Savannah Monitor - Page 2

Jenn_06 · 10-23-10, 05:25 PM

yeah use top soil and sand i have about 1 1/2 ft of it in my savs cage, you dont need that much yet because yours is still small..but need about 12in so it can dig and make a little cave, sand will help the soil stay together better...just remember make sure there is no fertilizer in the soil.

infernalis · 10-23-10, 06:43 PM

I have found the very best soil is to just take a shovel and scoop up a hunk of lawn.

Chomper has been on dirt his whole life, never had an impaction problem.

He's almost 4 years old now and still as healthy as an ox.

What I chose to do is use two 75 watt basking lamps, that way if one burns out and no one notices right away, the temps won't drop an awful lot.

bighog85 · 10-23-10, 10:18 PM

There is nothing better than a 50/50 mix of sand and topsoil and as long as your temps are ok he will not get impacted. That link that infernalis gave you is the best resource I have found on savs and even though it isn't perfect, there isn't anything on there that will make much of a huge difference. Do not, I BEG you do not use butcher paper or shredded paper as a substrate. It makes no sense to put him in with nothing in it to get him adjusted because then you are going to put a bunch of stuff in there and make it a new place, therefore negating the "adjustment" that was supposed to have happened. I have yet to find a pet store that had any clue as to what they were doing, especially with reptiles. Also, handling is not a good thing so soon. The best thing you can do is to get him set up in his enclosure and then leave him alone other than feeding and cage maintenance. I just wrote all of this on another thread but I will say again that monitors are very smart and will remember bad experiences and react accordingly the next time you try to handle him. Absolutely do not ever grab him to pick him up. It has to be done on their terms. In the wild if they are grabbed it usually means that they are dead, so it is not a good experience. Chances are the reason it is being "calm" right now is because he is scared out of his mind. If you see him closing his eyes or just freezing it is because he feels scared and just wants the bad thing to go away. Eventually you can start building trust with food and whatnot but not now, just leave it alone.

infernalis · 10-23-10, 10:21 PM

Kudos...applause....thank you!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bighog85

There is nothing better than a 50/50 mix of sand and topsoil and as long as your temps are ok he will not get impacted. That link that infernalis gave you is the best resource I have found on savs and even though it isn't perfect, there isn't anything on there that will make much of a huge difference. Do not, I BEG you do not use butcher paper or shredded paper as a substrate. It makes no sense to put him in with nothing in it to get him adjusted because then you are going to put a bunch of stuff in there and make it a new place, therefore negating the "adjustment" that was supposed to have happened. I have yet to find a pet store that had any clue as to what they were doing, especially with reptiles. Also, handling is not a good thing so soon. The best thing you can do is to get him set up in his enclosure and then leave him alone other than feeding and cage maintenance. I just wrote all of this on another thread but I will say again that monitors are very smart and will remember bad experiences and react accordingly the next time you try to handle him. Absolutely do not ever grab him to pick him up. It has to be done on their terms. In the wild if they are grabbed it usually means that they are dead, so it is not a good experience. Chances are the reason it is being "calm" right now is because he is scared out of his mind. If you see him closing his eyes or just freezing it is because he feels scared and just wants the bad thing to go away. Eventually you can start building trust with food and whatnot but not now, just leave it alone.

Freebody · 10-23-10, 10:26 PM

a great set of videos on taming monitor is on youtube dealing with a lace monitor, this i think would be best for taming your monitor but i takes alot of time with your monitor, but like bighog85 said, not direct handling until he is happy with it then you can spend lots of time with it, heres a link. YouTube - how to tame monitors the easy way this guy seems to know what hes talking about when it comes to taming monitors.

emmels705 · 10-24-10, 01:20 PM

Thank you guys sooo much!!! I really appreciate all the advice! I'll be sure to watch the videos and make sure he has everything he needs to live a long time with us!!!

Jenn_06 · 10-24-10, 01:35 PM

about taming savs, each sav is going to be different some will tame some will not just keep in mind you might have one that you can look at but not touch, as of right now my sav is for looking only and im ok with that i just want him to live long and be happy.

emmels705 · 10-24-10, 01:38 PM

I haven't handled him yet, but I am able to touch him while changing his water and cleaning his cage. He seems as though he will be able to tame and will be pretty sociable

emmels705 · 10-24-10, 05:13 PM

Sorry, one more question! lol... Is it ok to feed them dog food? I read it somewhere, but wanted to ask you guys (who def know more than anyone else I have spoken to)!!!

infernalis · 10-24-10, 05:30 PM

As a RARE treat, NOT as staple food.

We feed ours Cockroaches, small rats, occasionally mice (too much fat content to feed as main food) and lean raw venison.

When I do give him dog food, I get the packets of "ol Roy" turkey from Wal Mart.

Jenn_06 · 10-24-10, 06:11 PM

feed it lots and lots and lots of bugs, some times rats, it be a great idea to start breeding so you dont have to run to the pet store every other day.

bighog85 · 10-24-10, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmels705

Sorry, one more question! lol... Is it ok to feed them dog food? I read it somewhere, but wanted to ask you guys (who def know more than anyone else I have spoken to)!!!

I hear this question a lot and the answer I always give is no. While technically it is ok every great once in a while I have found that keepers will start giving it once a month and then because it is easy gradually start giving it more and more often. I just had to put down a rescued sav that had been fed lunch meat its entire life because it was the simplest thing that the owner could think of to feed. It is a very slippery slope and I just choose not to go down it at all as well as advise others against it. Bugs, bugs and more bugs! The best thing you can do is to order some dubia roaches and start breeding them. These will make up 90% of the animals diet with a rodent once a month or so and eggs, fish and crustaceans filling in the rest. Roaches are super easy to breed so there really is no excuse to not have a good staple food source on hand at all times. You can also do crickets, super worms and a multitude of other inverts to mix it up a bit. The only time I would recommend any of the prepared monitor foods or dog food is for an extremely malnourished animal that needs a lot of nutrition fast. Beyond that, don't do it.

emmels705 · 10-24-10, 09:32 PM

I haven't fed him anything other than crickets. The first night we got him, he ate 20 crickets. I am not sure if that is too many for one feeding, but the only reason I continued to give him more is because at the pet shop, he was caged with another sav who appeared to be incredibly aggressive. While watching him eat the first 6 crickets we gave him, we made the assumption that our sav was often not able to eat as much as he needed because he was overpowered by the other sav at the pet shop with him. Also, will he eat veggies? Is it ok to feed them to him and if so what kind?

infernalis · 10-24-10, 10:22 PM

The absolute best in my opinion is Dubia roaches.

You can purchase a group and in no time flat have a never ending food source.

Dubia are almost "goof proof" and easy to maintain.

I feed all my insectivores roaches.

Forgot about the crustaceans, We have a creek on our property and Chomper simply loves to dig up crayfish and chomp them.

I also tend to forget that not everyone has access to venison.

Everyone I know (but me) hunts deer, so I can get the super lean slabs of meat for free.

emmels705 · 10-24-10, 10:52 PM

Hard boiled eggs.. yay or nay?