Savannah Monitor

emmels705 · 10-22-10, 07:44 PM

Hey all

I just finished setting up my Savannah Monitor. Right now he is in his tank alone (no bedding or toys) with some crickets, water and a heat lamp trying to get him adjusted!! I have heard several different ideas for bedding and have narrowed it down to two.. the first being carpet, the second shredded news paper. Any opinions to these two, or for those who are more experienced, and other suggestions? I had a little skink, so this big guy is quite a change lol. Thanks for your help!!!
~Emma

emmels705 · 10-22-10, 07:49 PM

Here's a pic of him, I will post more as he becomes more comfortable in his new home!

Reptile_Reptile · 10-22-10, 10:35 PM

lol those krickets are funny

Grimleo · 10-22-10, 10:52 PM

If those crickets are just sitting there, they are more than likely chewing on him. :/ If he won't eat them, I'd at least get them away from him for the time being. I don't know much about savs but I do know very high heat and a deep substrate is very important. I know some people on here have savs so maybe they will be able to help you out soon enough.

Grats on your new addition =) good luck..

emmels705 · 10-22-10, 11:30 PM

Thanks!! The picture was right when we put him in his tank and dropped a few crickets in there... We were watching him to make sure they weren't picking at him. Needless to say, they didn't last too long, in the first 2 hours, he ate 16 crickets (we put about 5 or so in at a time). He was in a cage with another SAV at the pet store, and the other one seemed to be quite aggressive. My thoughts after seeing him eat as much as he did was that he was often beat out of his share of food. He's become pretty well acclimated in the few hours we've had him; I am already able to stick my hand in his cage and pet him.. He seems as though he has a great personality and I am so excited to see him grow!!!

infernalis · 10-23-10, 12:08 AM

Oh my... where do I even start.

Unless you make some real serious changes, that poor animal will never see it's first birthday.

rather than compose a post 3 pages long, please read this..for some of the basics first.

Savannah Monitors

even that care sheet has some inaccurate information in it.

Your new friend will need a MINIMUM cage of at least six feet wide, 4 feet deep and 4 feet tall. an ideal enclosure would be 8 feet or more wide.

they need good dirt soil to dig around in for substrate.

Trust me the pet store you bought it from must be run by imbeciles.

I can also say from first hand experience that they are very expensive to maintain properly, the basking spot should be around 120 degrees or your new friend will wind up with a respiratory infection.

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/varan...-savannah.html

emmels705 · 10-23-10, 04:49 PM

Thanks, I have already read all of that... the picture was taken as soon as we got him home; we were advised to put him in the tank solo with some crickets for an hour or so just to be able to keep track of his eating and bathroom habits. The tank is very temporary, we have already begun to to build his permanent tank which will be 9x5x4. I am very hesitant about using soil due to the fact that he is very likely to get a mouth full of it when going after a cricket... I have read on several pages that plain brown butcher paper is ideal for him. As far as the temperature, we have a 100 watt heat lamp going 24/7 as well as a heating pad under the tank which has it around 118. Thank you for the links, I will def read them and make any necessary changes so that he will be with us for quite some time!!

Freebody · 10-23-10, 04:58 PM

use soil, its the best for it, if you wont, at least put a few containers in the cage that have soil in it, that way you can feed it on butcher paper and it can still dig around burrow and do what savs like to do. ME << im setting up my new savs cage now get it in 7 days!!

, i have 8" of 50/50 playsand, potting soil mixed front to back of the cage.

emmels705 · 10-23-10, 05:01 PM

Are juvenile savs able to digest the potting soil or is there a chance for it to "back him up"?

emmels705 · 10-23-10, 05:03 PM

Congrats on your sav! I must say, this guy is pretty cool.. I have handled him a few times as well as pet him while in the tank and he is pretty even tempered. I think he is going to be easy to tame!!

Freebody · 10-23-10, 05:07 PM

im sure the soil wont hurt them, it is well known soil is best substrate for them and if it was bad for them im sure it would not be well known to be the best substrate lol it should pass right through if it does take in a little while chasing the food around. i cant wait to get it.

emmels705 · 10-23-10, 05:10 PM

Ok- I'll def give it a shot... I was just nervous cause I had a skink who I had soil in his tank and it backed him up and by the time he showed it, it was too late and he died the next day. Thanks!!!

Freebody · 10-23-10, 05:12 PM

some species are knows for problems with impaction, but i have not read or heard anthing saying savs are vulnerable to it yet, im going to do a search right now just to be sure.

emmels705 · 10-23-10, 05:14 PM

Ok cool- I'll look into it also, I just don't wanna screw anything up hah

Freebody · 10-23-10, 05:20 PM

lol sweet, well you came to the right place to ask question thats for sure

i dont want to mess anything up as well so i read read read them come here to ask just to be safe, im sure it will be fine

would like to see more pics of your sav, we love pics here