Black throat help please

[monitorguy69]

hey guys, i bought a black throat monitor 3 days ago, and he still hasn't eaten. i've researched these guys very well, and i think i have his enclosure nailed down

basking spot 125 - 133
ambient temps 88 - 93 (hot side)/82 - 78 (cool side)
humidity 50% hot side/75% cool side
6 inches of packed down dirt
a hide
water bowl
and i have a black garbage bag at one end of the tank so people walking by do not disturb or stress him out.

i had to take him out of his cage friday to fix his hot spot so i put him in bath tub until i was done with his enclosure then put him back in and left him alone for the rest of the day. (offered him superworms with calcium + d3)

saturday didnt touch him all day

and now its sunday and he still hasnt eaten, with crickets having been running around his enclosure for 2 days now, as well as being offered superworms.

i understand he needs to acclimate, but im just getting a little worried because he just lies there with his eyes closed for almost 24 hours a day, and barely walks around. he is about 14 inches long, so still very small.


just hoping to get some replies from experienced monitor keepers, thanks!

[infernalis]

Try setting a thawed out pinkie mouse in there. Sometimes that will get things going.

Privacy is your best friend right now, so hands off the lizard for a while.

[monitorguy69]

alright ill try that, thanks!

[infernalis]

Please keep us updated, meanwhile, could you please post some photos, enclosure & monitor so the resident experts can see if anything needs changing.

Blackthroat care is nearly identical to savannah monitor care, so everything on my web site applies, except I would go for a 12 foot minimum enclosure.

We have a couple resident blackthroat keepers on here, let's see what they say when they chime in.

[monitorguy69]

alright, so keep in mind this is a temporary enclosure until next week when i will build an 8x6x6.

basking spot, with blue hide below:


and then cold side, with a water bowl, no hide, should i put one in?:



it's not a very good looking set up, but with this i achieve ambient temp of 86 hot side, 76 cool side, 125 - 130 basking spot, and 55% - 75% humidity as of right now. i already know i need more dirt, but i want for this guy to start eating and show some less stressful behaviour before taking him out and ripping the cage apart to put more dirt in, which may or may not make him feel better.

sorry about not embedding the pictures, it said i was denied because im a new member and limited to urls in a post.

and also forgot to say that the front of the tank that i just took the pictures from is covered by a black garbage bag to hopefully make him feel more secure and not have to see me move around my room. also the screen top is covered by a clear garbage bag, so it keeps the humidity in.

[murrindindi]

Hi, you`ve already posted this on the Kingsnake forum, Frank Retes and myself have responded.
Can you tell me the size of the current enclosure in cm or inches?
I`ll make a few comments here repeating what I`ve said on the other website: The enclosure is far too sparce, you need to fill it with cover so the monitor can travel throughout without being seen, and there should be many hiding places, not one artificial one that you think the monitor should stay in. That can easily be achieved by using firmly fixed sturdy branches/logs, a relatively deep substrate to burrow in, large plastic plants, etc. It`s especially important the basking and feeding areas are "private". This species is semi arborial, the youngsters in particular like to climb/hide in trees (obviously you haven`t got room for real trees, but you get the idea). The substrate doesn`t look very well tamped down at all and it`s far too shallow judging by the amount of space to the top of the tank (even another 4 to 6 inches will help).
I`m not being overly critical and certainly not sarcastic, but you need to realise their health suffers from day one, not at some point in the future, but it`s good you`re asking advise, better still if you follow it asap)!

[monitorguy69]

sorry, i havent checked that post on kingsnake for a bit. i posted this at a few different places to get all the opinions and advice i could. the dirt may not look patted down, but it is very solid, i need a spade to dig in it. the tank is 3 feet long, and 3 feet tall as well, so thats why it doesnt look like there is much soil in there. i have a few plastic branches and coverings that ill put in now, anything else other than that, minus the fact that its a glass tank (for this week)?


EDIT: ok yeah i just looked at the kingsnake post, thanks for your reply, and i am using all digital thermometers and hygrometers

[murrindindi]

Originally Posted by monitorguy69

sorry, i havent checked that post on kingsnake for a bit. i posted this at a few different places to get all the opinions and advice i could. the dirt may not look patted down, but it is very solid, i need a spade to dig in it. the tank is 3 feet long, and 3 feet tall as well, so thats why it doesnt look like there is much soil in there. i have a few plastic branches and coverings that ill put in now, anything else other than that, minus the fact that its a glass tank (for this week)?


EDIT: ok yeah i just looked at the kingsnake post, thanks for your reply, and i am using all digital thermometers and hygrometers

Thanks for the details. As it`s 3 ft tall you should be able to add at least another 6 inches of substrate (obviously hoping the glass will take the weight and pressure).
The most important thing is not food, it`s ensuring the monitor can remain hydrated, a%

[monitorguy69]

Originally Posted by murrindindi

Thanks for the details. As it`s 3 ft tall you should be able to add at least another 6 inches of substrate (obviously hoping the glass will take the weight and pressure).
The most important thing is not food, it`s ensuring the monitor can remain hydrated, a%

ok so it should be fine if the humidity stays mid 70s?

[murrindindi]

Originally Posted by monitorguy69

ok so it should be fine if the humidity stays mid 70s?

I have no idea what happened to my last reply, I typed more than that!?
The humidity should range between approx 50 to 70%+, it may even be lower around the basking site and higher in the burrows/hides, but that`s fine.

[monitorguy69]

alright so ill see how it plays out for the next week, but then i am building a 8x6x6, so im guessing its best to wait until he has a good solid feeding regimen then switch him into the new enclosure

[Grendel]

There is also a possibility that you got a sick imported monitor, it's not
Always the new owners fault.

[monitorguy69]

just wanted to do an update, he ate . i put 3 mice pinkies in for the night, and then they were gone in the morning. then i went out for the day, and when i came back, all of the new plastic trees and stuff i put in there were scattered everywhere, small holes all over the cool side with the deepest dirt, and the water bowl looked like an african drinking hole, and there he was finally basking covered in mud.

so i removed the basking platform with him on it (as it went to the washroom inside the hide below the spot, and i didnt want to touch him) and changed water ect. then put him back in as he stayed still in the same position the whole time he was on the basking bark.

i put 20 superworms in a bowl in there for tonight hoping he will eat those, will probably throw 5 more pinkies in too. im keeping humidity high (80 - 90) so if i put my arm in to change the water or place food, my arm almost feels wet from all the humidity. hopefully he gets on track now, and ill keep everyone updated, and im still looking for as much real black throat monitor experience as i can, as i have found out even though i read hundreds of articles and forums before purchasing the monitor( though it may not seem like it to the experienced) it still doesnt compare to actually talking to those who own big monitors.

adjusted ambient temps are now hot side ranging between 86 - 90, and cold side 74 - 78. again, everyone with any black throat stories, or any warnings for the future, please tell me everything so i can add on to my research! thanks for everyones help so far

[monitorguy69]

another update (i also posted this on the kingsnake forums), and i possibly need a little help.

so it has ate two days in a row, first day i left 3 tiny pinkies in and they were gone in the morning, second day i left 5 and they were gone in the morning, and i also left 20 superworms covered in calcium with d3, but none were eaten. and both times when i came home later in the day, the enclosure was a complete mess covered in small holes and dirt with plastic vines and leaves thrown everywhere (good sign)?

i am going to put 10 pinkies in tonight, as i just want him to eat so hopefully it helps his body get him through the stress of a new environment. humidity has been kept in the 80s, but his eyes have changed. they dont look sunken, but wrinkles are forming on the bottom eyelid and one wrinkle on top, im thinking its a sign of dehydration, although it doesnt make sense due to how moist the hair has been. when i put my hand in to clean/change water, my arm feels sticky because its so humid, any thoughts on this..?

tonight im going to fill some of the pinkies with water, to get even more water into this guy. if i cant get any advice or answers on the computer from knowledgable and experienced monitor keepers.

125 - 135 basking spot
86 hot ambient
74 - 76 cool ambient


next time i have the chance to get a picture of him without disturbing him i will do so for a proper diagnosis i guess.

[murrindindi]

Hi, instead of pinkies which are low in nutritional value (not much protein and the skeleton hasn`t yet formed), you can offer a small fuzzy, if it`s too big to swallow whole, slice it in half along the length while still frozen (then obviously thaw before feeding).