Sav monitor substraight

Would aspen bedding be good for a sav monitor? Because i just picked one up and i love the aspen's eaisyness to clean for my ball pythons but would it be good for a sav?

Or would another substraight be better?

No. Savannah monitors are NOT like any other reptile. If you are looking for "easy" get another ball, not a monitor. You need deep dirt substrate and a large enclosure. What are you keeping him in now?

Generally savs and monitors prefer a dirt substrate. You should check into the proper set up for them, since they usually only do well if they are kept in the right conditions. They need the right humidity heat and substrate, plus the correct diet.

http://www.varanus.net/faq/

http://savannahmonitor.org/

There's a lot to setting up a monitor, especially a varanid like the savannah. They can be rewarding to keep but they are a lot of work and effort too.

Im keeping him in a tank i built out of melimine

And i know exactly what im getting into. I know its not easy. Ive been keeping ball pythons and lizzards for 5 years and i wanted to get a sav. I know all the cair, i just want to know the best substraight for them because i saw alot of diffrent options for them

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reptidude1

Would aspen bedding be good for a sav monitor? Because i just picked one up and i love the aspen's eaisyness to clean for my ball pythons but would it be good for a sav?

Or would another substraight be better?

---

........savs like other burrowing species of monitor use self dug burrows for many important biological and psychological reasons (ex. Regulation of their boldies internal moisture level and as their homes) For these reasons a deep digble dirt is best.
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...e370-1-1-1.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reptidude1

Im keeping him in a tank i built out of melimine

---

............. melemine sux. With the amount of heat,moisture and dirt your sav will need it will rot a melemine enclosure out quickg. You should start on a better enclosure.
http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Mon...s/1272637.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reptidude1

And i know exactly what im getting into. I know its not easy. Ive been keeping ball pythons and lizzards for 5 years and i wanted to get a sav. I know all the cair, i just want to know the best substraight for them because i saw alot of diffrent options for them

---

.................. all your experiance with other reptiles realy won't help you with varanids. They are a whole different ball game.

Thanks wolfy hound for the great website that i just finished reading, and slayer ill be sure to change him ouy of the melimine tank by next weekend

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by slayer

........savs like other burrowing species of monitor use self dug burrows for many important biological and psychological reasons (ex. Regulation of their boldies internal moisture level and as their homes) For these reasons a deep digble dirt is best.

............. melemine sux. With the amount of heat,moisture and dirt your sav will need it will rot a melemine enclosure out quickg. You should start on a better enclosure.
http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Mon...s/1272637.html

.................. all your experiance with other reptiles realy won't help you with varanids. They are a whole different ball game.

---

I'd also like to add, 5 years of experience with ball pythons/(other non listed lizards) is absolutely nothing in terms of experience most should have before getting these animals.

Hey, when you get the newer enclosure made, post some pics here to show it off. Lots of folks need to build the custom enclosures for these and there's never enough pictures of them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reptidude1

And i know exactly what im getting into. I know its not easy. Ive been keeping ball pythons and lizzards for 5 years and i wanted to get a sav. I know all the cair, i just want to know the best substraight for them because i saw alot of diffrent options for them

---

If you knew all of the care that went into them, you wouldn't be asking what a lot of varanid owners deem a very basic husbandry necessity - a deep, moisture retaining substrate that the animal can burrow into. I have never seen aspen or other wood substrates listed as a viable option and they should not be considered as such.

As others have pointed out, the depth and type of substrate then dictates some of the design necessities of the enclosure. There are no cookie cutter out of the box enclosures you can use for this animal. You are going to have to custom build something, taking into account ALL of the husbandry requirements.

- It has to be large.

- It has to be able to hold a minimum of a 2' deep dirt/sand or DG/dirt mixture substrate which is heavy.

- It has to be able to have an area where the animal can bask at a temperature of 140 degrees.

- The enclosure will also need to be able to hold in humidity.

In other words, I'll be amazed if you can put together an enclosure filling those requirements in a week's time. Here's a hint, stock tanks make an excellent base for an enclosure. Topping it is going to be the hard part.

Carefully read the links that you have been given - starting with savannahmonitor.org, paying special attention to basking temps, ambient temps, substrate depth and type, enclosure size and diet.

All of the answers to your questions are in those links. It is imperative that whatever changes you need to make, you make them as soon as possible. If you can't afford them, or if they seem like too much work, find someone who can properly keep the animal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MMReptiles

I'd also like to add, 5 years of experience with ball pythons/(other non listed lizards) is absolutely nothing in terms of experience most should have before getting these animals.

---

..........personaly I feel the less experiance one has with the cookie cuter/recipe style of keeping that most follow with many snakes and lizards the better. Those people not really exposed to that style of keeping seem to be more receptive to the concepts and reallitys behind proper monitor husbandry and end up being good keepers.
The more experiance people who step into varanids seem to hold on to their "beliefs" about reptile husbandry with pure dogmatic zeal and tend to give up on monitors rather then admit they have more to learns.

Just my .02

im not a know it all at all... i know i have alot to learn from keeping these type of animals and Skiploder, youd be surprised how much i can put togeather in a week. I have none of my animals in something bought... everythings custom built.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reptidude1

im not a know it all at all... i know i have alot to learn from keeping these type of animals and Skiploder, youd be surprised how much i can put togeather in a week. I have none of my animals in something bought... everythings custom built.

---

More power to you.

We are all looking forward to pics next weekend.

Would soil without the sand work just for a couple of days untill i can go get sand? My local hardwear store has dirt, but not sand

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reptidude1

Would soil without the sand work just for a couple of days untill i can go get sand? My local hardwear store has dirt, but not sand

---

I use plain dirt straight from my backyard. Though, it has a higher sand/clay content than most places I'd guess.

Find a landscaping supply company and ask for Sandy Loam.
Bagged top soil by itself is too "rich" with organics to work well for a sav. The prefer more arid soils.

In my backyard the soil is really hard and i think has alot of clay and sand. If i break it up can i use the soil from my backyard without worring about getting insects that will harm my sav?

you don't want much (if any) clay in your soil (it gums up on their toes). All you want is a sandy dirt low in organic matter(sandy loam)
Here's a visual (with a mushroom).
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...cture372-1.jpg
I don't worry about any bugs that hitch hike except ants or any obviously dangerous. Most likely they will be beneficial to keeping a clean environment or food for your captive.

Okay thanks, maybe ill just try and find some of the dirt with little clay twords the back of my backyard to put in. Should i bake it in the oven just to be safe about any ants and such or should it be fine.

Baking dirt is silly. You want it to be biologicaly active.
Besides with the hundreds and hundreds of lbs of soil you'll need it would be a nightmare of a job.
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/100_1983.jpg

I see what you mean, i just wanted to be sure thanks

Speaking of biologically active.. Is that something that just normally occurs or do you need to help the process along? Like how I added a colony of springtails to my scorpions ecoearth to keep waste broken down so it wouldn't need to be changed.

Do you need to add the little bugs for the sav substrate?

As long as the dirt is not treated in any way it will naturally contain varius beneficial bacteria and soil mites that help in the break down of waste. Fluffing it up once in a while and keeping it moist at depth but dry on top is all that's needed.
You could add specific detris feeders like springtails if you like, but I tend to rely on the hitchhikers that come along with the leaf litter I collect from the woods and add to my enclosures every fall.

I really do love using a full sized hoe and shovel inside my house. "Fluffing" the dirt every so often really helps a lot but I just get a thrill out of using full sized garden implements inside. I'm considered odd though...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

I really do love using a full sized hoe and shovel inside my house. "Fluffing" the dirt every so often really helps a lot but I just get a thrill out of using full sized garden implements inside. I'm considered odd though...

---

........... hahahaha using a shovel inside my living room is pretty much the only reason I got into working with monitors. Well that and a sick pleasure i have in putting my back through hell.

Great advice, guys!

To Reptiledude1 -

If you want your enclosure to last, coat the interior walls with something like Varathane Diamond Finish; 4 to 5 coats and let it cure for at least a week, preferably two. This will ensure resistance to the wet environment it will need to endure. I'm in the curing process myself for some new enclosures I'm making (for V. ornatus and V. acanthurus brachyurus).

Good luck!

Chris