I find reptiles so wonderfully captivating, challenging, and diverse that I have dedicated my career to understanding them better. I am also currently working on my master’s degree in natural history-based exotic animal husbandry from West Liberty University! I have kept a variety of exotic pets for the majority of my life, but I have worked with reptiles specifically for over 10 years. My name is Mariah Healey, professional reptile husbandry researcher and consultant. To preserve privacy, it may be a good idea to install one-way film on the inner surface of the glass. If the substrate isn’t deep enough, she may choose to retain her eggs instead, leading to egg-binding and potentially death.īecause ackies spend so much time burrowing, you may wish to have a glass substrate barrier so you can observe your ackie while it goes about its business underground. Why do females need deeper substrate? Because female ackie monitors often lay infertile eggs in captivity, so if even if you don’t plan to breed your ackie, you need to make sure that the substrate is deep enough for her to feel comfortable laying her eggs. However, deeper is definitely better! A reasonable “ideal” ackie monitor substrate depth to shoot for would be around 24”/61cm. In captivity, a good minimum depth is 12”/31cm for males and 18”/46cm for females. I speculate that the depth to which a nesting ackie monitor will dig has something to do with local soil moisture content. According to a report by Grant Husband mentioned in the same paper, an ackie nest has been found at just 16”/40cm. However, such deep burrows don’t seem to be a requirement. Sean Doody et al., ackie nests have been found at depths of 31-98” (80-250cm). According to Varanus acanthurus (Spiny-tailed Monitor Lizard). Adding powdered clay to the mix (no more than 20% of the total substrate), such as bentonite clay or Zoo Med Excavator Clay, can help your substrate hold burrows more readily.Īckies will dig as deep as you let them. Whichever substrate you choose to use, make sure to mix it with water until it is wet enough to clump. Considering that ackie monitors need at least 18″ of substrate, that’s a big deal! For more information, join Bioactive Reptile and Amphibian Setups USA on Facebook and read ReptiFiles’ articles on going bioactive. Bioactive is complicated and can be expensive to get started with, but once it’s set up, you are rewarded with a substrate that never needs to be replaced. The benefit of bioactive is that, with the inclusion of appropriate “clean-up crew” organisms (ex: springtails, dwarf white isopods, purple isopods), drought-tolerant live plants, and assorted biodegradables, you essentially create a miniature self-maintaining ecosystem. Holds tunnels readily, but can be difficult to hydrate. Bio Dude Terra Sahara Substrate Kit - Bioactive-ready substrate mix for arid species.To read ReptiFiles’ review of this product, click here. Jurassic Natural Australian Desert Dragon Habitat - All-natural, multi-textured red sand sustainably sourced from Australia itself.Available in red, yellow, and brown (marketed under “River Sand”, but it’s the same thing). Exo Terra Desert Sand - Super fine sand collected from natural sources.Do not confuse with their other “sand” products, such as Vita Sand and Repti Fresh. Zoo Med ReptiSand - Super fine quartz sand.
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