Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering what else can I feed a batch of baby savannahs other then bugs. I tried dog food but they don't like it. They take ham though.

What is this a troll? Ham? Dog food? HEY how about you read up on proper monitor husbandry right away. Even better read up before you purchase a living animal you are responsible for, there’s a novel idea.

Understand that you are well on your way to killing that sav slowly and horribly…just like thousands of other impulse buying kids that just gotta have that sav in the window but are clueless as to what they are getting into. I see these constantly…obese and half-dead savs that look more like a drugged toad then the awesome predator they are.

Now go to proexotics.com and read about basic monitor husbandry. Then come back here and read everything FR has written on these forums. Yup, look at the archive too. If you still have any questions or problems then come here and post it.

If after you get a firm grasp of it’s proper husbandry you suspect that you can’t handle what you just got yourself into (highly likely) then go find someplace or someone with reptile experience (not the place where you bought this one) and let them take it off your hands. Maybe then the poor thing will have a chance for a nice life.

Tom

Hi nhatgia90, welcome to the fryin' pan. Ha!

Those with plenty of experience, successful experience, with monitors, say that whole prey is more nutritious, healthier. There's a thread not too far below this one that talks about this very thing.

Although I'm not one of the ones with successful experience, meaning that I haven't bred & hatched eggs, I recommend dusting your crickets and introducing the savs to mouse pups as soon as they are big enough.

BTW, Tom's not as bad as you might think he is, he just didn't protect that exposed nerve this morning, the one that you stepped on. Ha!

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

Hello nat90, i think you have been aroung KS forums for awhile(recognize your name...makes one think elapids)...if you are no stranger to the forums then you know the value of the insight provided(assuming you can sift through some dumb stuff)...anyway if you spend some time in the monitor forum you will see why Tom flipped a bit...at the end of the day most here only want success for everybody...Tom gave you tip top advice and if you are a KS forum reader you'll know what to do with it and your monitor will be saying "Hats off to you Sir!!" cheers,zak.

No one ever answered my question. What else can I feed my savannahs other then bugs?

HATE HATE HATE all you want but at least give me a yes or no answer.

As for dog food, I've seen caresheets that allow it and the petstore say it would be fine.

Also I always dust my crickets, either with calcium or vitamin.

Why can't they eat ham? It's just like the uncooked pork and turkey I feed them.

The answer to your question was for you to read all you can about proper monitor husbandry by those with actual experience and repeated results. Proexotics.com and all the posts by FR here on the ks forum. DO THE RESEARCH YOURSELF, it’s all there and requires little effort if you can manage. You might even learn something about monitors while you’re at it (gasp..you think that’s the point?)

Once you complete this task you’re question(s) will be answered. You’re care sheets are wrong, the PetCrapCo. you purchased this poor sav from is wrong…get the picture?

Now as far as "hating", do you really think this is acceptable? Do you really think it is ok for you to buy an animal without having a clue how to take care of it? Now go read what I told you. If you still have questions then by all means ask away, but hopefully they are not as full of ignorance as this gem.

Tom

I seriously don't get what your problem is. I know how to take care of savs. I'm just asking what else can be fed to them to mix things. Jesus Reptile Christ, why are you so mean and assume I don't know what I'm doing?

>>I seriously don't get what your problem is. I know how to take care of savs. I'm just asking what else can be fed to them to mix things. Jesus Reptile Christ, why are you so mean and assume I don't know what I'm doing?

Very likely it was the 'ham'. It would be like saying you fed your snake a hot dog. It is hideous food for an animal. Dog food is barely for dogs and certainly not for reptiles. Right then and there you announced that you have a great deal to learn, hopefully before your monitor dies.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Sonya is correct; the ham sent me over the edge a bit.

I mean, sure a monitor will rip apart a dead pig and eat it. That would be quite the prize in their natural environment, just as a dead human or dead anything would be. I feed calcium / vitamin supplemented ground turkey once a week, so it isn’t like I am some ‘purist’.

I was under the impression that you were feeding your sav processed ham. In fact ‘ham’ is defined as the muscled hind leg areas of a pig, and it is usually highly processed (salted, etc) for human consumption. If you are indeed supplementing your base diet of insects and rodents with whole dead pig with guts I apologize.

However I would suggest if you have to supplement your base diet (rodents, crickets), try whole ground rabbit (that’s the direction I am taking). I know a guy who feeds his juv water pepperoni off his pizza and sliced lunchmeat. The poor thing is dying…slowly but surely. I have seen several savs that are a bloated disgusting mess of an animal when they should be a lean mean killing machine. Thousands and thousands of monitors are destined for this terrible fate because of people who buy them without a clue. That is frustrating and sad.

Anyway, read up big time right here. You have access to probably the most successful person on the planet with respect to monitor husbandry who freely and candidly shares everything he knows and does with his monitors. No bs care sheets or outdated lame books geared more towards selling products / entertainment than successful husbandry. If your goal posting here was to honestly learn what to feed your monitor than you have achieved that goal. You may not appreciate or like the tone of the message, but does that matter? Nope, your feelings do not matter...this is a forum about monitor husbandry, not your feelings.

SO adjust your monitor husbandry and become the standard for savannah monitor husbandry. Do what has proven to work then improve it. Share your results, your failures, your successes. Teach US how to better care for our monitors, hell teach FR or Robyn or Jobi or any number of folks that are the ‘experts’ here (that sure is not me haha), they want to learn too. That is the challenge, you up for it?

Tom

wow you don't have to be such a d*ck to him for just asking a plain question...

> > > "Jesus Reptile Christ,..."

Ho, no. You've got it all wrong. Most people, including myself, believe that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. Satan was the reptile (serpent).

I just didn't want you to continue on life's journey with such horrible misconception.

Take care!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

HH, does this mean we're all Satan worshippers, since we like reptiles?

Quig
Curious in Michigan
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

LOL!

List'ning to some of my kin folk & friends you'd think so. Ha! I have actually met a few "stuck in the woods" people that think snakes are evil, of the devil. All you can do is just smile and say, "Really?" No wonder nobody comes to visit me.

Catch ya later, Quig!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

>>LOL!
>>
>>List'ning to some of my kin folk & friends you'd think so. Ha! I have actually met a few "stuck in the woods" people that think snakes are evil, of the devil. All you can do is just smile and say, "Really?" No wonder nobody comes to visit me.
>>
>>Catch ya later, Quig!
>>HH
>>-----
>>Due to political correctness run amuck,
>>this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
>>Appalachian American

I have people say, "You have a giant snake in your living room" (15#SST 5 ft long) I say, "Yeah, it keeps out the riff raff" They say, " I am never visiting you!" I say, "See, it works"

My darn iguana kept more people out of my house then my Bullmastiffs I think. 'Course the bullies let folks in if we said it was okay, the iguana was just plain mean.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

LOL! That was good.

"riff raff" - Now there's a phrase you don't here much these days. Showing your age? Ha! Ha!

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

Ginebig, Hey thanks for the motivation on the 5 lined monitors...i found two on the Pine River mem.day weekend.again thank you much,zak.

Uhhh Zak, I think you mean five-lined skinks. You in the wrong forum Bro, but you're welcome just the same

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

x

Dusted bugs and mice are all you need PERIOD. It has been proven to work across a range of monitor species.

WHOLE FOODS, WHOLE FOODS, WHOLE FOODS! No lunchmeat or other goofy, incomplete human foods. Just uncooked, whole prey items. Along with mice and bugs, you can feed shrimp (WHOLE), crawfish (WHOLE), fish (WHOLE), feeder snails (WHOLE), and many other whole, uncooked prey items (make sure they aren't toxic and safe to feed to your animals). A reason you see so many obese savs that die quickly, is that people feed partial, incomplete foods. Of course terrible conditions added to that lead to a very short and awful life for your monitor.

The problem with relying on internet caresheets is, some of them give good information (or at least partially, and that is even rare), but most give really wrong and crappy or outdated (still wrong and crappy) information. And petstores, well I won't even go there...

I recommend looking at the Pro Exotics website for some good basic monitor care information. Good luck.

Cheers,
Ryan

O i've read proexotics I just wanted to know what else can be fed to them. Thanks for your help.

(nhatgia90) > > > "No one ever answered my question. What else can I feed my savannahs other then bugs?"

In my first reply I said, "Those with plenty of experience, successful experience, with monitors, say that whole prey is more nutritious, healthier."

Why would you want to feed them anything but what's best for them?

I'll give you the answer you're looking for. You can feed them anything you want, whatever you can get 'em to eat. Anything from worn out shoes to mountain oysters, dough balls to caviar.

(OK, I've got keep thinkin' "momma." {inside joke about me})

Maybe you're looking for a more specific answer. For one thing, a strip of meat/poultry lacks many vital nutrients (bones, etc...) that whole prey items contain, making for unbalanced meals.

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

It may not be my place to give an answer, I don't own a monitor, but let me try this. First of all monitors, when young, are almost entirely insect eaters. Crickets and roaches mainly. As they age they'll take other things. Rodents being the main course, but fish,crawdads and snails among other things. Whole foods, live or F/T are the BEST way to go. Hair, meat and bones playes a BIG part in keeping them healthy. This gives them the proper vitimins and nutrients for healthy growth.

Now to the processed foods, cat and dog food, dry or canned and turkey or chicken are as bad for them as processed food is for humans. They are loaded with vitimins and minerals, certainly, but these are aimed at humans, not reptiles. Reptiles need a whole different set of nutrition to stay healthy and thrive.

Your retic is a prime example. Would you feed it processed meat instead of whole foods? I doubt it. It's simply NOT good for him/her. In the long run they will all suffer from malnutrition from this kind of diet and will surely die an early death because of it.

I think variety is a good thing, but you need to stick to live foods.

Just my half a*&ed ramble about proper nutrition.

Quig

P.S. If I'm outta line here, somebody kick me eh.
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

I know that but I just wanted to know what else they could eat.

I see. In that case, Varanids_Rock probably gave you the best answer with his inclusion of crayfish, snails, etc... Those can be thrown in here & there with the main staple being crickets & rodents.

Have a good one!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

If you want a healthy monitor, nothing else but bugs and rodents.

If this is too much for you, get a uromastyx feed it all kinds of veggies and never worry about bugs or meat ever.

If you really need to know why monitors don’t do well feeding on cans or ham, read about metabolism of cold blooded vs. mammals.

The only reason I even consider it is because of one of the caresheet I think on repticzone.com . Okay I'll stick to rodent/bugs.

>>No one ever answered my question. What else can I feed my savannahs other then bugs?
>>
>>HATE HATE HATE all you want but at least give me a yes or no answer.
>>
>>As for dog food, I've seen caresheets that allow it and the petstore say it would be fine.
>>
>>Also I always dust my crickets, either with calcium or vitamin.
>>
>>Why can't they eat ham? It's just like the uncooked pork and turkey I feed them.

How about this, I will do some of your research for you for free.....

DO NOT, never, ever for any good reason....Ham, dog food, canned any sort of food. (ham isn't really even good for people....Sodium, preservatives...hideous.)
If it doesn't have a face....don't feed it.

Feed whole prey...simple....bugs, remarkably is what they eat 90% in the wild and seems to have gotten them through thousands of years evolution. If it will eat pinkie mice then go with them too. If not then stick with bugs til it is.

The pet store was telling you incomplete, not expert knowledge. Some care sheets suck. If you listen to this forum you will be ahead of the pack. People here have set the standard for keeping monitors. You may not like their attitude but that is too bad. The kinder, gentler knowledge is going to lead to a dead monitor.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Ngatia,
You can feed pinkies or fuzzies in addition to the bugs if you choose. You will probably find that managing a group of medium sized monitors like savs is very expensive if done well(food, electric, space... This expense is normal- there are no shortcuts(ham)- and you have to truly enjoy savs because you will never get your money back. Do it right and you may ...may... be rewarded(not $ but joy). Do it wrong and your lizards will suffer. Best to you- Mike

Thank you Mike. I'm going to stick to pinkies and dusted bugs. Honestly, I just wanted to know what else they could possibly eat. If it's not a good idea to mix things into the process then I won't.

I have fed many things to baby savs, mostly dusted crickets and roaches.
All were whole foods.
Throw in some earthworms for them to dig up.
I was given some fertile quail and dove eggs, the critters went nuts over these.
But nothing got them going quite like some slimey snails.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

>>But nothing got them going quite like some slimey snails.
>>
>>Scott

Oh yuck! I have slugs the size of VWs some years......but I don't think I could feed them. I have never been able to bring myself to offer them to my turtles either. I can just imagine the mess the savannahs would make. Shudders.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Im gonna do this simply:

1.roaches
2.crayfish
3.chicks
4.quail
5.shrimp
6.prawns
7.snails
8.small crabs
9.whole fish
10. fingers

...basically, any small animal that they can/will/would overpower and kill in nature, they can eat.

Feeding stuff like ham, dogfood, etc, can lead to all kinds of problems due to the various crap we have in our food (obscenely high fat content, low/no nutritional value, preservatives, growth hormones, chemicals of all kinds, etc).

you CAN feed monitors bacon, peanut butter, and chittlins. they will eat most anything. that doesn't mean you should though.

just stick to feeder rodents and feeder insects, period. all the other "can feed" stuff only presents other variables, and problems, for your animals.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

I dunno if I agree with you there robin.

Granted, humanized food isnt good for monitors- theres no question of that.

But I dont think staying strictly mice/insects is something id agree with.

Depending on the species and the size, I dont see any reason why the occasional chick or snail or crayfish or small crab shouldnt be offered, if the keeper desires to offer such things and the animal eats them. Small fish are great for small water loving species- gives them some exercise and gives the owner something interesting to watch. (granted, feeder goldfish are about as nasty as it comes, so look elsewhere if offering live fish as feeders).

Basically, mixing it up abit keeps them alert, interested and thinking... at least thats my opinion.