Care Sheets..

Xetox · 05-19-03, 11:27 AM

I rescued a fairly large savanna monitor this weekend, I will post pics of him soon. I already have a enclosure for him and all, but I have been looking for some good info on them with very little luck? anyone help?

O buy this way this guy is mean as hell, I guess the owners before the one I got him from was very mean to him, but within a couple days I have already got him to the poing where he will let me handle him and he allows me to now clean his cage.

Welp thanks for all the help and I will have pics of him soon!

**Andy_G** · 05-19-03, 11:44 AM

I'm not totally sure, but one reason why you can't find a lot of care sheets on it is because its spelled "savannah" and not "savanna". Hope i've helped

V.hb · 05-19-03, 01:28 PM

hey Xetox, goto www.themonitorspot.com
Ravi has been working with Savannahs for a long time, he's even got a book published with Daniel Bennet (one of the biggest varanid researchers out there) Lots of good info. Hopefully that helps.

Xetox · 05-19-03, 01:46 PM

Yea helped alot V.hb thanks!

This guy is a adult and is very aggresive...has anyone every had any experience with a large aggresive one? Will he be able to be calmed down over time?

Thanks everyone for the help and Andy sorry for the spelling...I am a horable speller......

V.hb · 05-19-03, 02:26 PM

Xetox, I find savannahs are insanely aggressive or really nice.. More nice ones than mean for sure..

throw him in the tub once a week, you'll find ways of dealing with him. after awhile (may only take a few days, may take months) it will become accustomed to your presence.. I find most nasty monitors remain that way, but do grow to accept human presence.. So instead of lunging at you, they usually give you fair warning tail whips, etc.

Hope this helped, good luck

Xetox · 05-19-03, 04:03 PM

yea thanks, you mean toss him in the bathtub? with water? do they like to soak.....I have a huge rubbermaid in his enclosure but does not seem to want to leave his basking self ever...but he was abused before I took him so I dont blame him for not trusting people!

V.hb · 05-19-03, 04:06 PM

yeah, the bath tub with luke warm water. good for hydration, chances are if he was neglected he was never properly hydrated either.

make sure your temps are:
ambient 80-85
140 basking spot.. if he's long you may need to use two bulbs positioned to heat his entire body.. You can use halogen flood lamps, they work very well.

Xetox · 05-20-03, 12:50 PM

I have his temps in his enclosuer bout perfect....he spends most of his time on his basking shelf....but his skin, looks like he has had many partial sheds and never a complete one.....I will try the bath tub, but that may take some assistance to keep him in!

**Andy_G** · 05-20-03, 01:01 PM

I didn't mean to come across as me correcting you. I meant to say that the reason you couldn't find info on it is that you mis spelt it. I tried your spelling and then what I thought it was and I got better results with an h on the end.

I'm pretty clueless on monitors hehe.

Xetox · 05-20-03, 08:31 PM

awww...well I am bout the worst speller I know

My G/F in highschool was a A+ student......there was no need to study

Specially english

NewLineReptile · 05-20-03, 08:52 PM

dont think you were wrong Xetox's the right way of spelling for the Monitor is Savanna and Savannah
one is a Monitor and Savannah is a major city in the state of georgia but i could be wrong i get mixed up all the time i also spell it Savanna

V.hb · 05-20-03, 09:03 PM

It's actually spelled varanus exanthematicus, i think that would be alot easier to remember for future reference!

Xetox · 05-20-03, 09:24 PM

yea.....I will remember how to spell that like I will remember how to spell swahili tomorrow.....by the way I had to look up that word eailer