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 #1831502


Crazyfroglady
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 Savannah Monitor Help

I thought I already posted this but couldn’t find it. I picked up a monitor yesterday morning from a guy on craigslist. She was extrememly thin you could see her hip bones protruding. This guy claimed he used to run a reptile rescure center (SCARY THOUGHT!!!) I asked him how old she was, how much she ate, and how often. He said he wasn’t quite sure of her age, and she ate one fuzzy once a week on fridays and she was probably hungry ( I just wanted to scream at him YA THINK!!!!?). I’m not going to go off on the subject I already did on the fat frog forums. I do not have experience with monitors but have been doing my research. She is about a foot and half to 2 feet in length. She is currently in a 55 gallon but this is only a temporary situation. Me and my boyfriend are drawing up plans to build an 8ft x 4 ft. My question is this since there is so much conflicting information out there. How much and how often should I feed her to get her fattened up? I went by a feeding chart I found online that said juveniles will consume 2-8 hoppers a week. I’m assuming she is a juvenile and not an adult due to her length. She had two hoppers today and several gut loaded crickets. She will also be visiting the vet next week. If I am doing something wrong feel free to tell me. That’s what I’m here for is to get information from people with hands on experience. Here are some pictures that the former owner sent me before I went to pick her up. She looks bigger in the top picture than she actually is. I think she was puffed up due to feeling threatened. We replaced the reptile bark that was in her set up with dirt about 6 - 8 inches deep, she has a large hollow log to hide in and a large enough water dish for her to get in to. She has thermometers at both ends of her cage with a basking spot and temps of 80 at the other end. I do not currently have a temp gun but now that I know I need one I will get one. Anyways here are the pics of her old set up when she was with her former owners. I will post pics of the new set up when it is finished.





08/15/08  02:30am

 #1831518


Reptictale92
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   Message To: Crazyfroglady   In reference to Message Id: 1831502


 Savannah Monitor Help

For one thank you for getting her out of there. But you are going to want to get her off that sand, and get her dirt from the back yard. Get her a wider cage with about 130 basking lights. Close off the top with wood to hold humidity, and hope to god that she makes it.
08/15/08  03:35am

 #1831520


Reptictale92
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   Message To: Reptictale92   In reference to Message Id: 1831518


 Savannah Monitor Help

Try to feed her everyday. Roaches,mice,quail,etc.
08/15/08  03:40am

 #1831653


AlbigsRule
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   Message To: Reptictale92   In reference to Message Id: 1831520


 Savannah Monitor Help

Well, it’s good to see someone that can do a little research!
You are definitely on the right track. From the pictures he does not look like he has any major bone deficiencies, but I could be wrong, dust your gut loaded crickets as well. He is extremely skinny, feed him everyday a few mice, and as many roaches/crickets he will eat. Also throw him in some butter worms, they are pretty high in fat, so that should help in gaining him some weight.
Try to build that new enclosure asap!!
PM me if you have any other questions.



Brandon
08/15/08  09:37am

 #1831811


Reedie
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   Message To: AlbigsRule   In reference to Message Id: 1831653


 Savannah Monitor Help

Pick up a copy of Bennet’s Savannah monitor book: Link

Read these: Link
Link

And visit my site if you like: http://ExanthematicusUSA.tri pod.com/ (remove th space in between "tri" and

"pod", the site won’t let me link my site.)

-Reed
08/15/08  01:02pm

 #1831814


Reedie
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1831811


 Savannah Monitor Help

Good luck!



-Reed
08/15/08  01:06pm

 #1831816


Crazyfroglady
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   Message To: AlbigsRule   In reference to Message Id: 1831653


 Savannah Monitor Help

I can’t PM it says it has been disabled by the webmaster for 4-5 days. We are working on the new enclosure as we speak and have already changed the substrate to dirt. By the way she is extrememly friendly and has not tried to bite at all when we went to move her. What kind of roaches? We have these giant things we call water bugs all around our house which I believe are actually some sort of roach. Can she eat those? They some times wander in my house and I hate them.
08/15/08  01:08pm

 #1831945


Norf
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   Message To: Crazyfroglady   In reference to Message Id: 1831816


 Savannah Monitor Help

hissing roaches are the only ones I know are good feeders...what happened to mike??
08/15/08  03:24pm

 #1831955


Sold82
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   Message To: Norf   In reference to Message Id: 1831945


 Savannah Monitor Help

there are a bunch of different types of roach that you can feed, lobsters, dubia, death head, goldies, just to name a few. Maybe its the perspective of the camera but that tail looks EXTREMELY thin. I wish you luck in rehabilitating that poor guy. I think even a newb could be able to tell that poor thing is starving, that man can’t be too bright. Anyways good luck and check out SHAY’s post on cage building it has an assortment of different styles as well as simple plans to get you started.
08/15/08  03:33pm

 #1832376


Sidbarvin
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   Message To: Crazyfroglady   In reference to Message Id: 1831502


 Savannah Monitor Help

Quote:

I’m assuming she is a juvenile and not an adult due to her length.



Judging by the conditions the animal was kept in prior to you recieving it, it could be much older than you think. Monitors kept in poor conditions without the proper diet grow very slowly. Ive seen monitors kept in optimal conditions reach four feet plus in one year. I’ve also seen the same species kept in supoptimal conditions barely reach one foot in a year. There’s no way of telling from looking at the savanna how old it is.



08/15/08  10:18pm

 #1832651


Crazyfroglady
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   Message To: AlbigsRule   In reference to Message Id: 1831653


 Savannah Monitor Help

Is it normal for her to not want to eat? She has had 3 mice and several crickets since I brought her hom thursady. Now she is laying in her water dish and just sleeping. I’m thinking maybe after being without adequate food for so long her stomach is not capable of expanding that much. A guy at the LPS that takes in unwanted reptiles said that being that she was starved i should probably just slowly increase her feedings and watch her closely to make sure she poops. How often should they poop? If she doesn’t poop what should I do? Take her to the vet, or is there a home remedy? She is not scheduled to go to the vet until this coming friday. Again, thank you for all your help guys.
08/16/08  08:46am

 #1832661


Sidbarvin
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   Message To: Crazyfroglady   In reference to Message Id: 1832651


 Savannah Monitor Help

Given the situation, yes it’s normal for a stressed, dehydrated monitor to refuse food. The fact that the monitor has eaten at all is a good sign.

It should poop every day if it is eating regularly. My guess is that if you follow the basic husbandry on KAP10KAVY’s care sheet that Reed provided a link to, the animal should get straightened out pretty quickly. With the proper temperature range and humidity levels, it should have no trouble craping, that is unless there are underlying health issues aside from malnutrition and dehydration. Many vets are not familiar with monitors and end up being of little or no help. Ask the vet if he/she has had experience with monitors. Also ask for a general putline of the vet’s recommended husbandry for the sav and compare it with the information you find here.



08/16/08  09:02am

 #1832674


Crazyfroglady
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   Message To: Sidbarvin   In reference to Message Id: 1832661


 Savannah Monitor Help

Well she hasn’t pooped since we brought her home. There were several dried feces in the tank we brought her home in. I have been watching closely so I can take a sample with me to the vet. Is it anything to get freaked out about if she hasn’t pooped in the two days that I’ve had her?
08/16/08  09:30am

 #1832692


Tactic10
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   Message To: Crazyfroglady   In reference to Message Id: 1832674


 Savannah Monitor Help

No, you dont have to be worried my savannah monitor might poop once a week or once every 3 weeks. Its different with every reptile. (GOOD LUCK WiTH YOUR SAV!!)

Matt
08/16/08  09:51am

 #1832710


Sidbarvin
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   Message To: Tactic10   In reference to Message Id: 1832692


 Savannah Monitor Help

Quote:

No, you dont have to be worried my savannah monitor might poop once a week or once every 3 weeks.

Um....... wrong answer Tactic 10.

No, not pooping for a couple of days is nothing to get freaked out about. Once you get your husbandry in order and the animal is well hydrated and eating regularly, not pooping for a a long period of time, say more than a week, would be an issue. Once the animal is on the right track, it should be eager to feed and pooping daily. What goes in, must come out.



08/16/08  10:18am

 #1832788


Tactic10
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   Message To: Sidbarvin   In reference to Message Id: 1832710


 Savannah Monitor Help

ok maby a month is over the top....i fed my monitor on the 2nd and he pooped either the 14 or the 15 (wasnt home the 14th) so that would be about 2 weeks
08/16/08  11:57am

 #1832790


Tactic10
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   Message To: Tactic10   In reference to Message Id: 1832788


 Savannah Monitor Help

also i fed him mice 4 days ago soo ill see when he poops again
08/16/08  12:01pm

 #1832889


Xvipervenomx
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   Message To: Tactic10   In reference to Message Id: 1832790


 Savannah Monitor Help

Do you only feed yours 1 time a week

Quote:

also i fed him mice 4 days ago


I feed mine crickets every day and im going to start him off on pinkeys tomarrow or maby tonight
08/16/08  02:05pm

 #1833009


Ejwebber
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   Message To: Xvipervenomx   In reference to Message Id: 1832889


 Savannah Monitor Help

I just bumped up an old post about Sav. monitors. I hope it helps. Mine gets all the insects it can eat.(i catch some and dont have to worry about insecticides.) I also buy crickets and keep earthworms in the encloser. I have a steady supply of frozen hoppers and fuzzies. I knoe she can consume bigger prey, but she has slimmed down a bit since i took her off large and extra large mice. I dont want an obese monitor. I will do the roach thing as soon as i am able.


sorry for the older pics, i havent updated in awhile.
Erin
08/16/08  04:36pm

 #1833239


Crazyfroglady
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   Message To: Ejwebber   In reference to Message Id: 1833009


 Savannah Monitor Help

Well no need to worry she took a huge dump a couple of hours ago. She’s laying under her heat lamps and seems to be feeling much better.



08/16/08  08:22pm

 #1833586


Tactic10
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   Message To: Crazyfroglady   In reference to Message Id: 1833239


 Savannah Monitor Help

Sidbarvin-yea so he pooped today that would be 8 days..i never really took not it just felt long a long time.

Xvipervenomx- I do my best to feed him 2 mice a week (small but not babys) and if i cant get mice he gets large crickets....thats most of his diet right now.
08/17/08  02:59am

 #1833595


Tactic10
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   Message To: Tactic10   In reference to Message Id: 1833586


 Savannah Monitor Help

Quote:

i never really took not


I never really took note*
08/17/08  03:12am

 #1833613


3240
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   Message To: Tactic10   In reference to Message Id: 1833586


 Savannah Monitor Help

Tactic,

Your savs diet explains his lack of "poop." You wouldn’t poop very often either if you didn’t eat enough.
08/17/08  03:52am

 #1833720


Crazyfroglady
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   Message To: Tactic10   In reference to Message Id: 1833586


 Savannah Monitor Help

May I remind you. If you read the top post you will notice that this monitor that I have was starving because her owner only fed her one fuzzy once a week and a few crickets. How big is your monitor? I know you probably have more experience than I do but from what I understand you should offer yours food everyday. When and if he starts to become overweight cut back.
08/17/08  10:34am


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