Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Announcments
Welcome to Zookeeper's Hangout IV! We hope you enjoy your stay :) Watch here for the latest news! Invite your friends to join us!
Welcome to The Hangout of Tranquility. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
VaranoMania 2; A story, and monitors
Topic Started: Oct 15 2011, 09:13 PM (616 Views)
SpinoSquad
Member Avatar
King of Monitors
On September 14th, 2011, I, leader of Monitor Research Center in Oklahoma, took a trip to Africa in search of Varanus albigularis and Varanus exanthematicus, the rock and savannah monitors, to collect for a breeding project. After talking to native Kenyans, they pointed me out to a rare spot where rock and savannah monitors naturally occur in the same area. After almost a week of frustrating searches, we found a water hole in which many animals came to. It was in a reserve with a high fence to keep poachers at bay. Around noon, we saw a large reptile walking amongst a herd of large mammals. Posted Image

Interested, we got closer, or it got closer to us. Suprisingly, it was an African rock monitor, Varanus albigularis, and a large one at that. We measured, weighed, and took tests.
Posted Image


Over the next few days, we saw nothing new. As we were searching in the afternoon, I saw an interesting sight. A cheetah was playing with a large lizard. I grabbed my binoculars and took a closer look.
Posted Image

Almost dropping the binoculars in shock, I noticed that the lizard was a savannah monitor, Varanus exanthematicus. We couldn't get close enough to take measurements on the lizard. Posted Image

On the entire trip, we collected five savannah monitors, two males and three females, and three rock monitors, two males and our female. We look forward to our next expedition, Northern Africa, where we will look for a large and rare monitor. (Guess what it is!)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Jeнra
Member Avatar
Owner of ZKH.
Nice story SpinoSquad, and I really can't imagine what the next one will be... :sbiggrin:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lord of Dragon
Member Avatar
Raptor
May I ask, is this a S&T or a designing project?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Dark Phoenix
Member Avatar
the avian phoenix emperor
Lord of Dragon
Oct 20 2011, 08:09 AM
May I ask, is this a S&T or a designing project?

i think it is a mix of both
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
SpinoSquad
Member Avatar
King of Monitors
Yep, but idk if I should do a story. I might just release the monitors one by one. Ahh well, I'll do a story. I'll release the next part sometime this week.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Dark Phoenix
Member Avatar
the avian phoenix emperor
SpinoSquad
Oct 23 2011, 07:36 PM
Yep, but idk if I should do a story. I might just release the monitors one by one. Ahh well, I'll do a story. I'll release the next part sometime this week.

okay we can wait
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
SpinoSquad
Member Avatar
King of Monitors
Here is the next part.

* * * * *
My team, Chris, Austin, and I, decided in Kenya for them to go back to the facility with the monitors and I should go to North Africa by myself. Before we departed, some natives came to us with a large female rock monitor for sale. If we didn't buy her, she would become someone's dinner. Gladly, we paid the small sum. After we got her packed in with the others, my friends headed off by jeep to the airport. Soon after, I waved goodbye to Kenya and was on my way to North Africa!

*
On November 1st, I arrived in Algeria. Soon after I got unpacked, I went to a bazaar, asking people if they had seen any monitors. Most of them ignored my question and tried to sell me some produce or merchandise. The few that listened did not see any monitors.
*
I called up Chris back at the facility. "No monitors or leads today. It was a wasted day," I told. "That sucks. Well the monitors here are settling in nicely. Austin is feeding the savannahs right now. We put them through Panicure treatments and all have hearty appetites. One of the female savannahs appears to be gravid. Also, we have a big enough enclosure so the male savannahs get along. The rocks are kept in pairs. How does this sound?" asked Chris. I responded,"Promising. Hopefully we get eggs from the female exanthematicus. Feed the varanids daily. We want them as comfortable as possible." "Alright, thanks Troy. Good luck." "Thanks Chris. Hopefully I'll send you guys some Varanus griseus soon. Talk to you later." I hung up, ready for supper.
*
At 6:15 A.M. the next day there was a knock on my motel door. I rolled out of bed and threw on some better clothes. Opening the door, I saw a Caucasian teenage boy. I welcomed him in. "What brings you here?" I asked. He answered,"My Algerian friends told me that you were searching for desert monitors. I can help you find some."
*
It was 6:45 A.M., a half an hour since I had met Ben, the teen. He pointed me to a spot way out in the desert. The place was filled with lots of scrubby plants and huge rocks. After a couple of minutes of searching, I scared a small lizard out from under a rock.
Posted Image

A large desert monitor bolted out from cover, attacking the small lizard.
Posted Image

Posted Image

I quickly came up behind the monitor, grabbing it and putting it into a crate. The monitor was a male, and a big one. After a couple more hours of searching, I found a female. These were to be my only Varanus griseus I would find on the trip.
*
I loaded the monitors into a large crate at the airport. I was leaving to go to India, in search of another large and rare monitor. The monitors were being shipped to the research center. I had said thanks to Ben, checked out of my motel, and boarded the plane.
* * * * *

What do you think?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Thiet
Member Avatar
Spinosaurus
Not bad actually :1eye:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Dark Phoenix
Member Avatar
the avian phoenix emperor
hmmmm Ben seems nice like some one with a similar name(me)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
SpinoSquad
Member Avatar
King of Monitors
Ha I know two Bens. Both reptile friends.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Dark Phoenix
Member Avatar
the avian phoenix emperor
SpinoSquad
Oct 31 2011, 06:21 PM
Ha I know two Bens. Both reptile friends.

my name is Ben that's what i mean
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
SpinoSquad
Member Avatar
King of Monitors
Yeah. Alright,my next part will be soon.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
SpinoSquad
Member Avatar
King of Monitors
I'm sorry guys. I'm not gonna make another part. I'll just release V2 to finish it. On 11/11/11.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Free Forums. Reliable service with over 8 years of experience.
Learn More · Register Now
« Previous Topic · Current Projects · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Affiliates