Undersized Ackie Monitor?
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Hello all, was wondering if I could get some opinions on my ackie. I acquired Droma early January in 2016, presumably he (or she, looking more female to me) was already a month or so old before I received him. I estimate he is about 16-17 months old, and is about 90 grams and 12 inches long (would be a little longer, had an incident where he lost a bit of his tail). Based on what I've seen of ackies, that seems to be a lot smaller than normal for his age.
He is housed in a custom AP cage, measuring 4ft by 2ft, by 3ft deep. His substrate is a sand/dirt mixture which is 12 inches deep and is moistened regularly so it can hold burrows. I have lots of cork bark to provide hiding and enrichment. His hot spot is about 140 F and the ambient temp gradients from 90-80 degrees, provided by a ceramic heat emitter. UVB is provided by a 36 inch ReptiSun T8 10.0 bulb. He is very active and goes between basking, digging, exploring, and hiding in his burrows. I feed him mainly dubias (with pinkies/fuzzies as an occasional treat), as much as he can eat in a sitting, but he usually needs a few days before he is hungry again. I am looking for any advice or comments on my ackie's size and what I could be doing differently to promote growth. Thanks! |
Would be more than appreciated if someone chimed in! 134 views and no replies.
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Hi,
I never kept an ackie, so I cant comment on his lenth or size for its age. You can try young adult or adult mice, something with more bone, meat and fat then a pinkie or fuzzie, which has nothing really developed on it yet. Maybe that will bulk him/her up a bit. Your set up sounds pretty good. Bob |
Your input is much appreciated Bob. I will be sure to get some adult mice with my next frozen feeder order and try it out.
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Well - I agree feeding more will help it bulk up and gain some length. It's also possible that you just have a runt of the litter. Still even if that is case - you have at least 6 months of good solid growth(for a typical Ackie). Make the most of it by feeding lots of insects - with at least 2 or 3 fuzzie mice per week. And you should end up with it being about 16" long(with it shorten tail) and weighing about 200 grams - by the time it reaches 2 years old.
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Whole prey food, even chopped up, is the ideal diet. I believe it greatly promotes growth and good health.
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Have you tried offering food daily? My ackies will gorge themselves daily if given the opportunity.
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Heh sorry, didn’t intend to necro. Yeah, sometimes runts happen. They can be perfectly healthy and live long lives, they’re just small. She looks nice and healthy in the picture. |
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Here's a pic of her today.
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