I have a small water monitor that has not eaten since I bought him about two months ago. I'm sure everyone will eat me alive now. The water monitor was actually my husband's buy, I am more used to my bearded dragon, Iguana, and red-tail boa. He wanted this for himself, but I'm thinking this is a bit more difficult than he anticipated. The guy we have talked to at the pet store owns two savannahs and a nile, but I should have figured he didn't really know much when he said to give my beardie spinach and carrots. And he thinks my monitor is hibernating. Anyway, the cage is actually a shower room that we turned into a "cage". So 4'x5'. Built a door so he can't escape. I went in there myself and shut the door to make sure it was well ventilated. The monitor is only about 14" long including tail. My cool end is 90. Basking area is only 130. He has two hiding places, one on each end. His water is an extra large cat litter pan. He gets in it at least once a day. The substrate is that forest floor dirt, don't remember the brand name. I guess I thought since I am familar with other reptiles this wouldn't be such a stretch. I did a lot of internet reading before hand, too. It's hard to know who really knows from who just thinks they know how to take care of monitors correctly. So please help us do this right.
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water monitor won't eat
Replies (4)
definitely ignore the pet store advice, monitors don't hibernate, which seriously puts in doubt any other info this guy has offered : )
check out our site, the caresheets and FAQ. there is also a Water Monitor article that we wrote for Reptiles Magazine available there, lots of info in there.
temps and setup actually sound pretty good. but then again, i hear that a lot, and after really breaking it down, temps are perhaps not what they could be, or there are other parts of the cage that are hampering the progress of the animal. that is one of the struggles of a large cage.
it is hard to monitor the progress of the animal in a huge cage like that. you would be much better off using a small cage for this time, to acclimate the animal, monitor progress, and establish a base of health and feeding. a 30 or 40 gallon would be much easier to set up and watch than a 5 ft cage.
in a proper setup, given proper temps and proper diet (rodents, feeder insects, that's it) the animal should thrive. but that is assuming the animal isn't already in some large hole. you may want to have a vet visit to establish a base of health and a starting point.
oh, and in a giant cage like that, there are DOZENS of opportunities for hiding and security. there should absolutely be more than two hidespots. your monitor craves safety and security, that should be a primary focus when setting up a cage, don't just toss in a couple of half logs and call it a day : )
best of luck.
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robyn@proexotics.com
If you post on some other fora as well and look at some caresheets like Robyn said you'll start to hear the same things. The regulars on this one are very knowledgable and helpful. It's not hard to sort out the BS.
Good Luck
Roger
"cool end is 90" - that is very hot if it's the coolest place for him to retreat to. I'd have 75*F day and night for cool end and try to keep the 130*F or more basking sight- agree w/ the rest stated.
moved into smaller cage and fed a couple dozen cricks
he ate all of them.
thank you for your helps!!
