Hi there.

I picked up a savannah at the request of the local rescue lady.
I've dealt with many lizards before (including larger tropicals, green and rhino iguanas, etc) but have never worked with a sick monitor before.

This guy is maybe 13 inches long, apparently about a year and a half old, and was fed eight crickets or so once a week (!). No mice, no other invertebrates, no supplements. No heat for a 3 month period of time, rare access to water, and a compact fluorescent that wasn't changed during their entire period of ownership.

He had four layers of stuck shed in some places, has flaps of skin and pathetic amounts of fat on his legs; and while he is able to hunt very effectively, he doesn't hold himself up for long periods of time.

My questions for y'all:
-How often/how much is safe to feed without shocking his depleted system? He's been fed a half dozen huge crickets and two very small pinkie mice (for the first time in his life). When do I feed next and how much? I supplemented the crickets, etc.... should I feed him anything else? Carnivore supplement? Eggs?
-What temps would you use for a savannah recovering from neglect who is obviously in pretty rough shape? Humidity higher or lower than normal?
-Anything else I should do for this guy during the first several days? He's been soaked several times, drank twice, and most of the shed has gotten off.

Thanks for any input. He's quite the badass in spite of not being in good shape, I'm definitely rooting for him.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]