Savannah Monitor, Too Close For Comfort!

MrBosc · 12-19-12, 09:58 AM

Well,

over the past few days I've been spending more time handling my Sav, I first used the hands off approach until he/she was used to me. My Sav got to the stage where he/she would happily rub his/her little head onto mine and come onto my hand. But today.. well that was a different story. My little Sav decided he would walk up my arm and into the back of my t-shirt on my neck, it was such an nerve racking but exciting experience because I didn't want to do any sudden movements or attempt to handle him as when he/she is out of the vivarium he/she goes into a defensive mode, but too my surprise my Sav was extremely well behaved and didn't hiss or anything. Not to mention my Sav would let me pick him/her up without any hissing as well

This is a picture my partner took while he was on his adventure

P.S what do you think of the sex as well?

SpOoKy · 12-19-12, 10:02 AM

Cute, but you wont be doing that for too much longer. 2 stiches in my boyfriends hand say that those talons are sharp!

MrBosc · 12-19-12, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpOoKy

Cute, but you wont be doing that for too much longer. 2 stiches in my boyfriends hand say that those talons are sharp!

Well when he starting going down my t-shirt he was scratching like mad to keep himself up by neck. Such a nervous but memorable experience

. It's nice to know he's trusting me a lot more, and how did this happen btw? was the Sav just walking on his hand or?...

infernalis · 12-19-12, 11:13 AM

I know I'm guessing, but your Bosc looks a little "feminine".

War Machine · 12-19-12, 11:36 AM

+1 on sharp claws. My juvi white throat enforces cat like scratches with those rear "monkey" feet.

I'm dreading adult claws, I will be influencing lots of rocks and reasons to dull down his claws in the enclosure soon lol

infernalis · 12-19-12, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by War Machine

+1 on sharp claws. My juvi white throat enforces cat like scratches with those rear "monkey" feet.

I'm dreading adult claws, I will be influencing lots of rocks and reasons to dull down his claws in the enclosure soon lol

You noticed that too.. looks like a chimpanzee's hands.

I like how their front feet look and function almost like human hands also.

War Machine · 12-19-12, 11:44 AM

Yeah, it's incredible how agile they are because of the rear feet. Nothing is a difficult obstacle to a monitor. Paired with a stiff strong tail, they can get anywhere.

infernalis · 12-19-12, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by War Machine

Yeah, it's incredible how agile they are because of the rear feet. Nothing is a difficult obstacle to a monitor. Paired with a stiff strong tail, they can get anywhere.

That and their brains make them the worlds most ultimate reptile.

If you really think about it, they articulate so many more muscles and joints than humans ever could, that brain has a lot going on at once in there just to motivate, yet alone plot the next thing to do.

Their sight, balance, etc.. is all impressive. and it's all instinct, not learned.

MrBosc · 12-20-12, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

I know I'm guessing, but your Bosc looks a little "feminine".

Well I really thought that as well, every time I see and handle my Bosc it really does look like a girl. I remember two days a go when my sav went to go and have a poop in the water but the back of my sav was hanging over the water bowl, I didn't see anything popping out though. I heard from a previous post that sometimes when they go to the toilet it can sometimes make there you know what stick out which wil blatantly show whether they are male or female.

Anyway besides being able to see that is there some pictures I can take of my Sav maybe even a few pics to examine certain areas for male or female descriptions? if so let me know and I'll do my best to get a few that way I could finally give my Sav a well deserved name

infernalis · 12-20-12, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBosc

Well I really thought that as well, every time I see and handle my Bosc it really does look like a girl. I remember two days a go when my sav went to go and have a poop in the water but the back of my sav was hanging over the water bowl, I didn't see anything popping out though. I heard from a previous post that sometimes when they go to the toilet it can sometimes make there you know what stick out which wil blatantly show whether they are male or female.

Anyway besides being able to see that is there some pictures I can take of my Sav maybe even a few pics to examine certain areas for male or female descriptions? if so let me know and I'll do my best to get a few that way I could finally give my Sav a well deserved name

No matter what, it's all guessing until either a willy pops out or eggs get laid.

I have read people mentioning seeing the female genetalia, But I never have. (Chomper was a male)

MrBosc · 12-20-12, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

No matter what, it's all guessing until either a willy pops out or eggs get laid.

I have read people mentioning seeing the female genetalia, But I never have. (Chomper was a male)

Sigh :/ looks like it's a waiting game then, and do they lay eggs even when they haven't got a male around? I seen a post from Aja Michelle, not 100% sure if I got the name correct but she had a video of her sav's eggs that weren't fertilized

infernalis · 12-20-12, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBosc

Sigh :/ looks like it's a waiting game then, and do they lay eggs even when they haven't got a male around? I seen a post from Aja Michelle, not 100% sure if I got the name correct but she had a video of her sav's eggs that weren't fertilized

Yes. They ovulate independent of a male presence.

This is about the second leading cause of premature lizard deaths in the pet trade.

Females will hold the eggs in and go septic if she cannot find a suitable nesting area.

In the wild, they will seek out the best conditions for incubation and dig a burrow, lay the eggs and bury them.

In captivity, the owners often fail to provide the correct nesting conditions, so the female with search until she dies looking for a nesting site while locked in a box that offers none.

Then it gets called "reproductive failure" or "she went egg bound" and no one looks into WHY.......

That has been my whole quest now for this last year, I want to know why every single life event takes place as it does.

The whole Bosc keeping hobby needs a serious overhaul, it has since the very first specimen was shipped out of Africa.

Pirarucu · 12-20-12, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

No matter what, it's all guessing until either a willy pops out or eggs get laid.

I have read people mentioning seeing the female genetalia, But I never have. (Chomper was a male)

From what I understand it's somewhat rare to see the female's hemiclitoris, and it isn't out as long as the male's hemipenes. I have only once seen a hemiclitoris, and it was gone in a flash. It was a young Sav at a pet shop, which is unfortunately probably dead now. It looks like a small, unadorned pink tube.

Lankyrob · 12-20-12, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

Yes. They ovulate independent of a male presence.

This is about the second leading cause of premature lizard deaths in the pet trade.

Females will hold the eggs in and go septic if she cannot find a suitable nesting area.

In the wild, they will seek out the best conditions for incubation and dig a burrow, lay the eggs and bury them.

In captivity, the owners often fail to provide the correct nesting conditions, so the female with search until she dies looking for a nesting site while locked in a box that offers none.

Then it gets called "reproductive failure" or "she went egg bound" and no one looks into WHY.......

That has been my whole quest now for this last year, I want to know why every single life event takes place as it does.

The whole Bosc keeping hobby needs a serious overhaul, it has since the very first specimen was shipped out of Africa.

And this is shy when we get our sav we will be following your example and direction

MrBosc · 12-20-12, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

Yes. They ovulate independent of a male presence.

This is about the second leading cause of premature lizard deaths in the pet trade.

Females will hold the eggs in and go septic if she cannot find a suitable nesting area.

In the wild, they will seek out the best conditions for incubation and dig a burrow, lay the eggs and bury them.

In captivity, the owners often fail to provide the correct nesting conditions, so the female with search until she dies looking for a nesting site while locked in a box that offers none.

Then it gets called "reproductive failure" or "she went egg bound" and no one looks into WHY.......

That has been my whole quest now for this last year, I want to know why every single life event takes place as it does.

The whole Bosc keeping hobby needs a serious overhaul, it has since the very first specimen was shipped out of Africa.

Nicely described

In that case at what age can this happen? the reason being I may purchase some additional top soil and play sand and use the "hill" method so at least there is one place to burrow, as for now the vivarium is just to small to build sufficient depth throughout the whole vivarium.