*puts on scolding suit* I had done so good with my water monitor...

[Skiploder]

OI.. The arrogence of some people is also unbelievable.. You are both right that this is not a good long term diet for any lizard. I never said it wasnt. Do you think the OP's vet has a sav? So anyone who does not currently own one does not know how to feed them? Once again, the ideas I gave are very short term and to be offered in conjuction with their normal diet. Generally for underweight, malnourished and/or dehydrated animals. Of course we all know it would be best and most natural if we could just get some native african snails, millipedes, orthopterans, beetles, rodents, eggs and other small reptiles to feed them but in this case, that would be a little difficult. In reality, very few (if any) sav owners in the USA feed their pet the "correct" diet.

Sorry for disrupting the OP's thread. You will do whats best for the little guy, just let us know how he's doing in a couple weeks

This is going to come off smarmy - but that's not my intention.

Vets in general know very little about pet nutrition - Science Diet is pimped by Vets across the Country and most actual animal nutritionists deride it as swill - full of fillers and crap.

Exanthematicus should not be fed ground beef, ground turkey or rodents. A SepticZone care sheet and LLL Reptile blurb should not be quoted as reliable sources for animal care of any kind.

Savs are specialized insect and mollusk feeders - and they have adapted dentition, metabolism and digestion as such. There's no need to feed young savs anything but an insectivorious diet.

You're right - very few sav owners feed their animals the correct diet - but that's out of common misconceptions and ignorance than due to a lack of suitable invertebrate prey on the market.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Well Skip, I definately appreciate the fact that you were not rude in any way with your reply. People like you always get a much more attentive group of students when passing on your knowledge. I hope you can understand my reason for giving the advice I did. If it were my baby sav I would want to get some reserves on the little guy fast and I would not want to cause any harm in the process. Having specialized digestive systems I dont think that would happen but when you mention digestive system it makes me wonder if they might get the runs from such an easily digestable meal. I guess thats possible and if I am ever faced with a problem like this I will remember your reply.

So I now have a question. Is there a better alternative if you want to get some reserves on a thin baby fast? What about things like pheonix worms and silks? Very high in nutrients, protein and calcium and one of the very best foods for certain other lizards. Would this work the same way? Or is something with an exoskeleton required? Do they need more keratin?

[Skiploder]

Well Skip, I definately appreciate the fact that you were not rude in any way with your reply. People like you always get a much more attentive group of students when passing on your knowledge. I hope you can understand my reason for giving the advice I did. If it were my baby sav I would want to get some reserves on the little guy fast and I would not want to cause any harm in the process. Having specialized digestive systems I dont think that would happen but when you mention digestive system it makes me wonder if they might get the runs from such an easily digestable meal. I guess thats possible and if I am ever faced with a problem like this I will remember your reply.

So I now have a question. Is there a better alternative if you want to get some reserves on a thin baby fast? What about things like pheonix worms and silks? Very high in nutrients, protein and calcium and one of the very best foods for certain other lizards. Would this work the same way? Or is something with an exoskeleton required? Do they need more keratin?

I think that the advice has been given in this thread by a couple of posters along with an excellent link.

Provide a proper temperature gradient, proper substrate, proper humidity, proper security and a properly sized enclosure. Make sure that any parasite load is dealt with and the animal will thrive.

As for diet, while we don't have access to african invertebrates per se, we can make do from insects available in order to replicate that diet as closely as possible. My savannah monitor was raised on smaller roaches and crickets. As he got larger, we moved up to larger roaches (we're lucky enough to live close enough to Mr. Tuttle of Blaberus.com and were able to get breeding colonies going for our ackies and the sav.

A healthy baby will eat and put on the appropriate amount of weight. The problem with most savs is that they are heavily parasitized and are often fed pinky and other crap from the pet stores or middle men that sell them. Once they are cleaned up, put in the proper environment and fed a proper diet, they don't need to bulked up.

[WingedWolfPsion]

If the baby's origins are legitimate, ie it was captive bred, then it's probably not suffering from anything more serious than a lack of food and water. Since you have provided those, and they were accepted enthusiastically, I would bet he'll be just fine.

[allergenic]

OI.. The arrogence of some people is also unbelievable..

Yes, the idea that anyone would give advice on an animal they know nothing about that could very well cause the end of the animal's life is the height of arrogance in my opinion.

If the baby's origins are legitimate, ie it was captive bred, then it's probably not suffering from anything more serious than a lack of food and water. Since you have provided those, and they were accepted enthusiastically, I would bet he'll be just fine.

--Winged Wolf
14.29 BPs, 1.1 BP hatchlings, 1.0 plains garter, 1.2 Lygodactylus williamsi, 1.3.1 Lygodactylus kimhowelli, 1.2.1 Lygodactylus angularis, 1.2 Lygodactylus conradti, 0.3 Lepidodactylus lugubris

Does anyone on this forum aside from the four of us giving real advice actually own a monitor?

[waltah!]

Since this site is mainly geared toward bp owners you may not find lots of experienced monitor keepers. Many of our Veterans here own/have owned them and may not chime in since almost every Monitor thread turns into an argument over husbandry and housing.

[allergenic]

since almost every Monitor thread turns into an argument over husbandry and housing.

Man I wonder why.

[mumps]

Since this site is mainly geared toward bp owners you may not find lots of experienced monitor keepers. Many of our Veterans here own/have owned them and may not chime in since almost every Monitor thread turns into an argument over husbandry and housing.

Yes, owners who feel that 1.5 square feet is adequate living space for a 4 foot snake wonder why a 4 foot lizard won't do well in a 75 gallon aquarium...

There are HUGE differences, and the tubs are inadequate as well... but that's me and my opinion.

Chris

[slayer]

WOW! Alot of crap info here. Jlucky13, you would be wise to listen to the advice allergenic, mumps, skiploder and gbasset gave you and just ignore the rest. Gotta love the non-varanid keepers handing out advice.

I have a friend in FLA that bred her savannahs and just hatched a bunch of fat healthy babies .

....................... I call B.S.

To the OP, pick up a thing of reptical multi vitamins and give your little guy some high grade raw ground beef sprinkled with the multivitamin every day. Take the left over beef out after about an hour and toss it. This is what alot of breeders start hatchlings on and it really helps to beef them up and keep them healthy.

....................... Now thats a new one. I suggest you stop handing out advice on caring for varanids if your gonna make clueless statements like that. Someone might actually listen to that hogwash.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

WOW! Alot of crap info here. Jlucky13, you would be wise to listen to the advice allergenic, mumps, skiploder and gbasset gave you and just ignore the rest. Gotta love the non-varanid keepers handing out advice.

....................... I call B.S.

....................... Now thats a new one. I suggest you stop handing out advice on caring for varanids if your gonna make clueless statements like that. Someone might actually listen to that hogwash.

Thats enough. Do not insult me and call me a liar. Unlike the trolls that sometimes come here, i do not and will not lie. Not in real life, not on the net. Ever. Got that? So stop being such pompous babies about this. Perpetually angry on the defensive people.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...lbumId=1043606

Her name is natalie. I talk to her regularly. I followed the entire breeding process. I should not have to justify myself to the likes of you but I wont allow you to make me look bad. Never call me a liar again.

~To the admins.. Im terribly sorry about that but I just cant allow that type of comment without rebuttle.