Proper Varanid Care

[slayer]

You know lately its come to my attention that many don't take care of there monitors especially savs and that pet stores give out wrong info. So please tell me if i doing something wrong. Savannah monitor:
Cage size: Currently in a 4x2x2 while we build him his 4x4x8 enclosure (hes only 4 in. right now)

............................ Your enclosure sizes are "OK"

Diet: he eats 2 pinkies a week sometimes more if a snake doesn’t want one he also eats 15-30 crickets a week and occasionally some turkey.

.................... Your underfeeding your little guy. To give you and idea : Your Sav eats in a week what one of my Ackies eats in a day. Growing monitors should be fed their fill daily at the least. I allow hatchlings to eat their fill multiple times a day.
I also have to caution you against feeding vertebrates and animal parts (turkey). Field studies show that Savs are highly specialized invertebrate feeders. There is no good reason to go against that in captivity.

Here is one such study

CISSE,M. Bulletin de L'insitute Fondamental d'Afrique Noire. 1972 34 (2): 503-515. The diet of
Varanids in Senegal. Translated by Daniel Bennett
on page 21. Its a translated to english in the field study on the diet of Savannah and Nile monitors that proves how specialized an invert feeder Savannahs are.
http://www.kingsnake.com/aho/pdf/men...tt_undated.pdf

Heres an excerpt that cuts to the meat of it all

"In total we analysed the stomach contents of 28 animals. The results are presented by monitor
and by month in table I. The identified prey was made up exclusively of invertebrates except
for the eggs of Agama agama and V. exanthematicus. The following were found;
1. Insects.
a. Coleopera:
- Carabids: Ctenosta senegalense, Megacephala megacephela, Scarites sp.
- Curculionids: Episus sp.
- Dytiscids: Cybister sp.
- Meloids: Psalydolytta fusca.
- Scaribids: Adoretus sp. Anomala sp. Oryctes sp. Schizonycha africana.
- Tenebrionids: Pimelia senegalensis, Phrynocolus dentatus, Vieta senegalensis.
b. Dictyoptera: Mantes: Epitenodera gambiensis
c. Hymenoptera: Aphids: Xylocopa sp.
d. Lepidotera: chiefly Chenilles and Sphingids.
e. Orthoptera:
- Acridids: Acanthacris ruficornis citrina, Anacridium sp., Kraussaria angulifera, Cataloipus sp.,
Oedaleus nigeriensis, Humbe tenuicornis.
- Gryllids: Gryllus bimaculatus
- Pyrgomorphids: Zonocerus variegatus
- Tettigonids: Homorocoryphus nitidulus vicinus.
2. Arachnids: a scorpion of the family Buthidae.
3. Myriapods: Diplopodes (Iules) and Chilipods (Scolopendra).
4. Molluscs: Gasteropods pulmones Helicarionines.
5. The eggs of Varanus exanthematicus and Agama agama.
In order of number, prey was distributed as follows;
Myriapods 48.32%
Insects 45.49% of which 21.22% were Coleopterids, 15.21% Lepidoterans (Chenilles) and
8.84% Orthopterans.
Eggs of Agama and V. exanthematicus 3.75%.
Gasteropod molluscs 2.35%.
Arachnid scorpions 0.11%.
These results interpret the respective percentages of prey items, but they do not give
information on their distribution in the predators. This we have indicated by the degrees of
prescence (LESCURE). The number of animals containing each prey is given. In other words,
it shows the percentage of animals containing each prey.
Table II shows the different prey with their percentages and frequency of prescence. The prey
most frequently consumed by V. exanthematicus in the area where our research was based
was the Coleopterids (64.28%), the Myriapods (53.57%), larvae of Lepidopterans (46.42%)
and the Orthopterans (35.71%).
If we consider this diet by month we need to establish whether it reflects the availability of the
large invertebrates of that period. In fact, the Coleopterans, larvae of Sphingides and the
Myriopods, which are abundant during the first half of the winter constitute the main items of
prey during this season, whilst they are absent from the intestines towards the end of the
season, replaced at that time by the Orthopterans which become more numerous. Otherwise,
except for the reptile eggs (Agama and Varanus) we did not find any trace of vertebrates in the
diet of V.exanthematicus. This species feeds exclusively on invertebrates and eggs (including
those of its own species). Towards the end of December all feeding ceases until favourable
conditions return.
Is this diet different from that of Varanus nilocticus? This is what we are going to find by
examining the stomach contents of the second species......................"

Heat: his cool side is temp gunned at 86.27 right now and his warm/basking at 117.23. He also gets a UVA/UVB bulb. He has 2 hides.

............................ Ambient air temps are too high and you make no mention of basking SURFACE temps. Cool is as important as hot so aim for a air temp range of 75F(cooler side)- 95F(hotter side) with a basking surface temp of at least 130
When you say he has 2 hides what do you mean? Because in my experiance Savs dig their own.

Handling: i handle him for about 15 mins. each day.

................. In other words you stress your animal out and show it that you are a threat for 15 mins a day. Forced handling gets you no where.

Water: he has a water dish that is 6 inches long (Zilla) and enjoys spending time in it.

....................... Thats a classic sign of dehydration as hydrated Savs spend no time in their water bowls (except for a quick crap).

Since im short on time and to keep things simple: All the things your doing wrong with your Sav you are also doing wrong with you other monitors at the very least.

You should throw up some enclosure shots since pictures really do say a thousand words.


Hope these links help
http://www.varanus.net/forums/list.php?2
http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Monitors/index.html
http://varanidae.org/biawak
http://www.mampam.com