Savanna Monitor for christmas :)

[swiftskater1]

Soo, I have kept snakes for awhile now. And there is something about Savanna Monitors that amaze me. I have been wanting one for awhile and think i might ask for one for christmas. What are the ups and downs of one? How much do they tolerate handling? Aggression? And trust me. I WILL DO MY RESEARCH.


Thanks for reading!

Chris.

[SpOoKy]

Up's- they are awesome...
Down's- they cost a lot to feed properly
- they cost a lot in hydro to keep the cage heated
- they require a large cage with hundreds of pounds of dirt/soil substrate
- they can take a long time to gain trust and doing this sometimes doesn't mean that they will tolerate handling.
- they do have a mean bite but as long as you respect them they shouldn't be too aggressive. This usually means not touching them.

All in all they are great but you do have to realize that they will not be a dog like animal pet. If you wan't something you can interact with a Sav is probably not the right animal for you, unless you are patient and take your time with them. Even though some people have Savs who will be chilled with them (Chomper is a good example), some Savs will never like people and there is no way to know until later in their life.

[infernalis]

Savs are an intense pet that you simply must be willing to dedicate your life to.

Chomper consumes massive amounts of food, and quite honestly if much of this food did not occur naturally on my property, I doubt I could afford to keep him fed.

I have electric bills that look like mortgage payments!!

another downside, finding a vet with anything close to the correct knowledge of their inner workings is rare. Most all of the hardcore monitor people I know of all do their own vet work.

If you are willing to meet the challenge, you will have one of the most rewarding reptile experiences ever.

Chomper knows my voice, he knows Dorothy's voice, has a memory like a walking hard drive, and I wouldn't trade any of this for the world.

[shaunyboy]

Savs are an intense pet that you simply must be willing to dedicate your life to.

Chomper consumes massive amounts of food, and quite honestly if much of this food did not occur naturally on my property, I doubt I could afford to keep him fed.

I have electric bills that look like mortgage payments!!

another downside, finding a vet with anything close to the correct knowledge of their inner workings is rare. Most all of the hardcore monitor people I know of all do their own vet work.

If you are willing to meet the challenge, you will have one of the most rewarding reptile experiences ever.

Chomper knows my voice, he knows Dorothy's voice, has a memory like a walking hard drive, and I wouldn't trade any of this for the world.

^^^^^
so to cut a long story short (not trying to be cheeky or offend mate)

imo,buying a sav's like having a baby,sounds like they need the SAME dedication,commitment and hard work,oh and lets not forget the amount of food they consume

that said,they appear to give back the SAME huge reward,as bringing up a child gives

i have to admit even on my more gloomy days,looking at chompers pictures put a big daft ear to ear grin on my face :yes::yes::yes:

cheers shaun

[infernalis]

Yes Shaun hit it on the head perfectly.. It's like having a child, only thing is if you raise a sav right, it's yours for 35 years, twice the time you invest in a child.

[Lankyrob]

We also desperately want a sav but there is no way we could currently provide it with the space/environment that it needs. We have however priced up an enclosure for the future for when the time is right and our design works out at about £18k, this is without buying the animal, paying the heating bills and paying the feed bills.

I agree with shaun and wayne that it is a MASSIVE commitment to make but no doubt very fulfilling.

[whoaxmary]

If you're living in your parents house, it probably isn't a good idea. The guys are right.. ;/

[Freebody]

i agree with what every one has already said :) my sav is about 1/3 of the way to full grown, and he cost me more to feed than my dog does, from buying stuff to feed his roach colony, and buying the snails so he has a change and does not out eat the massive colony, to electicity bills, to buying new dirt and lights every few months. i could easy shop it up to say $5-$10 a day total. but i too would not change it for the world.

[KORBIN5895]

Too late freebody. He has made the decision to go ahead.

[infernalis]

Probably best I do this... So.

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/general-discussion/89275-built-savannah-monitor-cage.html

Continue there.