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07-31-12, 10:56 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Apr-2012
Posts: 2,054
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Re: Monitor enclosure discussion thread
I would say that for one, you would need plants out the wazoo. My attempt will incorporate tall grasses to break up sight lines (Preferably something native to African Savannas, but Mexican Feather Grass caught my eye too..) Then lots of bushes and small trees that put off edible berries and fruits for the prey animals to eat. I may also have a few concealed feeders filled with food for them, which I would keep full. I would then throw in a crap ton of worms, crickets, roaches, snails, slugs, etc. I would most likely have a small pond in there as well, stocked with fish and crayfish. I would then let the whole thing sit for a few months to let the populations stabilize. Then the sav would be added, and allowed to feed himself, with rodents being offered by hand. Supporting a sustainable population of rodents in the enclosure would be much harder than populations of bugs, I wouldn't even try.
Last edited by Pirarucu; 07-31-12 at 11:02 AM..
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07-31-12, 10:58 AM
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#2
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Moderator
Join Date: May-2008
Location: Central New York State
Age: 60
Posts: 16,536
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Re: Monitor enclosure discussion thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pirarucu
I would say that for one, you would need plants out the wazoo. My attempt will incorporate tall grasses to break up sight lines (Preferably something native to African Savannahs, but Mexican Feather Grass caught my eye too..) Then lots of bushes and small trees that put off edible berries and fruits for the prey animals to eat. I may also have a few concealed feeders filled with food for them, which I would keep full. I would then throw in a crap ton of worms, crickets, roaches, snails, slugs, etc. I would most likely have a small pond in there as well, stocked with fish and crayfish. I would then let the whole thing sit for a few months to let the populations stabilize. Then the sav would be added, and allowed to feed himself, with rodents being offered by hand. Supporting a sustainable population of rodents in the enclosure would be much harder than populations of bugs, I wouldn't even try.
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Although I admire the thought behind this, I would think you would need a 10 acre enclosure to sustain it.
In a smaller enclosure, how would you prevent the lizard from just wiping out every living thing in the enclosure?
__________________
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world attaching the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?"
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07-31-12, 03:14 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Apr-2012
Posts: 2,054
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Re: Monitor enclosure discussion thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by infernalis
Although I admire the thought behind this, I would think you would need a 10 acre enclosure to sustain it.
In a smaller enclosure, how would you prevent the lizard from just wiping out every living thing in the enclosure?
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As I said, there would be hidden food boxes in the enclosure which would also serve as hiding places. I would shoot for a 30x20 cage with 3-4 feet of dirt and just one monitor, likely a female. As far as destroying the plants, 30x20 with a four foot lizard would be like when yours were only a few inches, and there would be only one. If it doesn't work then it doesn't work, and I'll just scrap the ecosystem idea and put something larger in, perhaps a few argus or niles. Maybe a smaller crocodilian. But I still intend to try, because were it to work...
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07-31-12, 09:34 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Jun-2012
Location: Eugene OR
Posts: 230
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Re: Monitor enclosure discussion thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by infernalis
Although I admire the thought behind this, I would think you would need a 10 acre enclosure to sustain it.
In a smaller enclosure, how would you prevent the lizard from just wiping out every living thing in the enclosure?
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A 10 acre enclosure would be awesome. I wonder if at that size you could probably hold quite a few savs which would make it worth it. I would love to have something like that.
Maybe try to breed some and only sell them to owners who pass an inspection and who know what they're doing.
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08-01-12, 12:39 AM
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#5
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Moderator
Join Date: May-2008
Location: Central New York State
Age: 60
Posts: 16,536
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Re: Monitor enclosure discussion thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoPat
A 10 acre enclosure would be awesome. I wonder if at that size you could probably hold quite a few savs which would make it worth it. I would love to have something like that.
Maybe try to breed some and only sell them to owners who pass an inspection and who know what they're doing.
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In response to your breeding comment...
I intend to breed the pair I have, But I will most likely sell the clutch to a big dealer.
If I pre-screen every potential buyer, I will wind up swimming in baby savs, it's just the way it is.
__________________
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world attaching the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?"
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08-01-12, 10:33 AM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Mar-2012
Age: 37
Posts: 442
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Re: Monitor enclosure discussion thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by infernalis
In response to your breeding comment...
I intend to breed the pair I have, But I will most likely sell the clutch to a big dealer.
If I pre-screen every potential buyer, I will wind up swimming in baby savs, it's just the way it is.
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I reckons youll be able to sell one clutch per year.
Id be inclined to chuck the rest until they ban export of the species.
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08-01-12, 12:50 PM
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#7
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Moderator
Join Date: May-2008
Location: Central New York State
Age: 60
Posts: 16,536
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Re: Monitor enclosure discussion thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by varanus_mad
I reckons youll be able to sell one clutch per year.
Id be inclined to chuck the rest until they ban export of the species.
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Actually wouldn't there still be a demand for babies in the "off season"
Sadly, the market gets flooded with hatchlings every spring/summer, but autumn/winter all that's available is wild caught juveniles.
Also, the fact that anyone who were to purchase a baby is assured they are getting just what they paid for, as their parents spent their whole life in front of a camera, undoubtedly I will be showing off eggs, reporting incubation, piping videos, etc..
So if anyone who shows me a picture of a proper enclosure wanted one, I would not try and gouge them with a crazy price tag, retail mail order "farmed" babies (don't get me started there) are $35, I'll only ask $50 for a true captive bred Savannah Monitor.
show me a fish tank, it's no sale.
__________________
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world attaching the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?"
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