Possible Savannah rescuer with questions.

Vegasarah · 12-28-12, 07:07 PM

I will start by saying I am obviously very new here, so please forgive me if I don't word this the right way or if I need to provide more information...!

There is a 17 inch, 7 month old Savannah Monitor for sale on my local craigslist. I often browse the pets and for sale sections looking for supplies for my ever-growing reptile collection. I have always had my eye on a monitor, (I really like Tegus) but was always wary because of how large they get. Well, I just moved in to my own house so space is no longer too much of a problem for me. I saw that Savannah and it sparked my interest. I emailed the person and he/she sent me some better pictures of the Sav.

The poor dear doesn't look too hot. It is apparently very 'laid back' but I think in reality it's probably starving from only being fed one mouse a week and dehydrated from being kept too dry. I tried to ask more questions about it's current care and he/she said it's in a 4x2x2 tank on wood chips with a screen top and a large water dish that it sits in a lot. No UV lights, just one basking light at around 90 degrees.

I've been doing my research and from what I understand, this is all wrong. But then I come to find out that the person selling this monitor is like 13 years old. I try and very nicely and calmly offer some advice and all I got back was "Well, it doesn't really matter because my parents are making me get rid of her this week or they are going to take her away". I'm assuming to a pet store or more likely the animal shelter?

The person is asking $75 for everything including it's current tank and some extra crickets. I really badly want to try and help this poor Savannah before she's passed on to another person who won't care for her properly. I'm short on cash (darn xmas) but not on love and knowledge for proper husbandry. I MIGHT be able to scrape up just enough, but it's going to be tight for the next month if I do. I tried to see if they would take a deposit till January but the parents said no I guess.

She needs a bigger enclosure, that much is true, but I was wondering if a tank that is eight feet wide, two feet deep, and two feet tall would be okay to house her in for now until I can build something deeper?

Does she need to be fed every day, and if so, how much? (I have a colony of roaches and breed meal worms.)

Anyone think I'm a fool for living off Ramen noodles for a week to try and help this lizard?

Akuma223 · 12-28-12, 07:21 PM

I don't think you are a fool If you go for it. I would try and talk to the parents directly though and see if you can get a better deal so you can get the lizard and build a more suitable home.

EmbraceCalamity · 12-28-12, 07:22 PM

A pet store won't take it, and a shelter most likely won't take it due to its eventual size and/or obviously poor condition (and even if they would take it, they'd probably charge them a fee). Tell them you're their only option and to give it to you for free or you'll report them for animal cruelty.

~Maggot

Vegasarah · 12-28-12, 07:36 PM

Maggot, I like you already haha. Our shelter is equipped to help exotics, and will take any and every thing that comes through the door. Often they just call a rescue to come pick it up, but they will not refuse any owned animal. I'm on the call list for any Blue Tongues when they do come in. I foster them in my house and rehome them. Animal control is a JOKE in this city, if I tried to report them for animal cruelty the county would laugh me right off the phone :/.... That's why all reptile rescues have to be done by people like me and other rescue groups. It sucks.

Akuma- Thank you for the kind words, but the parents are immigrants who do not speak English so there's really no reasoning with them apparently. And I don't speak Spanish so I wouldn't know where to begin to he honest. The kid is scared they are going to take it and set it free in the desert. Sigh. Don't you just love people?

EmbraceCalamity · 12-28-12, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vegasarah

Maggot, I like you already haha. Our shelter is equipped to help exotics, and will take any and every thing that comes through the door. Often they just call a rescue to come pick it up, but they will not refuse any owned animal. I'm on the call list for any Blue Tongues when they do come in. I foster them in my house and rehome them. Animal control is a JOKE in this city, if I tried to report them for animal cruelty the county would laugh me right off the phone :/.... That's why all reptile rescues have to be done by people like me and other rescue groups. It sucks.

That rescue center sounds pretty impressive. I was looking for rescues and I could only find two in PA, and neither were helpful. Wayne (Infernalis) should be able to answer all of your care questions, but we also have several other monitor people here. I hope you get this little guy. And I understand, and no, you're not nuts. I've taken in many animals and given up a lot for it. Some people think I'm nuts for that, but they're the insane ones in my opinion.

~Maggot

Pirarucu · 12-28-12, 08:58 PM

Have a look at Wayne's site, savannahmonitor.net, it'll tell you all you need to know. I would say take it in and get working on a proper cage, even if you can't have it done right away. Not having a proper cage immediately is a better option than possibly never having one. You can build a good cage for pretty cheap if you do it right. Use a horse water trough to hold the substrate and build a box around it.

BarelyBreathing · 12-28-12, 11:06 PM

The problem with glass tanks is that they don't really hold the amount of heat or humidity that monitors need.

Savannah monitors need:
-A custom built 8x4x4 enclosure made from wood, 100% sealed (no screen, no open vents)
-2 feet of sandy soil. I use and recommend a 60/40 mixture of Eco Earth and children's washed play sand for monitors. Substrate should be moist at depth.
-60% ambient humidity measured several times daily with a DIGITAL hygrometer
-A basking spot of 130F or higher, measured several times daily with an infra red TEMPERATURE GUN
-A cool side of 75F measured several times daily with a DIGITAL thermometer with a PROBE
-Plenty of hides
-A water dish that is large enough to soak in
-A diet that mostly consists of invertibrates

Good luck.

infernalis · 12-28-12, 11:53 PM

My biggest apprehension is the likelihood that much internal damage is already done by the previous poor care.

EmbraceCalamity · 12-29-12, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

My biggest apprehension is the likelihood that much internal damage is already done by the previous poor care.

That's what happened with my turtles. But at least either she could save it or she could give it a decent place to pass.

~Maggot

Lankyrob · 12-29-12, 05:42 AM

Iwould almost be tempted to take it and tehn euthanizeit, at least then you know it is quick and painless rather than months of dehydration and starvation

beardeds4life · 12-29-12, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmbraceCalamity

A pet store won't take it, and a shelter most likely won't take it due to its eventual size and/or obviously poor condition (and even if they would take it, they'd probably charge them a fee). Tell them you're their only option and to give it to you for free or you'll report them for animal cruelty.

~Maggot

A lot of petstores will take it. Especially if they took it back to where they bought it so that store got to sell it twice and make double the money. Even petco will take it.

Have you gotten it yet? I agree thought that imo it will never live very long due to internal damage.

Vegasarah · 12-29-12, 06:42 PM

The person stopped answering me, so I'm not sure. The ad is still up on craigslist, though. Hopefully it either found another good home or they will contact me soon.

She's only 7 month old, is there a possibility that there is not a good chance for recovery? I know the dehydration is probably the biggest problem, but for a younger animal I just wonder if it's even worth it to pour a bunch of money into a new enclosure if it's possible she might not make it. Has anyone on here ever dealt with a rescue like this? I have access to cheap or sometimes free vet care, and I am in school to become a vet myself. Obviously I will have to take her to the vet asap, but is there anything that I should recommend as a test or as treatment that I can either share with my vet or implement myself? I don't know how bad her condition is, of course. As an example, I work with a tortoise rescue and one f the biggest problem is dehydration. One of the best ways we treat that while rehabilitating is by doing warm water soaks with baby food or pedialite in the water. They sometimes drink a little, giving them vitamins they were lacking. But it is also good for their skin and shell and they can absorb both water and vitamins through their skin and vent. Is there any treatment like this that would be good for a very dehydrated monitor?

Any chance that this sudden change could shock her too much and kill her? :/

Either way, thank you guys for the encouraging words, I am going to go ahead and try to take her if I can get her. It just breaks my heart that she is living every day suffering. I'm going to be very broke in the process, but I might contact a local reptile rescue I work with sometimes to see if they can help in any way.

Pirarucu · 12-29-12, 08:23 PM

Seven months is still plenty young to allow for recovery. What she needs for treatment is proper care in a proper enclosure. The very last thing you want to do is stick her full of medicine, it will shock her system. Just get her in a good cage with food and she will recover all on her own. One thing you can do to help with dehydration is to inject pinkies with water before feeding them to her. Other than that, it's really best to let her recover by herself.

Chandra2 · 01-02-13, 08:36 AM

The one I rescued was in the same situation.He is about the same age and in really bad shape.Although he has gone from being super tame to super fast and aggressive.<I think that is a good thing(lol).
The guy had him in a 40 gal with a 250 watt brooder lamp.Fried the poor thing. He is missing about 7 toes and a big piece of his tail is missing and he looks to have burns along his back..He has grown about 2 inches In just these few weeks Ive had him.They fed him boiled eggs and the very occasional mouse.
I have no idea if he will live any more then a few years but I am going to build him a 8x4x4 and give him a good last few years anyway.
I figured I couldnt do worse for the poor thing.He is in a ghetto rigged cage and I am scrambling to build. I have all the money set aside for the wood and paint, just need the weather to cooperate so I can start building.

beardeds4life · 01-02-13, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pirarucu

Seven months is still plenty young to allow for recovery. What she needs for treatment is proper care in a proper enclosure. The very last thing you want to do is stick her full of medicine, it will shock her system. Just get her in a good cage with food and she will recover all on her own. One thing you can do to help with dehydration is to inject pinkies with water before feeding them to her. Other than that, it's really best to let her recover by herself.

You can also do this with almost any type of feeder minus crickets. Even mealworms will hold quite a bit.