New Savannah Monitor, advice please?

i've done my research and know the basics, but as far as handling and socialization goes, im a little in the dark. any good tips or advice?

Make sure your "basics" are all in order.

I think its pretty hard to say you know the "basics". To me there really is no "Basics" with monitors. they require a lot of time, space, food, heat.

finally joined the forums Casey?

time/space/food/heat are all accounted for, as casey is my roommate and the savannah was an early wedding present from myself. one thing is for certain... the savannah will be well taken care of or heads will roll.

Rockin good to know Ben!

im sure it varies from monitor to monitor, but time, space, food, and heat were the basics i was talking about. mine is still a tiny little kid, about 5 inches long, and i want to be able to handle it alot when it gets older.

Start now, LOL

haha ok, sounds good.

so i was thinking a cattle water trough with a good bit of high quality potting soil and decomposed granite for a habitat. any suggestions for a good lid material? cuz i read they can tear through mesh.

I like top soil for my substrate.

I also use a cat box for water.

Be carful with wire mesh tops, if they can get to the screen and climb on it, they can break off their claws.

My black throat came to me with two broken off claws....they will never grow back.

so what kind of top do you recomend? glass or acrylic drilled with vent holes? or something else, cuz i do wanna watch it run around.

You can use a screen top, just make sure he cannot climb up to it.

Most of the 'tame' monitors you see are not properly taken care of and do not last that long as captives.....some keepers seem to confuse tame animals with a broken, abused reptiles.

Keep the monitor correctly and don't bother it. The rest all falls into place with time.

Monitors are never 'tamed'.....they learn to trust people. Once they trust you, everything is good.

...and screen tops are only good for a beef jerky making device.......they are worthless for monitor lizard enclosures. I would put a solid acrylic top on a trough...very little venting if any at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SavvySurfer

i want to be able to handle it alot when it gets older.

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....then you should have bought a dog. Monitors don't cuddle ;)

I acutally have one side acrylic, one side screen. acrylic on the cool side, to keep it warmer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

I acutally have one side acrylic, one side screen. acrylic on the cool side, to keep it warmer.

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I would do all acrylic....get rid of the screen. All the screen does is provide an exit for heat and moisture.....both of which are needed to keep a monitor healthy.

What are you using to heat Pat?

a row of four 25 watt flood lights. the ones with the speckly pattern

as for the diet i was going to feed it crickets for now, and then upgrade to the madagascar hissing cockroaches, hard boiled eggs, and pieces of lean turkey. is it true that if you feed a roden diet they become more aggressive? i have heard both sides of the story. true or not?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SavvySurfer

as for the diet i was going to feed it crickets for now, and then upgrade to the madagascar hissing cockroaches, hard boiled eggs, and pieces of lean turkey. is it true that if you feed a roden diet they become more aggressive? i have heard both sides of the story. true or not?

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Feed whole food items. Rodent, roaches, crickets, WHOLE uncooked eggs, etc.

Watching a monitor eat a whole egg is pretty neat....they either swallow it whole or crack it and 'drink' up the insides....cool stuff..

Ground turkey diets are just filler material unless they are properly supplemented. Even after adequate supplements are added, the mix was only intended to be used as a 'quick fix' when whole food items are unavailable or to feed large numbers of lizards (i.e. zoos).

.....the aggressive comment is just so the anti-rodent feeders can push their agenda...it is just an opinion...

...in the end, if you feed the monitor a HEALTHY diet.....it should be a strongwilled creature....you just have to deal with it.

well i didnt want it to be some namby pamby creature, but not completley aggressive. it takes away from archimedes, (thats his name btw) if he just mopes around. but thanks for all the advice, i'll probably be asking some more questions and adding pics of his progress.

Daniel, I really appreciate all your comments in this thread. I have a sav, love her to death. Everyone who sees her though comments on how "agressive" she is- to me that shows health. While I can handle her, she does not enjoy it. Where are the best places to learn more about savs? She is only 3 now, but I want to provide the best I can for her and have her around for years to come.