One
of the major factors to get animals in a reproduction cycle is to
synchronise both sexes. There are several methods to organize such
a sexuell synchronisation:
daylength
Changing
the daylength over the seasons may induce a synchronisation. You have
to know, where your animals originate from, then you can check, how
the daylength will vary over the year at this locality. Now you can
change the photoperiod over the year.
hibernation
Another
good method to synchronize the adult monitors is to hybernate them.
But here you must have a closer look to the latitude of locatilies,
where the animals normally live. A hybernation is only recommended
for animals from areas, where there are temperatures below 10°C
during winter (e.g. V. griseus, V. albigularis, V. varius, V. rosenbergi).
raining
period
If
you keep goannas from the tropical rainforest areas (e.g. Cape York
Peninsula of Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia), the seasonal changings
between a dry period and a period with heavy rain and a very high
humidity could be the inducing factor for these animals.
To keep up the humidity in the enclosure, you can use an ultrasonic
humidifier, which is switched on several time during the day, or you
can use the less expensive way and spray water over the plants, branches,
and cork plates. Also a big water bowl, which is placed over a heating
mat will increase the humidity.
During the "dry season" you only have to reduce these actions.
occasionally
separation
Also
a good method to get your animals in a breeding mood is to separate
the sexes for some times. That may differe from species to species
and can last from some days for animals, which are not aggressive
to each other, up to several weeks and months. In some species it
is recommended to keep the sexes separate, only during a mating you
will keep them together. This procedure may be done in V.storri and V. prasinus, because V. storri is very aggressive
and in V. prasinus the females sometimes are stressed very
easily.