Mertens breeding/ hatchling care

Hi Just wondering if anyone on here has bred Mertens' water monitor or knows some zoos outside Australia that house them? I am developing husbandry guidelines for them and was looking for information from people/organisations who have bred them to find out what they did, their enclosure design and hatchling care. Thanks for any help

 

In 1965 Stutgart Zoo bred 7. (International Zoo Yearbook volume 7 page 349), no details were published as far as I know.

International Zoo Yearbook volume 28 page 143 gives the clutch size, incubation period and incubation temperature.

International Zoo Yearbook volume 35 page 236 gives the incubation period , length and weight of hatchlings.

This reference gives a furthur reference

Eidenmüller, B. (1990). Beobachtungen bei der Haltung und Nachzucht von Varanus (Varanus) mertensi Glauert, 1951. Salamandra 26:132-139

 

Zootierlist shows the following collections as holding V.mertensi in Europe.

Germany

Berlin (Zoologischer Garten)
Bochum (Tierpark)
Karlsruhe (Zoo)
Landau (Reptilium)


other EAZA countries

Czech Republic:
Dvur Kralove (Zoo)
Plzen (Zoo)
Praha (Terárium Dubeč)

Netherlands:
Tilburg (Dierenpark De Oliemeulen)

Sweden:
Karlshamn (Blekinge Exotiska Värld)

UK/England:
Crawley (Crocodiles of the World)

 

Thanks for your help bongorob. If anyone has any information on breeding diet, frequency of breeding and growth and development that would also be helpful as I can find very little info to assist with these sections of my guidelines.

 

Oliemeulen - Tilburg in the Netherlands bred them succefully - will try to find out more about this breeding.

 

Dvur Kralove Zoo used to breed them annually and in good numbers, get in contact with Lead zoologist Pavel Moucha. They no longer keep them because the zoo decided to phase out all non-african species, but they keep very good historical records, and have still a lot of personal experience.

 

Bochum Tierpark currently has fresh hatchlings.

 

Thanks for your replies everyone I will definitely get in contact with everyone mentioned

 

The 3 young at Bochum are now on public view.
The first of them hatched April 21 after an incubation period of 263 days.
The second hatched April 26 and the third took a little longer and hatched June 11 2016.

 

Do you have any other info on these hatchlings? I am really after information on their growth and development which is the one area that appears to be lacking.

 

I guess its best to try to get into contact with Tierpark Bochum yourself.

 

A female at the National Aquarium at Baltimore laid at least one egg in September 2019 and the young hatched Oct. 2020 !