Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello all,
I'll start with some info. I just received my salvator a week ago. He is around 14 in and in a 20 gallon tank temporarily. He has a basking spot of 120 degrees with a large water bowl. He is also on cypress mulch for now. My problem is he doesn't eat I know he is still getting used to everything but he seems possibly dehydrated so I soaked him and once he was out he seemed very sluggish. Also I am a zookeeper so I am not an amateur to husbadry. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Try bumping up his basking temp to like 130ish...
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, leo)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise (tank)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.3 Painted Turtles (larry, curly and moe)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow)
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor (beef)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard (layla)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.0 Ferret (jordan)
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs (lilly and petunia)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts (spork and blaze)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt ( red)
0.0.2 Bull Frogs (goliath and tubby)
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive (jack)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
0.0.3 Green Anoles
1.0.0 Bahama Anole
0.0.1 Long Tail Grass Lizard
Lots Of Fish

I could do that. Although he never seems to bask or even out he is always buried in the substrate. Would a hotter basking spot make him want to come out? Thank you!

not in a twenty gal. tank, you could boil that thing.

The size of cage is all about allowing choices. Its very very difficult to have a 120f or above hotspot and 75F cool area, in a small tank. The only way is to allow the heat to escape out the top and that is far far worse then a lower basking temp.

First off, monitors can perform most basic functions, like eat and grow with hotspots around 100F. So I doubt it not feeding is related to lack of heat. I would think its either the air movement or something that occurred before purchase, and there is a long list of possibilities there. Most of which it will take an experienced vet to figure out.

any mucus around nose area? are eyes open and alert ? if so may be a respitory infection, get to vet fast. will need baytryl fast... but being a zoo keeper i would think u could talk to someone at zoo? if he is no swimming and eating like a pig something is wrong. at a small size they catch colds with a 80 degree breeze.

thank you very much FR

What size tank would you prefer and what can I do about circulation? I got him from LLL I figured they were kinda reputable. Thanks

I Agree, missed the part about the 20 gallon tank...
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, leo)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise (tank)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.3 Painted Turtles (larry, curly and moe)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow)
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor (beef)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard (layla)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.0 Ferret (jordan)
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs (lilly and petunia)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts (spork and blaze)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt ( red)
0.0.2 Bull Frogs (goliath and tubby)
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive (jack)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
0.0.3 Green Anoles
1.0.0 Bahama Anole
0.0.1 Long Tail Grass Lizard
Lots Of Fish

its not a r.i. His eyes are clear. I talked to the vet but she just said let him be and he will be fine. When I received him in the mail it smelled like formaldahyde I have no idea why. What is the optimal setup for a salvator of his size?

I would try to go with something 4 feet long , a 75 gal should be ok for now , 48 in long by 18 deep, you can create a good thermal gradient.
Roger

what about keeping humidity inside the cage? screen tops are boso-nono number one.

the humidity is fine 67% at lowest. I'm now thinking of putting him in an outdoor cage. The only problem is ants and what to make it out of? Top or no top. Dont want a bird to get him LOL. Thank you all for your help. I really appreciate it

An outdoor cage? Where do you live? With an indoor cage you can regulate temps and humidity much easier. Ants? Do you know where your monitor came from? There are probably a few more important things you may want to worry about. If you want to keep your monitor, you better put top on the cage. They are escape artists if you have not figured that out yet.

a pic of the animal and the set up may give visual clues that would help identify issues. not enough info as it is : )
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

I live in s. Florida and yes ants are a problem. I force fed him a fuzzy today so maybe he'll become interested now. I would post pics but my computer is down. Thank you. Would an outside cage be ok in s fl?

no do not put him outside!!!!!!! and i would not force feed him either!!!! force feeding is a last resort...if ants are a problem why would u put him outside??? if he was shipped he may have beginings of respitory infectinon. but without seeing him, it all guessing. let him be and keep a close eye on him no handling and get that hot spot up to at least 130.

no, outside is not good. you already have too many variables that are out of control, you don't need a dozen more.

force feeding is going to kill the animal, literally stress it to death.

you aren't providing enough info, so you can't get applicable help. but something is indeed very wrong.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

I force fed him a fuzzy today so maybe he'll become interested now.

How does one do that and is it a good idea? If you've only had him a week or so, you've not really allowed him time to adjust to his surroundings. Mind you, a 14" Salvator in a 20gal fish tank, is a bad set up to start with. I hope you can at least give it the minimum sized enclosure recommended for a 14"monitor. A 20gal isn't big enough.
I do sympathize with you for being stuck with a skinny, dehydrated lizard though, as the same thing happened to me six months ago, when I bought a hatchling Blackthroat from the same place you got your Salvator. Never again!

Susan.

Well, I might as well chime in like the non-expert that I am.

I've got a hunch that it's stressed to the max. Have you been handling it and/or do you keep peering into it's cage to check on it? If so, stop, leave it alone, give it complete solitude.

After force-feeding it you'll be lucky if it comes out of hiding within a week. That's seriously scary stuff to a young monitor in new surroundings.

Give it a box just big enough for it to fit inside, with an opening just big enough for it to enter. Cover the outside of your tank/cage with paper or something so it can't see out and you can't see in. Place the tank in a quiet part of the house and forget that it's even there for about a week. You can offer it fresh-killed or frozen/thawed rodents after about 5 days or so but don't go disturbing it's hide box or uncovering the monitor if it's buried in the substrate. Toss rodent in quietly & quickly and leave it alone. If your caging conditions are good it will liven up in time.

Hang in there!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

thank you all for your advice. So if a 20 gallon tank isn't appropriate what is? I've been told 100 different things. Would yall be able to give me an ideal setup please and explain why an outdoor cage is not a good idea in s Florida

do u read the posts? outside is a bad idea because 1- u said u have ants. 2- this poor lizard needs to left alone in the same spot without being moved or bothered 3- there is to much temp. fluction outside, YES EVEN IN FLORIDA!!!!!!! 4- more stress outside. put him in a 50 gal breeder tank minimum 75 would be better.and leave him alone.... what zoo do u work at? give him high heat under basking bulb 130 degress a big hide box and a big water bowl that he can fit in and swim in..... please listen to these post i have yet to read a bad one. DO NOT KILL THIS LIZARD...

My salvator wouldnt eat when I originally got him. Simply left him alone after my first attempts, and what do you know, 6 days later he was eating...

You think you have a problem now when hes not eating, wait untill he is eating...

first of all I wasnt going to put him in an outdoor enclosure any time soon. It would be later on when he is about 3-4 feet. Well I blocked his cage off do he cant see us and vice versa and we will see if that works. After a week or so I'll offer him food. Thanks

Would yall be able to give me an ideal setup please and explain why an outdoor cage is not a good idea in s Florida

You can see how we wouldn't have known that you were talking about a year or so down the road?.

You've been given as close to the 'ideal setup' for your monitor, by several people, as you requested. Unless you've upgraded his cage size as suggested, so you can give him the recommended basking temp, I don't think you should just cover him up and leave him be for a week. The 130 basking spot could be dangerous in a 20gal!

If the setup is ideal, that's a different matter. It not a good idea to only pick out the bits of advice that suit you and the fact you haven't mentioned a bigger cage, leads me to think you haven't bothered yet. I'd love to be wrong here???

Susan.

what zoo do u work at?

I'm an elephant keeper at lion country safari. We have had water monitors before in an outdoor exhibit and were just fine. As for my setup I was just going by what pro exotics said and what half of the other people said with a 20 gallon. I've kept monitors before so this isn't new. The only thing new is the fact that this one wont eat, doesn't bask, etc... I figured moving him to a new cage now would add even more stress to this situation