Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just got a new sav one of my first monitors and was wondering how much i should feed him.he is 14-16in and when i got him(i got him from a pet store)he was dyhidrated he didnt have a water bowl in his 12x12in cage and they feed him a hopper here and there.i feed him yesterday with 2 hoppers and about a dozen crix.when should i feed him again?he seems to spend most of the time in his rock hide and sleeping is this normal?his basking temp is 125-135 and the cool side is 83.1 and the warm side is 90.3 are these good temps for him?he has about 12ins or so of dirt to dig in but doesnt seem to want to dig any.when i first got him all he wanted to do is try and bite me or lash me with his tail and his.now he seems to be taming down i can pick him up with out and biting or lashing of his tail is this normal?ive had him for about 5 days now he has a basking platform so he can lay down and bask if he wants and ive been soaking him every day for about 30mins or so to get him hydrated again.is there anything else i should do for him?sorry for the long story i just want the best for him so he can be a big,health adult.

A few of us just replied to these questions from "redtaildaddy" try viewing these threads in the general monitor forum and the Savannah forum these should answer most of your questions, but please post again with whatever questions you have that weren't covered there. Good to meet 'ya.

alright i read the other form and want to know if my temps are good and humidity?im using yard dirt for my substrate and was wondering if this would be a problem if swallowed?i havent heard of there being a proble with this as alot of people use it all the time and recomend it over any other substrate but i want to make sure.also my sav is realy dark compared to others i have seen is there a reason for this?you can hardly see the spots on his back its almost patternless im not sure if hes getting ready to shed or what.

Color phase varies, mine is almost patternless as well. Read my reply to redtail's post and get the Sav book. The book is a must for any sav owner. You may want to visit http://pizards.com as well for more info. Good luck to you and your monitor.
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hbailey

0.1 argus monitor

alright thanks i want sure if his color was normal or not and now i know lol.i went to my pet store and they dont carry that sav book.they have a book that has all monitors in it but i want one thats nothing but sav info.i will check around and see if i can find one some where.

>>alright thanks i want sure if his color was normal or not and now i know lol.i went to my pet store and they dont carry that sav book.they have a book that has all monitors in it but i want one thats nothing but sav info.i will check around and see if i can find one some where.

They sell it online at www.proexotics.com for about $13 shipping. I bought it before I even got my sav and it's good for general monitor information as well.
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hbailey

0.1 argus monitor

well i figured out why my sav wasnt eating all the time.it was because if i or any body walked around the tank or if he seen you he would run and hide.so now i have part of his tank blocked off and now he is eating everyday and moving about more and more.im still not handling him for a few more weeks so he can get use to his new home.i will check proexotics for the book and see about buying it.

My first argus was this way and is significantly smaller than most argus. Be patient and try to earn it's trust. My argus would just not eat for a week or two each time I tried to handle her. I eventually only handled when necesary.

Good luck and hope everything works out.
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hbailey

0.1 argus monitor