Posted by:
FR
at Sun Apr 17 10:50:30 2011 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
Hello, I agree with you, the thought or false belief about rodents and savs is actually worse then most think.
As far as I can tell, its a concept based on failure. That is, rodents are not good because Savs that consumed them died. Which sounds good, only the reality is, all the Savs died, even the insect feeders, or the turkey feeders, it didn't matter what they ate, what mattered was they died. It wasn't diet.
They died because the rest of the husbandry was completely substandard.
In this type of case it was about the monitors not being allowed to operate at a normal rate of metabolism.
With a low metabolism Savs were unable to utilize the energy that rodents supplied, So it was quickly turned to fat and as too much fat entered the bloodstream, was deposited not only in the massive fat storage areas, but in organs such as the liver.
Of course this would end up being fatal. And as STUPID humans do, They blamed the most obvious condition, fatty liver.
So instead of allowing the monitor, The SAV, to utilize a normal high metabolism, like they do in nature, the keepers simply take away the culprit, the rodents. This is a common human trick, fix the symtom and not attempt a cure.
As mentioned above, unfortunately rodents were not the problem and the Savs died anyway. To this day, of the hundreds of thousands of beautiful baby savs that enter the country each and every spring, very few is any are still alive the next year, that is fact, that is history. And it has nothing to do with rodents being a poor choice for captive husbandry.
Just use the head thats sitting on all our shoulders, if half the savs that are imported each year survive, this country would be overrun with them, within a year. Much less the decades that they have been mass imported.
How much success do you see here or on any forum? You see a whole lot of starters, and then you see more people starting, we rarely see finishers that is, seeing these animals reach normal natural life events.
This is fact and it has nothing to do with rodents.
As someone who has recieved lots of success with varanids of many species, having raised literally hundreds upon hundreds, Mice is the very best diet to raise any varanid on. With the exception of the very smallest species. And they are a bit inconvient for the largest species, but other rodents are not.
Rodents result in rapid growth and high level reproduction, without the need of suppliments. Period
But, if your going to feed rodents, you must allow the monitors to reach normal operating temperatures. So they much include the upper ranges of temps they normally pick.
What is actually really really important is not about rodents, but the understanding that reptiles utilize a range of temps, and the highest temps they choose, are of the most importance. This is what is important.
On the otherhand insects have shown to be imcomplete and must be dusted with both calicum and vitamins to be sufficent. Good luck on your endover to convince the blind to see.
About Daniel Bennetts cricket feeder wild Savs, Hmmmmmmmm again READ what he wrote, He stated that the Savs on that site were very very little, the adults were tiny, he showed a pic of an adult and he was holding it by the tail with two fingers, hahahahahahaha
Then he stated that Savs do not attain lenghts of three feet(one meter) in nature and there is something wrong with captive Savs because if fed grow to lenghts over 3 feet, including lenghts of 4 feet are often seen.
Again if someone, anyone were to use the brains we humans are suppose to have, you should easily realize that the population, the over collected population that daniel was looking at was dwarfed. That is, over collecting causes higher numbers of smaller animals.
Its again common sense that monitors do feed on a range of prey items, not all are equal. These items can be broken down into two areas.
one that allows for growth and reproduction, at high levels.
And one that allows for the individual to attain enough energy to make it to the next day.
insects are only good to get the monitors to the next day.
Lastly as a captive breeder of varanids, you soon learn how much calories it takes to allow reproduction. Its takes a whole lot and they are simply not going to get that insects.
A midsized to larger monitor IS NOT GOING TO GET IT ON INSECTS. The thought that they can is extremely naive or worse unintelligent.
Lastly, Savs are not a small varanid, females easily reach three feet and males four. And they are massive. Their mass is equal to a five to six foot normally built varanid.
And someone recomends feeding insects, thats funny.
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RE: **MURRINDINDI- Feeding Savs in Captivity - FR, Sun Apr 17 10:50:30 2011