my new monitor

spidersweb · 04-18-05, 05:26 PM

i just got my water monitor from the reptile show yesterday here a pic of him

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...6/IMAG0001.jpg

V.hb · 04-18-05, 05:52 PM

Looks skinny.

Waters will be very shy when you first get them. If you want to avoid killing it, leave it alone. Set it up properly with proper basking spots, substrate, water and leave it alone! I always found my baby waters would only eat at night due to the level of inactivity around them.

spidersweb · 04-18-05, 05:54 PM

he'll eat infront off me and all

treevaranus · 04-18-05, 09:14 PM

I would worry about the animal suffering from dehydration. Whenever you see such a skinny monitor like that, chances are it is dehydrated, and not starving/emaciated. Regardless of the animal eats, feeding is not what yous hould really be concerned with. Make sure you set him up properly, so that it is given proper humidity levels- no screen tops!!

If the animal is not given proper humidity, you will quickly see the animal whither away and die... Feeding does not indicate good health in monitors, or reptiles in general. Could you show us a photo of the tailbase area? We would be able to tell you a little bit more of the diagnosis as to why it is skinny if we could see the tailbase.

Regardless, it is crucial that you encourage the animal to drink by misting him several times a day, and to keep the humidity up in the cage.

Considering that water makes up the majority of the body, hydration is the most critical aspect of survival... not food.

Just don't let him wither away and die(dehydrate). Good luck.

Bob
treemonitors.com

bistrobob85 · 04-18-05, 09:34 PM

I hope you're ready for a salvatori...

crocdoc · 04-18-05, 10:23 PM

Bob and bistrobob, you're wasting your time. Spidersweb was on here a while ago saying he was interested in either a salvadorii or a salvator. Everyone advised him/her against it until he/she was old enough to look after it and preferably not living at home with mom and dad.

He/she will only read through your posts looking for answers he/she wants to read and will ignore the rest.

bistrobob85 · 04-18-05, 10:46 PM

oh yeah, i remember that debate... I see that mr.spiderweb didnt only choose the right specie, but he also chose the right specimen... poor thing, i just hope he sprays it more often than he would with his sav or bearded dragon...

treevaranus · 04-18-05, 11:08 PM

ah, I vaguely remember that thread now...

It's a shame that this person went against what everyone with experience was advising him not to do... And as bistro said, not only did he/she choose a terrible species, the individual itself looks as if it has less than ten days left to its life...

It is sad, in that it appears that this person does not want to hear the advice that others give, and this animal will surely die the typical 10gallon with sceen lid death that so many imported monitors succumb to...

A damn shame it is...

V.hb · 04-19-05, 10:35 AM

Bob, my suggestion was based on old water monitors I owned. They were in the same shape, and were very nervous feeders. I had to make sure I wasn't around in order to feed them at first. I had them setup in a custom built enclosure so humidity was fine. I do agree, dehydration is far worse but I figured i'd stress the whole stress issue due to the fact that it's young, and skinny. Chances are it's not going to do much drinking if hes hovering over its enclosure 24/7 either. Mine would dart and hide at the first site of me.

I remember this guy inquiring into getting a big lizard to show off, its pretty sad he actually went through with it.

spidersweb · 04-19-05, 02:59 PM

he spends most of his time in the water but does come out. i am making him a cage this summer for him but im also geting him a 90 gallon tank soon i do not hover around his tank cuz i know they get stressed out. ive done alot of resrech on them the cage im making is going to be 8l 8w 6h

dennis.epp · 04-19-05, 03:20 PM

I am just curious I live in Alberta but will be moving to Ontario soon and at our reptile show a animals in that condition would not be aloud to be sold, is it common for animals in such condition to be sold there. I am assuming that the show this was purchased at was the one in Ontario.
thanks

spidersweb · 04-19-05, 05:19 PM

yes from na reptiles

treevaranus · 04-19-05, 06:56 PM

Just out of curiosity, if you've "done your research" like you claim, why on earth would you buy such a skinny and severely dehydrated monitor?? There is not much left to that monitor except skin and bones.... Probably not a good choice for a beginner such as yourself.. But you will learn the hard way like so many other people do.. unfortunately.

An animal that spends most of its time in the water is trying to tell you something, yet you are unable to pick up on that cry for help... YOUR ANIMAL IS SEVERELY DEHYDRATED... I would recommend you make the necessary changes to your husbandry to correct this, or you will have a dead monitor within a week's time.

best of luck...

spidersweb · 04-19-05, 07:49 PM

he has a water bowl that he can swim in and is geting a bigger one soon as im finsh his tank with will be tomorrow oh and all the water monitor where that skinny there

chuck911jeep · 04-19-05, 09:11 PM

Hi spidersweb!
Get your monitor good basking and cool area temperature, cover the top of your aquarium(i bet he's inside an aquarium) put a feet of humid outside earth in is enclosure or aquarium or wathever, change is bowl everyday, give him small pray, don't leave the unwanted pray for long cause it will stress the monitor and LEAVE HIM ALONE for a while, at least a month. Lot of WC monitor look like this but with good care, lots survive.
Good chance and take care