Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought a savannah monitor its about a foot long from nose to tip of tail. I got him to eat a fuzzy mouse the other day but that took some getting him a little angry at it. I have not gotten him to eat dog food or crickets. I got him last sunday so I am just wondering is this still ok for now? Is there a moment when I should start to worry or anything? I would appreciate some help.
Thank you
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I think you should use your dog food for your dogs, not your monitor.

Like the other person said, avoid the dog food.

You should really check out a book by Daniel Bennett about savanahs. I forget the name, but I think it is something along the lines of "The truth about Savanah Monitor Lizards" That actually might even be it.

The key to reptile keeping is to think about what they would actually do in the wild. Now a foot long monitor probally is not going to cross paths with many vertebrates at it's size. The best thing for it now are arthropods, or insects, aracnids, etc... They eat alot of scorpions, giant millipieds, large insects, etc. So basically, stick to insects. Crickets are ok, but if you can afford roaches they are the best the pet trade offers to feed your little guy.

Yes, it is fun to watch little monitors eat mice. They seem to enjoy it as well, but think of it as eating cheeseburgers every day, for the rest of your life. Personal opinion, but I believe feeding a strict diet of mice and rats to monitors will lead to obesity in the lizard.

So my advice for you is to read up on them. Stick around on the boards and read what breeders and scientists offer about their diets and captive hubandry.
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Cheers,

Michael Starkey

I know not to feed them only rodents I gave him one to see if I could just get him to eat. I had heard from multiple people that dog food was ok but I guess I will stop using it. I havnt seen him eat a cricket yet but I will keep trying them.
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1.1 Motley het butter corns
0.1 Snow corn
0.1 Okeetee corn
1.0 Anery mutt corn
0.1 Stripe Ghost corn
0.1 Amelanistic corn het carmel
2.1 Colombian Redtails
1.0 Hypo Colombian redtail
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Anery Kenyan sand boa
0.1 Normal Kenyan sand boa

check out the caresheet at our site, and also pick up a copy of the Bennett Sav book, also at our site and here on the classifieds, both will provide a good husbandry base to start from.

and stick to rodents and insects for feeders, period.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles