Common name: Pygmy Mulga monitor / gillens monitor
Scientific name: Varanus gilleni Described: Lucas & C. Frost, 1895
Size: up to around 40cm
Gilleni is endemic to Australia, and is part of the sub genus Odatria. They are small monitors and is a rather arboreal lizard, that loves to make it’s home in hollow trees/branches.
In captivity they will enjoy a tall cage with cork tubes and other hides. They can’t get too much light, being a diurnal species, I personally use 2x 6400k leds as main lights, halogen bulb for basking and a reptiles system Ferguson zone 3 for uv.
As for feeding, gilleni’s are as most other monitors not picky eaters, and will eat most insects offered. Personally I feed my gilleni’s the following: Dubia, shelfordella, crickets, locusts, waxworms, super worms.
Breeding/ egg laying and incubation: Breeding is pretty straight forward, and similar to other Odatria. As for the egg laying, I have had great success with arboreal nests. I’ve used the arboreal nesting in different gilleni cages and in every cage the females has chosen the arboreal nest and not even gone to the bottom to test dig.
As for incubation I use either vermiculite or perlite mixed with water at a ratio of 1:1 by weight. And incubation temperature is 28-30c
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