Savs- how active?

Just curious, for those of you who have savs... how active are they? What do they spend thier time doing? Or not doing?

Jeanne, i dont own a sav so i cant tell you how long "mine" does, but i dont think thats what really matters.

what matters is what it does while its active and if the animal is happy and healthy. for example, if a sav is trying to climb up the sides of its cage while its active then you have a unhappy sav. he is trying to get out of his cage. if you have a sav that is basking for extended periods of time you have a sav that has too low basking temperatures.

that said, ive noticed my ackie isnt active all day. he's active for a few hours out of the day to do what he needs to do. while he's active he basks, eats, basks, and occasionally explores the cage. investigating nooks and crannys, sometimes test digging, and generally just making his rounds. then he goes back asleep till the next day.

i hope that helped.

I find them to be a "laid back" varanid species. But every once in a while we get that one that is as active as a nile. Always running and trying to climb (not all that gracefully I might add).
So I would reference them as a slower more laid back animal. But when it comes to feeding time or when they are over heated they will get up and be active. They can run faster then you'd think.
Rusty

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Originally Posted by Rusty_Reptiles

I find them to be a "laid back" varanid species. But every once in a while we get that one that is as active as a nile. Always running and trying to climb (not all that gracefully I might add).
So I would reference them as a slower more laid back animal. But when it comes to feeding time or when they are over heated they will get up and be active. They can run faster then you'd think.
Rusty

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:partyon: :partyon: :partyon: Definitely correct in my book. Mine is chilling out next to me right now. LAID BACK is the right answer. LOL, good luck with your decision.

Ditto what the others said. Mine at a year has his active and non active times (they seem to be more non-active than active). He tends to lie in a bit when the light first goes on then will come out and bask for a bit. Look around then go back in his cave. He always knows what time I get home in the afternoon and is ready waiting for his food (I swear he has a clock in there somewhere!) He makes himself very obviously visible when it's feeding time. After feeding he'll go off and rest some more.



And yes, they do move very fast, when I let him out he can race across the room if he wants to - but normally he'll just find a nice place to rest ;)

Thanks to all who responded.

The reason I was asking..I was trying to gauge if Thing is doing what is normal.

Things light comes on at 7 AM, he lays under his warm hide, with half his body sticking out most of the time, from time to time, he cruises his cage (never wall dances or acts like he is trying to get out).. he cruises and hangs out for a short bit here and there on the cool side, then goes directly back to his warm hide and procedes to lay with half his body sticking out, I assume so he can watch his environment... he actually rarely basks and when he does it is not ever for long. I have doubled checked and re-checked his temps again over and over again, just to be sure all is where it should be, all is well..... was just curious what would be normal behavior or not as far as what I have observed.....

LMAO! Is Thing really his name? :D

Mine sits half out his hot hide mostly in the evening - it's when all us humans are around and he can watch us I think.

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Originally Posted by Razaiel

LMAO! Is Thing really his name? :D

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Yep.... :D Thing is his name...

Hah! Cute :) Must admit quite a few times my critters get called "Wotsit"

Jeanne, your monitor is perfectly normal.

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he lays under his warm hide, with half his body sticking out most of the time

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that is an excellent behviour. he is basking while hiding. what he would normally do out in the wild with his head poking out of a burrow, rock outcropping, etc.

sounds like you're doing great with your sav. congrats!

Jeanne, did you ever get my reply to your pm?

My sav like most monitors spend most of their time eating and laying under the basking light

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Originally Posted by mr~python

Jeanne, did you ever get my reply to your pm?

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I got it Marshall, just have not had time to answer it, been dealing with a nasty stomach flu.


Good to know that Thing's behaviors are normal, was just curious since I have seen him to appear not so active.

i HATE having a stomach flu. last time i had one i couldn't walk without vigorously throwing up. it was great fun. LOL. get well soon!

My sav will normally sleep around. But if he hears me coming into my room he will perk up and scratch at the side of the cage.
Which then I will either let him roam the house, hold him, or take him for a journey to the great beyond..(outside) Once putting him back in his cage he will soak himself maybe walk around find any crickets that haven't been eaten yet, or bask. Then it normally ends with him curling up and sleeping.

I used to have one years ago before it started to get too big.

He was always pretty active.