Savannah monitor care

Will0W783 · 02-01-10, 01:38 PM

I just got a juvenile Savannah monitor on Saturday. I'd say he's about two feet long, including his tail. He was WC, and I did research online and am treating him with Panacur (fenbendazole) for internal parasites. Externally, he's clean. I fed him a dozen crickets when I got him home and he ate them right up, so I know he's eating, but he seems a bit thinner than pics I've seen online.
His setup is a 57" x 26" x 24" glass tank with a plexiglas hinged lid that has a small screen cutout to put the heat lamps on. I just got the tank yesterday, and am setting it up tonight. He's temporarily in a 30-gallon breeder tank. I am curious as to what the best substrate is for him- at the store they had him on sand, I've read newspaper is best on some sites, and others say a deep soil/sand mixture is best. Still others say cypress mulch. I intend to use a UTH and a heat lamp at one end, and a UVB lamp as well. The heat lamp and UV lamp will be placed on the screen cutouts, and the UTH will be on that side, slightly more to the center, so that it creates as good a gradient as I can manage. I know he needs to be at 85-95 daytime with basking temps up to 110 and 75-80 at night, which shouldn't be too hard if I put the lamps on a timer and leave the UTH on all the time.

I also am curious about the best feeding schedule. I have frozen rodents on hand for my snakes, so I can try to offer some of those as well. I have also read that raw meat and premium canned dog food can be used as treats. Any suggestions or what others do would be appreciated.

He's not aggressive at all, but struggles to get away when held and will try to jump out of my hands, so once his big tank is all set up tonight, I'm not going to try to handle him for a few weeks. I will just let him see that my hands bring water and food to him and let him get used to me before I try handling again. I don't want to stress him out too much.

I'll try to get some pictures tonight once I have the set up complete, but I'm hoping for some pointers on the substrate soon so I can make sure I have that all perfect for him before I introduce him.

emseeKAY · 02-01-10, 02:17 PM

Congrats on the addition! ive done a bit of reading on monitors (but PLEASE dont quote me on this) and from what i can see most monitors love to dig and whatnot so id probably go with the soil mixture. hopefully someone with more experience on here can tell you! good luck kim! hope to see some pics soon!

Will0W783 · 02-01-10, 02:25 PM

Ok. Will do. I will try to price out some soil and sand and see if I can pick some up tonight. I imagine it won't be too bad to get some topsoil and mix it with sand.

infernalis · 02-01-10, 03:19 PM

See the PM I just replied to, it's loooooong.

I had not even checked posts yet, or I would have put it here on the board.

Congrats on your new friend!

As for handling, we let Chomper free roam the house often, and he does not seem to mind being held.

Will0W783 · 02-01-10, 03:24 PM

Cool! I hope mine calms down quickly. He's already not biting, but squirms and he scratched my hands up real good in the pet store..lol. I look like I got attacked by a rabid cat or something.

jejton · 02-01-10, 06:50 PM

Why buy WC and CB are so easily found?

**Aaron_S** · 02-01-10, 07:35 PM

First and foremost, so you've just impulse bought a monitor and some scorpions?

Secondly, ditch the UTH. It's not needed. Proper lighting from above is all the animal will need. They are a basking species and just need an appropriate one. You may not achieve the right temps for basking with just a single light. You need to use the mix of soil/sand. I believe that will hold for all the burrows it'll make. As for diet, I do know that a mix of items is very good for them. Crickets along with various worms and the occasional rodent is good. There is a particular diet that works wonders for monitors and I'm not going to try and repeat it as I don't want to get it wrong.

I hope he does well for you.

infernalis · 02-02-10, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jejton

Why buy WC and CB are so easily found?

Sorry to contradict, 99 percent of all "CB" savs are eggs stolen from nests in the wild, or gravid females "collected" in the wild then "dumped" after they lay the clutch. The eggs are then hatched and sold.

If I went into great detail about the process here, you would cry.

The fates of the mothers are grim at best.

infernalis · 02-02-10, 01:03 AM

Kim I think you have been lied to, A true wild caught monitor would be so mean spirited, and would shred you up for trying to handle it.

Try and put it in this context, his freedom has just been taken away from him, he will resent that for life.

as for the toe nails, get used to scratched up arms, Our Chomper is one of the tamest lizards I have ever experienced, and I almost always look like I have been playing with a rabid cat. He means no harm, but talons are sharp, the animal is heavy, and he is only trying to hold on.

This is a long term commitment too, with proper care he would live many years.

We use two 150 watt halogen lamps side by side for Chompers basking spot, It almost seems like you could bake a cake on his rock. (To avoid confusion here, I placed a large shale creek stone just under the lamps, the radiant energy from the lamps heat that shale stone up really well)

crocdoc · 02-02-10, 01:34 AM

good link for care advice:

The Savannah Monitor, Varanus Exanthematicus

inca · 02-02-10, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

Sorry to contradict, 99 percent of all "CB" savs are eggs stolen from nests in the wild, or gravid females "collected" in the wild then "dumped" after they lay the clutch. The eggs are then hatched and sold.

If I went into great detail about the process here, you would cry.

The fates of the mothers are grim at best.

I agree, often captive farmed is just a way of dressing up this sort of practise.
Not good, not good at all.

infernalis · 02-02-10, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crocdoc

good link for care advice:

The Savannah Monitor, Varanus Exanthematicus

I just went there, This site is an awesome resource, too bad I only now just heard of it, I will certainly spread the gospel they share here.

It opens right up with the grim picture I started painting a few posts ago.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unlike any snake, Monitor lizards are at the very top of the reptile evolutionary scale, They are of a superior intelligence to snakes, I have seen that first hand.

No one can successfully "train" a snake to voice commands, snakes will never pick up their food dish and bang it against the side of the cage for your attention, and many other behaviors that indicate superior brain power to snakes.

Will0W783 · 02-02-10, 09:38 AM

I did not "impulse buy" the scorpions. I had been planning on getting them for some time and was working out when I could meet the man to pick them up. I love savannah monitors and was hoping to get one someday, and when I saw these guys and I have a good cage for him and all, I decided to get him. Believe me, Aaron I can take care of him. I just wanted to make sure I was doing everything properly since I have found contradictory information online. I was just looking for information from people who have savs and how they care for theirs. I understand it's a major commitment- I am committed to all my pets. I intend to care for them as long as they live.
Infernalis has given me a lot of good information, and I am taking the monitor to my vet for a thorough check-up and am deworming him.

infernalis · 02-02-10, 10:11 AM

Awe Kim I am blushing right now, you charmer....

Will0W783 · 02-02-10, 10:16 AM

Well you have. He is awfully calm for a WC- I kind of think he was captive hatched at least. He squirms but has not hissed, or thrashed his tail, or tried to bite at all. I know they're very smart lizards, and I hope I can have a good relationship with him and that he will quickly learn I mean no harm.