Success rate?

[hhw]

Considering the difficulty of some of the lesser kept species out there, how many of you more experienced keepers have suffered losses due to husbandry errors? Especially considering the lack of literature for many species, and the likelihood that some of you worked with them back when there was even less knowledge available, I would presume there have been some casualties here and there, despite best efforts.

Basically, with wild caughts of some of the more difficult species, how often would an experienced keeper lose animals? How about for someone who's as throroughly researched and prepared as possible, but lacking practical experience? I realize that it's not too fun to discuss one's mistakes, but I'd really appreciate some candid and honest answers.

I'm not looking to work with any difficult species anytime soon myself, but it's definitely something I will work towards a decade or so from now.

[Steeve B]

I have lost many monitors of many species mainly because of bad husbandry, lack of understanding and also misguidance. When I started 25 years ago the only information’s I was able to get was from a few zoos, if your familiar with modern varanids husbandry you will understand that even now days many zoos are keeping monitors inadequately, just imagine the guidance they gave me then! Also most varanids literature will set you back when it comes to husbandry. nil’s and savannahs where quit easy to keep back then but salvator’s where challenging, I know better now and understand that even though I kept African monitors alive I hade no merit, they are tough and can withstand torture for years, I guess this is why peoples think that other monitors are more difficult, Today I don’t see any species as being more difficult to keep, and I don’t think WC are any more of a challenge then CB monitors, and this with any species, but that’s just me with my experience.
Aim more then willing to coach anyone in acclimating new monitors but be advised that sometime even with your best efforts some will fail and die, working with live animals is unpredictable and often frustrating, however for me its always been more rewarding then otherwise.

[beanersmysav]

When I first started with my Savannah I was very lucky to keep it alive the four years it has been. I took initial information from the pet store as I wasn't an internet junkie like I am now and didn't read every last stitch of article I could find on an animal. They told me Carpet, and coco bark was a good substrate, and that a screen top was adequete. Even in all the care sheets I found on years later I saw some of the very same b/s. Luckily this forum and some of the people on it set me straight on those issues. I found out 2 years ago to put something over the top to hold heat and humidity in the cage. And then I was told not to by someone at a reptile show but luckily I asked on here knowing I was right, and I was. Then they got me change my substrate back to dirt. When I first got him I used bed a beast which was better than the carpet and coco the pet store later reccomended. Also my Savannah had ticks and mites when I first got him. Which I got rid of quickly. Since the only problem I've had was a possible resp. infection which many people on here told me could just be a cold which it was, and with elevated temps and a little extra vitamin he quickly got over it. Luckily I've never failed with any species I've kept and they're all still alive, and thriving.

I know this isnt an advanced species by any means, but I just thought I'd post on a possible failure I could have had if I wasn't properly informed in time, and I truthfully thanks Steve, and CrocDoc and a couple other for helping save my Savannah's life. I really couldn't thank them enough for the information they've givin me as most the care sheets online I find are mostly written by people own experiences, and most of them truthfully have no idea of how to correctly care for the species. Since then I now buy well reccomended some what expensive books as they seem to know much more than internet care sheets.

[kap10cavy]

When I got my first monitor, it was anyone's guess who would kill who. You see it was a 4 1/2 foot nile that was found loose in the basement of a house a friend of mine bought at an estate auction.
I wish I had a picture of his wife's face when she ran us over getting up there stairs. She wanted to shoot the monster.
I had no idea what it was but I wasn't going to let them kill it.
I figured the poor creature was just as scared as we were and made some plans to catch it. It took 3 days to finally figure out the lizard was smarter than us and just rushed it with blankets to catch it. Has anyone ever tried to make a mad monitor go into a large pet taxi when it didn't want to? We finally got the beast caged and drove to Auburn University to find out what we had.
There are some great people at Auburn, they taught me how to hold it without being whipped, bitten or clawed to death. they kept it for 2 days to get some fluids in it and give it a thorough check up. They also game me a list of reading material and instructions on how to build a proper cage. (this can be done in 2 long days) they also told me to find a source of large mice and rats. I kept this critter for 4 years until I gave him away.
Ya know, sometimes I miss that beast, he still owes me a shoe.
I did lose a sav I took in that was left at a friends petstore.
It was hard on me, it had nothing to do with the money i spent trying to nurse him back to health. It was hard when it looked like he was improving , only to get worse. My attempts were futile but i believe i learned more from this animal than any other reptile I have ever kept.

Scott

[Jeff_Favelle]

Lots of frogs early on. Adult female corn one time. Odd thing was, it wasn't too much production. It was too little. She double clutched (this was back in '93 before I had a clue) and I never put a male back. Infertile eggs are difficult to pass, and she never did.