Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

I have a baby Sav ive been feeding crickets. My Sav goes crazy chasing and eating crickets. Ive been trying to get some calcium in its diet so i dusted a few crickets. Thing is it'll be in full out charge until it gets a hint of a dusted cricket . It stops on a dime and waits for me to give it a normal undusted cricket. Then proceeds its all out fury of cricket destruction. Is this normal? What else can i try to get some more calcium into this baby sav?

Thanks
-----
Adrian De Leon
Hissenia Reptiles

Its normal but now how you think. Monitors learn and learn quickly. The monitor does not understand that CAPTIVE raised crickets are not the nutritional value as wild crickets.

IF they are fed undusted crickets, then quickly learn to eat undusted crickets. On the otherhand, once they learn to eat dusted crickets, they will soon refuse undusted crickets.

There most likely is a name for this lite behavior. I call it lite, because it is quickly changed and adjusted. All you have to do is not feed it for a day or two, then feed dusted crickets, then a quick readjustment will occur. A heavy behavior is a behavior that is very set and difficult to change. Which is not the case here.

I would indeed dust the crickets and let the monitor adjust to that. Cheers

Ill try that. I do want this little guy to grow up healthy and strong. Ive read the posts through this forum trying to gather the correct info on monitors.

By the way... I never knew how fascinating monitors could be. Intersting little creatures
-----
Adrian De Leon
Hissenia Reptiles

Yea, just offer dusted crickets and it will soon switch over, and your very welcome.

Yes, monitors are the most entertaining of the reptiles(except maybe crocs, but I cannot have them) But they are a lot of work. If your up to the work, you will have a ball.

I have worked and still work with lots of different kinds of reptiles, and the monitors keep me laughing, each and every day. I can hardly ask for more. Cheers