Hyas - Page 2

ZARADOZIA · 10-22-11, 03:54 AM

Hendrixed wasn't placed beside Diesel. Diesel happens to love being near Hendrix, I have no idea why, he just does. Hendrix is quite healthy and eats a large variety of food. He's not overweight but looks it when he flattens out while sun bathing.

infernalis · 10-22-11, 08:46 AM

What happened here.... The scar on his back.

Chomper has a small one on his neck from climbing into his basking lamp before I put a mesh over it.

ZARADOZIA · 10-22-11, 10:53 AM

I don't know for sure. He was like that when I got him. I was told he was burned by a basking light. But I don't know if I believe that, the scar is pretty massive. I had him for a year before I took the picture above and the scar is more white than pink now. He also had pot-mark scars on his tail, and missing toe nails.

infernalis · 10-22-11, 10:58 AM

I believe it.. Chompers burn scar is the same exact colour.

Someone had the basking lamp way too low in the cage.

I sacrificed a rat cage and used one of the sides (looks like bird cage mesh) to put between the lights and the cage so Chomper cannot get up near the lamps now.

The toe nails is from lack of digging.. They need to dig up dirt to wear down the claws.

stephanbakir · 10-22-11, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZARADOZIA

Hendrix is quite healthy and eats a large variety of food.

What did you mean by large variety? Just curious, what are you feeding him?

ZARADOZIA · 10-22-11, 01:36 PM

Basics: crickets, chicken peeps, mice, ground turkey, extra lean turkey ham, bone meal, eggs, vitamins.

Gungirl · 10-22-11, 01:37 PM

Aren't Mice and things of that nature bad for monitors? I thought the diet should be mostly bugs and stuff.....

ZARADOZIA · 10-22-11, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gungirl

Aren't Mice and things of that nature bad for monitors? I thought the diet should be mostly bugs and stuff.....

Not sure. It's the diet I got from the DC Zoo

Gungirl · 10-22-11, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZARADOZIA

Not sure. It's the diet I got from the DC Zoo

I'm sure Wayne will chime in with links that he has and knows are great. I do remember reading that mice and things of that nature can cause some issues and lead to a shorter life. Do you feed any roaches or insects?

stephanbakir · 10-22-11, 01:48 PM

Savs are insectivores, they are best kept on insects, shrimp (whole) Crayfish.
Dubias are probably your best bet.

infernalis · 10-22-11, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

Savs are insectivores, they are best kept on insects, shrimp (whole) Crayfish.
Dubias are probably your best bet.

I used to feed little mice to chomper until I learned better.

In the wild they consume only invertebrates, Primarily arthropods, Shrimp (Over there they call them prawns) Crayfish, beetles, Scorpions, giant centipedes, earthworms, snails, mollusks and such.

Chomper seems very fond of slugs and snails, gosh it's gross, but he just crushes them and eats the shell and all.

So I chose to feed roaches, jumbo raw shrimp, night crawlers and crayfish.

However, I have talked to a few very successful keepers who swear by mice, but claim that the monitors must be kept at higher temps to permit proper digestion, but myself, I chose to adhere to natures plan.

Check out this site,, I love it.

The Savannah Monitor, Varanus exanthematicus

**lady_bug87** · 10-22-11, 09:40 PM

I would so love a monitor but I would have no space to do it justice indoors at least I could convert a shed once I get into my house adding insulation and heat for the long winter but for now I can only look and wish I could have one lol I wouldn't be comfortable buying one until I could do for him or her what Wayne does for Chomper

ZARADOZIA · 10-23-11, 06:30 AM

Roaches are out of the question, that's where hubby puts his foot down and I don't want it up my patootie!

I tried crickets, he refuses unless they are flavored with turkey ham juices.
Tried shrimp but he refused that also. (I boiled it)

I have been scared to feed him fish because I was warned about salmonella & E.coli and that it would kill him. When I did research on it, nothing I found said anything about either.

Now where would I get slugs, snails, & crayfish?

Wayne, what is Chompers staple daily diet?

**Side note: He doesn't eat a lot of mice, they are mainly treats when Sasha refuses to eat.

infernalis · 10-23-11, 07:26 AM

One of the hardest things about what I do for Chomper is it's so very hard for many people to pull off.

I own a 40 acre hunk of unspoiled land that is nestled right in the middle of 10,000++ acres of protected State forest, So I have all the free crayfish, slugs, snails, worms and bugs Chomper could ever consume.

My house already has a boiler system and radiant heating in it, so tapping into an existing system is no real challenge.

It sometimes makes me feel bad because those conditions are rare & difficult to replicate.

When I give Chomper venison, I get that for free too. All I have to do is ask my hunting friends.

If your monitor is healthy, and you are doing the best you can, then please don't let one rare case (mine) change what you are doing.......

BTW - Raw shrimp

And Savs are creatures of habit, they have excellent memories, so attempting to change his diet all at once will be met with resistance.

Gungirl · 10-23-11, 07:29 AM

Why don't you try raw shrimp? animals don't have things cooked for them in the wild....