My new baby Bosc due 2moro, Just a lill advice.

[BikerJake2010Savanah]

Heya all. Im new to this forum so this is my first post. This site has been very useful in information along with other websites in my decision to purchase a bosc monitor. I have read a ton of information and weighed up the pro's and cons's of owning such an amazing creature, across its whole life from the age I get it to things like the potential size he/she could reach.

2moro i will be recieving my aparently "7 week old" baby bosc. She/he is supposed to be around the 6/8 inch mark from tip to tail. As soon as i have recieved boscy i will upload some pics with the viv.

I have most of the equipment already set up, which i have had on and monitored for the past 48hours ready to take the lizzard into a nice comfortable enviroment.
This is the list i own so far. (if anyone has ANY reccomendations to anything i can add or change please feel free to say).

Vivarium. 48inch long by 18 by 18 inch. Solid wood "ADT VIVARIUM" with front sliding strong glass doors. (This is its first year or so viv, or basicly untill its grown out of it)

1 x 150W ExoTerra bulb and light unit "the round caged one".

1 x Reip glow 10.0 uv bulb and starter unit

1 x large reptile heat mat

2 x thermomitors (for each end)

1 x Hydromiter (in the middle)

2 x nice large rocks placed safley to rase the basking spot

1 x Large exo terra water dish

2 x medium wood "hideouts"

The substrate im using is a mixture of virgin soil and a good quality reptile sand. Due to the enclosure design i can only put around 3 or 4 inch of substrate due to the sliding doors. I have read to use "paper towels" which i have placed around ontop of the sand giving him effectivly a pathway from the hot spot at the right end of the viv to the cool spot at the left end.

My "hot spot" basking area is around the 125/130 F
The cool spot area which i have placed the heat mat under is around the 75/85 F mark with a mid viv ambiant temprature ranging between 75/90F
The humidity reading as of now is 60% but i think thats down to a rainy day and fresh substrate, im going to leave the light on over night to try and rid of some of that water.

Any advice would be very much apreciated, any little secrets to giving him/her the best life possible would be greatly apreciated
I will keep updated how things go over the next 24 hours XD .

[CoolioTiffany]

I know nothing about Bosc monitors, but just wanted to say good luck with your new monitor and welcome to the site

[BikerJake2010Savanah]

Thanks!, I hope i have got all the things right for my new bosc!, Should be here within the next few hours and i CANT WAIT!!!! im sooooo excited!!!! Will take all the patience from me to just let him be for the next week or so, but will be all worth it lettin the little fella settle in. His new home is all ready and nice and warm to get him goin.
Will update once received!!!.
Cheers.
J

[mumps]

First, welcome to the site.

Second, congrats on joining the world of varanid care.

Third, why do you want to "dry out" the enclosure? 60% humidity is fine, even a little higher is better than a little dryer.

Where have you been doing your "research"?

I recommend:

Working on its next enclosure. Ensure you can get 1 foot + of dirt in there. Make it at least 8x4x4; bigger if possible. There is nothing wrong with the enclosure you have now, but with daily feedings and proper care your monitor will outgrow it quickly.

Bump up the basking spot to 135-140F.

Pics will be appreciated.

Chris

[BikerJake2010Savanah]

Hi mumps and thanks for the reply & welcome.
To be honest i have read a large portion of your posts on this forum in the monitor section, I have seen all the advice you have given to both good and "bad"/Inexperianced owners, and i have taken all of it on board. Your info has been very helpful. My new little sav is called, "yoshi", partly down to loving the name and partly to fitting it. He/She is 100000% CB so that is a plus, came with papers from a company called "ZOO LOGIC" based here in england. Yoshi is around 6 weeks old from hatch and is a very perky little critter. Looks healthy, checked vents eyes nose etc and fine. Only thing is yoishi is goin through a shed right now.

Regarding to drying the enclosure out, I have been reading alot of very "mixed" views over the humidity required for the sav, some say under 30% (which imo is far farrrr to low), Some say 30% to 50% then some say 50% +, and even some say dont worry about monitoring it which is a awful thing to sudjest to potential new keepers, as keeping an animal such as this requires knowing ALL aspects of its enviroment and health.
Its sitting nicely at 60% now, and its stayed happly like that for 48hours. so i will not change any of that.

Good advice over the new setup, i will be following that very template as sujested by people such as yourself who apear to be well knowlegeable people in this feild with this breed.

I was just a little concerned about rasing his basking spot incase of any discomfort or possible burns "Yoshi" could receive, its sitting at about 130 F acording to my infered temp gun reading i just took.

Im also noting down EVERYTHING i do, I have made a "record book", Every feed, every "dump", every bit of behavour i notice i will record down to show to the vets in any situation needed, is this ok to do or am i goin a tad overboard?

I will upload some pics later today once back with my main computer, the ones i have show the viv setup and some rather "dark" lookin pics of the sav. (my iphone camera is not the best, especialy around high powered lamps).
Either way ill get back. (oh and he happly without ANY fuss munched down two crickets i placed in the viv b4 putting yoshi in)

[BikerJake2010Savanah]

oh and I have been reserching from mainly the internet over a HUGE amount of pages, its all 50/50 tho when trying to evaluate the info into somthing that can be used. I understand they are most sertianly not "Care Sheet" creatures but having a rough template almost makes me feel more comfortable that im doing the right thing for yoshi. If you could recomend any good books i can reserch from that would be realy apreciated.
Thanks again,
J

[BikerJake2010Savanah]

Pics as promissed. Unfortunatly as i dont have a good enough camera to take through the viv right now, i only have the pics of the sav in its box it came in and the viv on its own... I think i tryed takin one which you may be able to see yoshi in.

pic 1


pic 2


pic 3


pic 4

[mumps]

Thanks for the pics. I like the setup, but with more branches, rocks and such you could really increase the amount of usable space. Lots of hides as well.

Good to hear "Yoshi" (love the name) is CB, hopefully your source is reliable. My ornatus is CB as well, and it makes a lot of difference.

Not too many good books out there, but a visit to savannahmonitor.org is highly recommended; the exanthematicus enthusiasts here seem to really love that site.

Chris

[Briankm]

Pretty sure sand isnt a good substrate either.. good old dirt should do the trick nicely though.

[BikerJake2010Savanah]

Cheers Brian, Im goin to start puttin some nice soild over that sand, should be a good mixture. Its 10000000% reptile friendly sand tho, just dont want to bother him for a day or two.
Update on the feeding, he DESTROYED a whole 15 crickets last night and was seemingly wantin more....... Im going for the feeding from tongs/letting him hunt his own insects so he does not asociate my hand with food