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?
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