I found the best substrate for captive ackies is 30% Carolina red soil, 30% sand and 40% fine organic soil. It holds burrows and humidity well and cpatures that outback look
@@edwardseals3926 best thing I have found is excavator clay from zoomed or one of those brand name reptile companies. That carolina red clay is very expensive from all the places ive seen but I also live in california so everything is expensive
Same with reptile excavation clay it's like a natural red clay that holds heat and humidity well and they can make a burrow if they want or you can build an elaborate one that turns and opens up in a cave like room
I would think a properly kept Dav Kauffman would require a high protein diet such as steak, stews along with the natural sugars of certain fruits like strawberry and banana smoothies to reduce internal heat when basking in a lawn chair at 85 to 90f. With 20 to 30% humidity. The Dav Kauffman should also be given a good sized water area such as a lake or even a swimming pool preferably without too much chlorine. All spots for the basking Dav Kauffman should offer ample shade trees to stop the Dav Kauffman from overheating and becoming sun burned. After basking you may offer the Dav Kauffman an alcoholic beverage to calm and cool, but make sure to keep this in moderation or risk the Dav Kauffman getting fat. The Dav Kauffman may appreciate the company of a mate, however overcrowding the Dav Kauffman could result in this rare species to retreat to his man cave. Make sure to keep the Dav Kauffman substrate on a natural blend of high thread count cotton along with bamboo towels to dry him. These things along with positive reinforcement should keep the Dav Kauffman thriving for many years to come.😎Rattle On!
I love the whole concept of investigating the housing and habits of wild populations to compare and contrast to husbandry techniques in order to fine tune that husbandry. Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing these!
Thankyou what a thorough and fascinating video you have done here on Ackies. I'm currently doing my research on how best to keep them as looking to get one and after watching several ackie set ups your video has helped give me a much clearer and better understanding on what I should and need to be incorporating in my own eventual set up. 😊
RE: UVB and ackies - The venerable Frank Retes who, in a lot of ways, was a pioneer of proper monitor husbandry, is adamant that UVB isn't required to keep monitors. While it's hard to completely disprove given his success, I cannot agree with that assessment for two reasons. My first, and biggest reason, is ackies are a diurnal basking species, they are exposed to UVB constantly, and it's common knowledge that diurnal, basking lizards need UVB for optimal health...my second reason is that he commonly utilizes outdoor enclosures so...draw your own conclusions there. I keep my pair of ackies in a 6x2x3 foot enclosure and, despite being "small" (for monitors), they use every bit of space provided to them. They have two basking areas on both extreme ends of the enclosure, the hottest one reaching about 145-150 degrees fahrenheit, and their basking platforms are 12"x12" stacks (one stone, one wood) with 1"-1.5" gaps between each layer, providing different temperature gradients within the stack. They routinely bask at these high temperatures, but they like to "hang out" in areas of the stack that are roughly 95-100 degrees. One of the basking areas utilizes a Mega-Ray mercury vapor UVB basking bulb - although admittedly I do not have a measuring device for UVB, I follow the manufacturer's recommendations for distance. The ambient humidity of the cage is kept around 50-60% with the occasional misting that will bump it up to about 80% for a few days at a time. Even at 50-60% relative humidity, the ackies are out and active every day. The substrate is 10-12 inches of a sand/soil mixture, at about 50% for each, and under the surface it is kept moist and it is also compact enough to hold burrows. My female has her preferred burrow in the exact manner as depicted in your video, under a stone in the cage. They are fed a staple diet of dubia roaches, and I like to give them large crickets for enrichment because they seem to enjoy chasing them down, and they also get super worms and the occasional frozen-thawed hopper mouse. Insects are supplemented with Sticky Tongue Farm's Miner-All, with a light dusting, and when the female was gravid I went heavier on the dusting. Also all insects are gut loaded. Occasional I mean once or twice a month. On April 8th of this year, my female laid her first clutch of 10 eggs and all 10 are viable - being incubated between 86.5-87 degrees fahrenheit, they will hopefully hatch between the beginning of July and middle of August. Sorry for the long post, just wanted to share. :)
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures the man, the myth, the legend! I was hoping to see you wandering about the reptile show that was to be held in Ontario CA last month, but thanks to the Rona, it got canceled. Thank you very much for your kind words!
I am the Frank Retes, and indeed not just pioneered keeping of monitors, I also studied them both in captivity and in the field. While Dav's video was fun and not WRONG, it was also not right or in context. For instance, he used RED ackies and yellow ackies and stated they were the same. Only he was not in Red Ackie habitat. Red ackies occur on the west coast. some 800 miles away. The type in the US. My comments on UV is based on 30 years of testing. Back then I build a facility which included indoor cages, outdoor cages and indoor/outdoor cages. Comparative testing is how we came about my comments of UV, particularly UV bulbs. As we compared those indoor with common halogen or incandescent bulbs. To the SUN. the actual natural UV. and found with proper care, the ones lacking any added UV out performed the UV exposed Ackies and many other species. These results are reflected in the pet trade, I supplied those who contributed to the pet trade their stock, all raised without UV bulbs. My comments are based on a HISTORY of success. not opinion. UV bulbs are a bandage for poor husbandry, At suboptimal temps, they can help some. . But does not address other needs for optimal heat. The animals look nice under a range of Red and blue UV bulbs. If you like the looks, then by all means use those bulbs for that reason. But please keep in mind, a proper temp range is to also be included. Lastly if you look close, most desert reptiles, have adaptions and behavior to avoid UV. In reality, UVA and UVB, are deep penetrating wave lengths that cause cancer. Read the warnings on those bulbs. My problem is, I am very prejudiced. I live in and study these animals from a approach of similar habitat. The desert. Which means daily, today for example, I watch dozens of lizards of many species, do their daily activities. In most cases, they avoid times of the day when UV levels are at their highest. I get the feeling, living in the desert and living in say, Minn. will give a person a somewhat different view. Back to the vid. There were many statements that were simply not accurate. But not bad for this type of Video. I do find the title a bit click baitfish. That is, Dav did not add anything to captive husbandry that was not already used in captivity since the early 90's. In fact, is understanding seemed naïve.
Right now i think you are the best reptile youtube channel, i like how you give as the chance to see these animals in their natural habitat, keep the good work going, stay safe and rattle on!
If this day gets any better I may just spontaneously combust! Just got my new tricolor hognose (unboxing on my channel if interested), Dāv dropped a new video, and I have two amazing tarantulas on the way! I am riddled with excitement! I've been dying to get an ackie, so glad to have this video to reference!!!
Wicked video, really informative - not much wild Ackie footage / capture of their wild habitat on youtube. Really nice to have something to reference information too.
It is Also important to think about just how much water is in 104 degree air at 90% humidity! That is humidity like few people have ever experienced! It's surprising that Ackies are so durable in captivity when they have access to both hyper humid and very dry air in their natural environment. I doubt many people give them access to conditions like that. Cheers, Chris
Another amazing video! I love how you show things and provide real info in your videos. Seems all there is on youtube is crap from so called petubers who spew nothing but misinformation. Thank you for doing what you do, and please don't ever stop!
I like the reptile excavating clay ive only seen it once in my local petstore and my tortoise and lizards loved it as they could make their own burrows
Love the video Dav as always. Thanks for sharing. Very educational and informative as always as well. Keep up the great and amazing work Dav. Keep teaching and inspiring!! I absolutely love all monitor lizards. They are so smart, always thinking.
You guys are both awesome, I love watching the progression with Thunder. Been working with my little dude for nearly a year now and he's still shy, but not afraid at all. Love these guys, he's about to be upgraded to a 6 foot enclosure this weekend
These videos are so incredible, I'm so envious but I absolutely love coming to your monitor videos when I'm stressed. Also, bless you continuing to speak whilst dealing with those flies. I would be too scared to even open my mouth! 😅
Good video and all good valuable information on temps and humidity. I keep Pygmy Mulgas and Quinces, but love when people come out with good valuable information about ackies. Thank you!
Thanks mate, for some reason I misunderstood the humidity needs of my baby girl 😢 swapped that around promptly. She's doing great, though! Doubled in size since we adopted her.
I love this series so much. I wish there was more of this kind of thing in the reptile community. Someday I'd love to see you do ETBs, Solomon Island Ground Boas, sand boas!
I em often envious of you going trough these places to see these reptiles in the wild, this time at the start of the video i em already like ''just nope with those bugs''
Thanks for yet another amazing video that was a joy to watch. The jet black ones sound like they would be stunning! Stay safe - love from Scotland 🏴
Great video, Dāv! I would guess ackies are somewhere between 3-4 on the Ferguson UVB Zone scale. Hopefully, you were able to get a replacement meter when you got back. I think having a Solarmeter will definitely add to the great information you've provided so far. Rattle On! 🦎👍
Great video came at the right time as ill be a new ackie monitor owner in the next month or so depending on the lockdown . Just set up encloser before watching this video but im going to slighty tweak things in it now , helped fill in a few gaps of information i was after .. Cheers Keep on rattling !!
Science rules! Thank you so much for making this enlightening video.., So much for 150-170 degrees Fahrenheit some websites have posted as the high basking temperatures for this incredible monitor.
I tend to agree with Professor Herp in that Ackies should have 12-18” of substrate to borrow in, 6, for sure, seems way too shallow to me personally. But these videos of seeing our critters in their natural habitat are sooo important, I believe, to better know how to properly keep your critter ♥️ so thanks for this Dave!! Whaaaa??? 140-170 degrees?!?!?! Wtf?
Man those flies were annoying the crap out of me and I wasn't even there!! Great video though. Ive been wanting you to do one on these guys ever since I saw your first Are we keeping them correctly videos.
Thanks, another great episode! do you see the red ackies live in groups in the wild? I wonder if ok to house a trio year round (not just breeding season)
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures They are incredibly social. I may have made the same conclusions as you, on my first trip in the field. Oddly. time of year has everything to do with social observations. Times of the year, they live in tight groups, other times particularly after the reproductive season, they spend more time separately feeding to regain lost energy . Yet, never venture far. Of interest is, what you saw was real and you reported it. If you went and checked year around, I would suspect you would have a different view then you have now. I did do that. and I tested observations in captivity. Social means recognizing individuals that work together. It means including some, and excluding others. monitors from one area, not just your method of collecting. (rock piles) Do not fight, or combat eachother. They gather at times yet keep track of eachother when apart.(scent tracking) If introduced to a member of another family group or just social group, they fight/combat. One example you should consider, Once I found a pair of storrs and several neonates together under the same rock. Its fun because in captivity, Storrs are not easy to keep in groups. The key for captivity is, raising them together. This area is called ethology, animal behavior. To understand social is not all that easy, not by simple observation. As a area, like you saw, includes very social animals, and non social animals. It also includes Resident individuals and transient individuals. Residents have found the conditions to support groups, mostly consisting of family. And Transients are those that have not found conditions to support groups. Transients are driven from area to area until they find their own, or die. This social model is fairly common in many lizard species and snake species. oddly I report a lot of this on my FB site, but not varanid stuff. We have a varanid site where we do report both captive and field work. On our varanid site, we caution the use of "prejudice" that is using preconceived ideas to support observation. As a field researcher, The key to observation is, DO NOT PREJUDICE observation. Your suppose to observe and report. not prejudice. Which means adding what you think is going on. What I or we think, should never be included in observation. Something you video is full of, preconceived ideas, with actual support. But that said, you vid is for entertainment and was great. I would recommend, showing the animals actually doing something, not posed on a termite mound or rock. Sadly that takes time and work. I worked on Wild kingdoms and other animals shows. So I understand the value of entertainment and sponsor support. Lastly those flies were not bad. As a desert rat, they did not bother me. Oh wait, with one exception. We were just east and north of Coral bay on the west coast, we parked the car, got out and flies packed under our eyelids, nose holes and in our ears. My friend and I looked at each other and said, we are outa here. While I do think your vid was wonderful. I am not sure how you could gain the data needed to determine if they are social or not. from such limited data. if your interested, I have some fun stories of really odd ackies, and other monitors, that to this day have not been described. There is more out there then We realize.
Thank you for doing this video I was thinking about getting an ackie but now I know it's not the lizard for me I'm not prepared to heat a cage that hot
Love it Mr Kaufman, you simply went in depth to a level i could only have dreamed of when i asked you to take readings a few months back and i want to thank you very much for doing that. PS: Regarding the Pinkie/Ground Turkey feeding i would not recommend feeding it other than very very sparingly, once a month or so, my female developed Gout last year because i was too generous with high protein foods like meats/eggs and mice and Dubia fed on animal protein and i have heard of others suffering the same fate, Luckily my girl only have two enlarged toes and walks a little funny where others have suffered very early death because of inflamed organs, she will in all likelihood have shaved years of her lifespan anyway though, witch is sad and utterly my fault, just a warning from a guy who personally did it wrong. Best Regards Theis and again what a brilliant quick study you did here, it´s so much appreciated!
Just got my boy a month ago... I feed him crickits and an occasional pinky once a week. He is not into meal worms or supers or wax worms as of yet and I have not tried any silk or horn worms. I have heard different stories on how many times a week I shound be feeding. He was born this past February 28 2020, so he is about 2 months old right now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated..Thanks!
GREAT VIDEO DAV, ONCE AGAIN!!! Just got my boy a month ago... I feed him crickits and an occasional pinky once a week. He is not into meal worms or supers or wax worms as of yet and I have not tried any silk or horn worms. I have heard different stories on how many times a week I shound be feeding. He was born this past February 28 2020, so he is about 2 months old right now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated..Thanks!
Thanks for this video! I'm a fellow Minnesotan and I've had a red Ackie for over a year now and he's simply the best pet I have ever had! He loves to come out and play with me or just sleep on my shoulder, SO affectionate! I'm going to have to get that humidity meter that you've got, I've always measured the ambient humidity in the enclosure, but I don't have anything to stick down into the burrows to measure the humidity there, could be useful! Thanks!!
Just a question, you said that all the locales and variations and island variations are all the same species, but aren't there 3 different subspecies? Varanus Acanthurus Acanthurus, Varanus Acanthurus Brachyurus and Varanus Acanthurus Insulanicus, and what is the difference between them?
The Bureau of Meteorology here in Aus always includes the UV index reading in their weather reports for the day, so we know what level of sun protection we need... I live in the skin cancer capital of the world... so just by looking up the weather for the town or even cattle station closest to you, you can know just how quickly you shall fry outdoors.
The Australian outback really gets a bad reputation of being a sandy death trap. Just look at how beautiful the rock/clay formations and shrubs are, along with the animals that have developed dark red colors to match it
Dav I’ve wanted these since they hit the market but being so busy in life now and being single with no help, I just feel like they need lots of regular attention..throughout the day........how do you think they would do if you had to leave town for several days, food wise, water wise, any thoughts?
Dāv Kaufman's Reptile Adventures really looking forward to when you’re able to make that trip man, in my humble opinion that is the most needed video about husbandry in the reptile community.
Dav you are so gangster! I would be going crazy with those flies! Love your natural habitat spotlights they’re what’s missing in all these TH-cam care sheets. Had a chance to meet you about 5-6 years ago at an expo in Buffalo, NY and every time I watch your videos I kick myself for not talking you up. Cheers 🍻
i really want one tbh but idk what they require like their needs or the size of tanks or the lighting or if they need to be in a humid place and how much they cost
since ackies and beardies are found primarily in the same location is it safe to bet that the care for an ackie is very close to a bearded dragon as far as heat and stuff goes?
You should do a video on savanah monitors in the wild. Many people dont realize that they are cyclical feeders eating for half the year and fast the other 6 months.
Similis monitors are super great once there socialized. I had one and she was great to the point of I'd open her tank and she would come running to me and greet me. And my kids could hold her and she never tried to bite. And when I got her she was mean.
Have always wanted to visit Australia. I decided I will need an Australian with me at all times to make sure I don't just pick up cool snakes, spiders, etc, or just jump in any ol' lake for a swim. 😅 We don't have Crocs, sharks or any truly dangerous venomous animals in Michigan.
So incredible! I would be so jealous that you got to do this, but... THE FLIES!!!! 🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟
Hopefully you'll be able to come with on a future trip...if we can ever travel again :)
I live in new england you would get used to it!!!
Also: Well hi there!!!
Clint, I now right lmai
Sorry, lmao
I found the best substrate for captive ackies is 30% Carolina red soil, 30% sand and 40% fine organic soil. It holds burrows and humidity well and cpatures that outback look
Very cool! Thanks for sharing your tip!
Can you share links on where to get the soils
@@GarysTandAExotics hey did you every get the link to the soil if so can you share please thanks
@@edwardseals3926 best thing I have found is excavator clay from zoomed or one of those brand name reptile companies. That carolina red clay is very expensive from all the places ive seen but I also live in california so everything is expensive
Same with reptile excavation clay it's like a natural red clay that holds heat and humidity well and they can make a burrow if they want or you can build an elaborate one that turns and opens up in a cave like room
You should do a tour of your facility called Däv Kaufman: are we keeping him correctly?
With me not able to travel, those videos are coming up! But the answer is no. No I don't keep myself correctly :)
I would think a properly kept Dav Kauffman would require a high protein diet such as steak, stews along with the natural sugars of certain fruits like strawberry and banana smoothies to reduce internal heat when basking in a lawn chair at 85 to 90f. With 20 to 30% humidity. The Dav Kauffman should also be given a good sized water area such as a lake or even a swimming pool preferably without too much chlorine. All spots for the basking Dav Kauffman should offer ample shade trees to stop the Dav Kauffman from overheating and becoming sun burned. After basking you may offer the Dav Kauffman an alcoholic beverage to calm and cool, but make sure to keep this in moderation or risk the Dav Kauffman getting fat. The Dav Kauffman may appreciate the company of a mate, however overcrowding the Dav Kauffman could result in this rare species to retreat to his man cave. Make sure to keep the Dav Kauffman substrate on a natural blend of high thread count cotton along with bamboo towels to dry him. These things along with positive reinforcement should keep the Dav Kauffman thriving for many years to come.😎Rattle On!
Dāv Kaufman's Reptile Adventures 😂
I love the whole concept of investigating the housing and habits of wild populations to compare and contrast to husbandry techniques in order to fine tune that husbandry. Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing these!
I'm so glad you've got these videos recorded for us. It's like something is still normal in all of this. Rattle on!
Agreed!
Thanks Gavin, much more to come! Rattle On!
i dont know how you made it. i would have had a meltdown with all those flies. just watching this puts me on edge
Those flies are annoying 😂 anyway I would love an ackie monitor!
If you stop swatting them and sweet enough/pour water on back of your shirt they’ll just chill there
Thankyou what a thorough and fascinating video you have done here on Ackies. I'm currently doing my research on how best to keep them as looking to get one and after watching several ackie set ups your video has helped give me a much clearer and better understanding on what I should and need to be incorporating in my own eventual set up. 😊
RE: UVB and ackies - The venerable Frank Retes who, in a lot of ways, was a pioneer of proper monitor husbandry, is adamant that UVB isn't required to keep monitors. While it's hard to completely disprove given his success, I cannot agree with that assessment for two reasons. My first, and biggest reason, is ackies are a diurnal basking species, they are exposed to UVB constantly, and it's common knowledge that diurnal, basking lizards need UVB for optimal health...my second reason is that he commonly utilizes outdoor enclosures so...draw your own conclusions there.
I keep my pair of ackies in a 6x2x3 foot enclosure and, despite being "small" (for monitors), they use every bit of space provided to them. They have two basking areas on both extreme ends of the enclosure, the hottest one reaching about 145-150 degrees fahrenheit, and their basking platforms are 12"x12" stacks (one stone, one wood) with 1"-1.5" gaps between each layer, providing different temperature gradients within the stack. They routinely bask at these high temperatures, but they like to "hang out" in areas of the stack that are roughly 95-100 degrees. One of the basking areas utilizes a Mega-Ray mercury vapor UVB basking bulb - although admittedly I do not have a measuring device for UVB, I follow the manufacturer's recommendations for distance. The ambient humidity of the cage is kept around 50-60% with the occasional misting that will bump it up to about 80% for a few days at a time. Even at 50-60% relative humidity, the ackies are out and active every day. The substrate is 10-12 inches of a sand/soil mixture, at about 50% for each, and under the surface it is kept moist and it is also compact enough to hold burrows. My female has her preferred burrow in the exact manner as depicted in your video, under a stone in the cage. They are fed a staple diet of dubia roaches, and I like to give them large crickets for enrichment because they seem to enjoy chasing them down, and they also get super worms and the occasional frozen-thawed hopper mouse. Insects are supplemented with Sticky Tongue Farm's Miner-All, with a light dusting, and when the female was gravid I went heavier on the dusting. Also all insects are gut loaded. Occasional I mean once or twice a month. On April 8th of this year, my female laid her first clutch of 10 eggs and all 10 are viable - being incubated between 86.5-87 degrees fahrenheit, they will hopefully hatch between the beginning of July and middle of August.
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to share. :)
Thank you for sharing. Love seeing posts like this related to ackies
@@goldenwafflz1588 it's a pleasure!
Thank you for sharing your experience and congrats on the eggs!
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures the man, the myth, the legend! I was hoping to see you wandering about the reptile show that was to be held in Ontario CA last month, but thanks to the Rona, it got canceled. Thank you very much for your kind words!
I am the Frank Retes, and indeed not just pioneered keeping of monitors, I also studied them both in captivity and in the field. While Dav's video was fun and not WRONG, it was also not right or in context. For instance, he used RED ackies and yellow ackies and stated they were the same. Only he was not in Red Ackie habitat. Red ackies occur on the west coast. some 800 miles away. The type in the US. My comments on UV is based on 30 years of testing. Back then I build a facility which included indoor cages, outdoor cages and indoor/outdoor cages. Comparative testing is how we came about my comments of UV, particularly UV bulbs. As we compared those indoor with common halogen or incandescent bulbs. To the SUN. the actual natural UV. and found with proper care, the ones lacking any added UV out performed the UV exposed Ackies and many other species. These results are reflected in the pet trade, I supplied those who contributed to the pet trade their stock, all raised without UV bulbs. My comments are based on a HISTORY of success. not opinion. UV bulbs are a bandage for poor husbandry, At suboptimal temps, they can help some. . But does not address other needs for optimal heat. The animals look nice under a range of Red and blue UV bulbs. If you like the looks, then by all means use those bulbs for that reason. But please keep in mind, a proper temp range is to also be included. Lastly if you look close, most desert reptiles, have adaptions and behavior to avoid UV. In reality, UVA and UVB, are deep penetrating wave lengths that cause cancer. Read the warnings on those bulbs. My problem is, I am very prejudiced. I live in and study these animals from a approach of similar habitat. The desert. Which means daily, today for example, I watch dozens of lizards of many species, do their daily activities. In most cases, they avoid times of the day when UV levels are at their highest. I get the feeling, living in the desert and living in say, Minn. will give a person a somewhat different view. Back to the vid. There were many statements that were simply not accurate. But not bad for this type of Video. I do find the title a bit click baitfish. That is, Dav did not add anything to captive husbandry that was not already used in captivity since the early 90's. In fact, is understanding seemed naïve.
“...except for these little flying bastards” 😂 😂 😝
Hi Dāv! I love your channel and following your amazing travels! These Ackies are so cool!!! Already can't wait to see what's coming next week!
Thanks so much! 😊
🤘🏻great info. About to redo my ackie tank and this has given me some ideas on changes I can make to improves to the environment in the vivarium
Awesome! Glad the video helped!
I wanna see those jet black ones Dav 😄🤞🏼
Me too!!
Whats the name of the island they are on? I can't find anyrhing online about that
Right now i think you are the best reptile youtube channel, i like how you give as the chance to see these animals in their natural habitat, keep the good work going, stay safe and rattle on!
Thank you! Rattle On!
If this day gets any better I may just spontaneously combust! Just got my new tricolor hognose (unboxing on my channel if interested), Dāv dropped a new video, and I have two amazing tarantulas on the way! I am riddled with excitement! I've been dying to get an ackie, so glad to have this video to reference!!!
Awesome! Love the tricolors!
Lovin' the series! Thanks!
Ball Pythons next if possible? :D
I was supposed to be there now
Exotics lair! Also that’s coming real soon!
Wicked video, really informative - not much wild Ackie footage / capture of their wild habitat on youtube. Really nice to have something to reference information too.
It is Also important to think about just how much water is in 104 degree air at 90% humidity! That is humidity like few people have ever experienced! It's surprising that Ackies are so durable in captivity when they have access to both hyper humid and very dry air in their natural environment. I doubt many people give them access to conditions like that.
Cheers,
Chris
When the current pandemic ends we need a leopard gecko in the wild
Yes we do!
Indeed
I would love to see that I have 2 Leo's.
Heck yeah! ! Ball pythons too!
John Agen leopard geckos and ball pythons are the herps that suffer the most so they sure deserve a dedicated in the wild episode
Another amazing video! I love how you show things and provide real info in your videos. Seems all there is on youtube is crap from so called petubers who spew nothing but misinformation. Thank you for doing what you do, and please don't ever stop!
Thanks Martin!
I like the reptile excavating clay ive only seen it once in my local petstore and my tortoise and lizards loved it as they could make their own burrows
Another awesome video Dav! Keep up the great content. This is one of my favorite video series you've done by far!
Thanks Alex!
Dav are these conditions similar to how Varanus Glauerti should be kept as well? The humid hide was very surprising! Thanks for the information.
Very similar, yes
Love this video, awesome seeing my lil guy in his natural habitat. Please go see the jet black ones soon ! 👍
Wow, this is a bunch I needed to know for my Ackie enclosure. Thanks a lot! Ill try to mimmick this habitat as closely as possible.
I wish I could count each every individual insect fluttering around this gem of a human being.
Cool video. Love the concept!
Another amazing video! Thank you!
Love the video Dav as always. Thanks for sharing. Very educational and informative as always as well. Keep up the great and amazing work Dav. Keep teaching and inspiring!! I absolutely love all monitor lizards. They are so smart, always thinking.
Much appreciated!
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures hope your staying safe and can't wait to see the next video!! #RATTLEON
Do one on Jeweled Lacertas!Great video none the less. I thought black fly season in the Adirondacks was bad......this is waaaaaaaay worse.
That would be a cool video!
Great informative video. Thank you
This was absolutely great! Love seeing the Ackles natural environment!
Glad you enjoyed!
You guys are both awesome, I love watching the progression with Thunder. Been working with my little dude for nearly a year now and he's still shy, but not afraid at all. Love these guys, he's about to be upgraded to a 6 foot enclosure this weekend
@@kylequinn1963 That is awesome bigger is always better
Great video! I have two ackies and it's so cool to see what they would be doing in the wild!
These videos are so incredible, I'm so envious but I absolutely love coming to your monitor videos when I'm stressed.
Also, bless you continuing to speak whilst dealing with those flies. I would be too scared to even open my mouth! 😅
Another great video Dav! Very informative
Awesome video man! I couldn't really concentrate though as I was worried about flies going in your mouth the whole time :)
Hands down the best reptile series on TH-cam!!!!!! 🤘🏾😎
Thank you!
This is one of the best Ackie monitor videos I seen thank you please keep these coming
How amazing would a jet black ackie monitor look 😍
Good video and all good valuable information on temps and humidity. I keep Pygmy Mulgas and Quinces, but love when people come out with good valuable information about ackies. Thank you!
Thanks mate, for some reason I misunderstood the humidity needs of my baby girl 😢 swapped that around promptly. She's doing great, though! Doubled in size since we adopted her.
I love this series so much. I wish there was more of this kind of thing in the reptile community. Someday I'd love to see you do ETBs, Solomon Island Ground Boas, sand boas!
Maybe one day!
Good sharing stay safe and stay blessed
Poor you Dav. I can see all those flies around you. I admire your dedication.
I em often envious of you going trough these places to see these reptiles in the wild, this time at the start of the video i em already like ''just nope with those bugs''
Amazing video, but lol the flies
Thanks for yet another amazing video that was a joy to watch. The jet black ones sound like they would be stunning! Stay safe - love from Scotland 🏴
Glad to hear that
Didn't the ackie bite you once? Cool video😉
In the dozen or so we found, not one tried. It's all in how you handle them
I Don’t really know do Adult ackies posture and tail-whip when they feel threatened
Thanks for the great info video Dav! Hope you can make another video for the yellow Acki and the Jet black Acki! Thanks!
Maybe one day! I'll for sure be going back
Love it. Thanks for the video Dāv!
Glad you enjoyed it!
So how do I get a hold of the jet black Ackie?
Great video, Dāv! I would guess ackies are somewhere between 3-4 on the Ferguson UVB Zone scale. Hopefully, you were able to get a replacement meter when you got back. I think having a Solarmeter will definitely add to the great information you've provided so far. Rattle On! 🦎👍
Thanks for the info! I haven't gotten one yet. Rattle On!
Once I was riding a bike (in australia) and I turned around the corner and there was a huge monitor crossing the path, it went up the tree slowly.
Great video came at the right time as ill be a new ackie monitor owner in the next month or so depending on the lockdown .
Just set up encloser before watching this video but im going to slighty tweak things in it now , helped fill in a few gaps of information i was after ..
Cheers
Keep on rattling !!
Nice! Enjoy!
Science rules! Thank you so much for making this enlightening video.., So much for 150-170 degrees Fahrenheit some websites have posted as the high basking temperatures for this incredible monitor.
I tend to agree with Professor Herp in that Ackies should have 12-18” of substrate to borrow in, 6, for sure, seems way too shallow to me personally. But these videos of seeing our critters in their natural habitat are sooo important, I believe, to better know how to properly keep your critter ♥️ so thanks for this Dave!!
Whaaaa??? 140-170 degrees?!?!?! Wtf?
Seriously amazing video! 🔥🔥🔥
Man those flies were annoying the crap out of me and I wasn't even there!! Great video though. Ive been wanting you to do one on these guys ever since I saw your first Are we keeping them correctly videos.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks alot was great to meet you at the expo and this definitley helps with the care of my ackie
Good to meet you as well!
Thanks, another great episode! do you see the red ackies live in groups in the wild? I wonder if ok to house a trio year round (not just breeding season)
They only do because they are all utilizing the same rock pile and other habitats. They aren't really "social" animals.
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures They are incredibly social. I may have made the same conclusions as you, on my first trip in the field. Oddly. time of year has everything to do with social observations. Times of the year, they live in tight groups, other times particularly after the reproductive season, they spend more time separately feeding to regain lost energy . Yet, never venture far. Of interest is, what you saw was real and you reported it. If you went and checked year around, I would suspect you would have a different view then you have now. I did do that. and I tested observations in captivity. Social means recognizing individuals that work together. It means including some, and excluding others. monitors from one area, not just your method of collecting. (rock piles) Do not fight, or combat eachother. They gather at times yet keep track of eachother when apart.(scent tracking) If introduced to a member of another family group or just social group, they fight/combat. One example you should consider, Once I found a pair of storrs and several neonates together under the same rock. Its fun because in captivity, Storrs are not easy to keep in groups. The key for captivity is, raising them together. This area is called ethology, animal behavior. To understand social is not all that easy, not by simple observation. As a area, like you saw, includes very social animals, and non social animals. It also includes Resident individuals and transient individuals. Residents have found the conditions to support groups, mostly consisting of family. And Transients are those that have not found conditions to support groups. Transients are driven from area to area until they find their own, or die. This social model is fairly common in many lizard species and snake species. oddly I report a lot of this on my FB site, but not varanid stuff. We have a varanid site where we do report both captive and field work. On our varanid site, we caution the use of "prejudice" that is using preconceived ideas to support observation. As a field researcher, The key to observation is, DO NOT PREJUDICE observation. Your suppose to observe and report. not prejudice. Which means adding what you think is going on. What I or we think, should never be included in observation. Something you video is full of, preconceived ideas, with actual support. But that said, you vid is for entertainment and was great. I would recommend, showing the animals actually doing something, not posed on a termite mound or rock. Sadly that takes time and work. I worked on Wild kingdoms and other animals shows. So I understand the value of entertainment and sponsor support. Lastly those flies were not bad. As a desert rat, they did not bother me. Oh wait, with one exception. We were just east and north of Coral bay on the west coast, we parked the car, got out and flies packed under our eyelids, nose holes and in our ears. My friend and I looked at each other and said, we are outa here. While I do think your vid was wonderful. I am not sure how you could gain the data needed to determine if they are social or not. from such limited data. if your interested, I have some fun stories of really odd ackies, and other monitors, that to this day have not been described. There is more out there then We realize.
Thank you for doing this video I was thinking about getting an ackie but now I know it's not the lizard for me I'm not prepared to heat a cage that hot
Love it Mr Kaufman, you simply went in depth to a level i could only have dreamed of when i asked you to take readings a few months back and i want to thank you very much for doing that. PS: Regarding the Pinkie/Ground Turkey feeding i would not recommend feeding it other than very very sparingly, once a month or so, my female developed Gout last year because i was too generous with high protein foods like meats/eggs and mice and Dubia fed on animal protein and i have heard of others suffering the same fate, Luckily my girl only have two enlarged toes and walks a little funny where others have suffered very early death because of inflamed organs, she will in all likelihood have shaved years of her lifespan anyway though, witch is sad and utterly my fault, just a warning from a guy who personally did it wrong. Best Regards Theis and again what a brilliant quick study you did here, it´s so much appreciated!
You're very welcome. Thanks for your comment. I hope others can learn from your experiences as well!
Just got my boy a month ago... I feed him crickits and an occasional pinky once a week. He is not into meal worms or supers or wax worms as of yet and I have not tried any silk or horn worms. I have heard different stories on how many times a week I shound be feeding. He was born this past February 28 2020, so he is about 2 months old right now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated..Thanks!
How thick is the soil in the enclosure?
@@vee9484 Hey if i were you i would join up in the various Monitor groups on Facebook as loads of info and care sheets are shared in places like that!
@@tomwiley1502 Hi i have about one foot of substrate in my Ackie enclosures
GREAT VIDEO DAV, ONCE AGAIN!!! Just got my boy a month ago... I feed him crickits and an occasional pinky once a week. He is not into meal worms or supers or wax worms as of yet and I have not tried any silk or horn worms. I have heard different stories on how many times a week I shound be feeding. He was born this past February 28 2020, so he is about 2 months old right now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated..Thanks!
Thanks and congrats on getting your little ackie!
Thanks for this video! I'm a fellow Minnesotan and I've had a red Ackie for over a year now and he's simply the best pet I have ever had! He loves to come out and play with me or just sleep on my shoulder, SO affectionate! I'm going to have to get that humidity meter that you've got, I've always measured the ambient humidity in the enclosure, but I don't have anything to stick down into the burrows to measure the humidity there, could be useful! Thanks!!
Very cool. And oh yeah, youbetcha! Glad the vid helped!
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures I would reply with "SKOL VIKES!" but I am still sore from Diggs being traded.
Dave you've done it again, great info I've let my temps get up into the low 40s during the summer this year just because of your ideas. 👍
Glad to help
Very informative 🔥
Wow those flys love that stench lol. Thanks for the video.
And we had plenty to offer them lol
Just a question, you said that all the locales and variations and island variations are all the same species, but aren't there 3 different subspecies? Varanus Acanthurus Acanthurus, Varanus Acanthurus Brachyurus and Varanus Acanthurus Insulanicus, and what is the difference between them?
Amazing video as always.
Thanks!
Tyvm for info
I know this is old but its amazing. However, the whole time I'm watching all i can look at is your mouth to see if a fly flies in there lol
The Bureau of Meteorology here in Aus always includes the UV index reading in their weather reports for the day, so we know what level of sun protection we need... I live in the skin cancer capital of the world... so just by looking up the weather for the town or even cattle station closest to you, you can know just how quickly you shall fry outdoors.
Thanks for the tip!
All those flies he’s unbothered af I’d go crazy looking at them are making me itch and swat 😂😂😂
Amazing content
The Australian outback really gets a bad reputation of being a sandy death trap. Just look at how beautiful the rock/clay formations and shrubs are, along with the animals that have developed dark red colors to match it
Dav I’ve wanted these since they hit the market but being so busy in life now and being single with no help, I just feel like they need lots of regular attention..throughout the day........how do you think they would do if you had to leave town for several days, food wise, water wise, any thoughts?
About like Beardies? I bred Beardies for years......
Love these videos. Have you done one on ball pythons? Would it ever even be possible?
I was supposed to be there now, but the rona had other plans :(
Dāv Kaufman's Reptile Adventures really looking forward to when you’re able to make that trip man, in my humble opinion that is the most needed video about husbandry in the reptile community.
Sweet gotta love an akie
Dav Kaufman have you ever made a frilled lizard in the wild video?
Very informative
Interesting contrast between the fat captive ackie and the skinny wild ackie 😂
Man those flies are relentless! Haha
They were the worst I've ever seen there
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures crazy
Dav you are so gangster! I would be going crazy with those flies! Love your natural habitat spotlights they’re what’s missing in all these TH-cam care sheets. Had a chance to meet you about 5-6 years ago at an expo in Buffalo, NY and every time I watch your videos I kick myself for not talking you up. Cheers 🍻
Lol! Thanks! Next time I'm there come up and say hi
Y’all need a body guard for all those insects. Like a team of bodyguards. Really enjoyed this video
They were our body guards lol
Dude, all the flies 🤣
i really want one tbh but idk what they require like their needs or the size of tanks or the lighting or if they need to be in a humid place and how much they cost
Red ackie? I have lived in Australia for almost 8 years and I have not heard of it. So glad I found this video
This is fantastic👍🏻. It's good to see the natural habitat of these brilliant little monitors:)
Just Subscribed 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Awesome, thank you!
80f is 26c just an fyi low 20sC is low 70sF, just saying. Luv ur videos tho man, thanks for doing them with so much correct info.
great information wow loved this episode
Thanks!
How should u feel out a breeding pair?
What part of Australia was that?
since ackies and beardies are found primarily in the same location is it safe to bet that the care for an ackie is very close to a bearded dragon as far as heat and stuff goes?
You should do a video on savanah monitors in the wild. Many people dont realize that they are cyclical feeders eating for half the year and fast the other 6 months.
I was supposed to be there now doing that, but 'rona had other plans
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures understandable. Looking forward to it when all this clears up. Love the videos brother keep it up.
Similis monitors are super great once there socialized. I had one and she was great to the point of I'd open her tank and she would come running to me and greet me. And my kids could hold her and she never tried to bite. And when I got her she was mean.
I had one he never tamed down though the most I was able to do was pet him while he was basking in the cage
The amount of flies is insane
Another amazing video how to correctly keep your lizard 🦎 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video keep them coming.
Thanks, will do!
Have always wanted to visit Australia. I decided I will need an Australian with me at all times to make sure I don't just pick up cool snakes, spiders, etc, or just jump in any ol' lake for a swim. 😅 We don't have Crocs, sharks or any truly dangerous venomous animals in Michigan.
Those flies again for fucks sake..........think I would have to just set my self on fire lmao.