then I separated the adults because I was planning a move across country. The female developed another clutch of eggs anyway and became egg bound on them and thats why I had to sell the pair. The vet said she would continue to produce eggs even if I didn't allow them to breed~ and if she became egg bound on a drive across country it would kill her. They were great lizards though~ and I do miss them! I have SO Many projects going now I can't see getting another pair~ but I would love to see some pics of a success with them and maybe get an idea what I was doing wrong.

When does the cooling time Start and end?