Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently purchased a roughneck monitor. She is about 2 feet long and was hearty when I got her. She hasn't been eating anything I've tried: fuzzies, pinkies, shrimp, crickets. I'm getting worried she's beautiful and I don't want to lose her. Any help is greatly appreciated.

what are your temperatures? they could be too low. Also try increasing the humidity

you where warned on all the other forms you posted on that roughnecks where not for beginners.If you have him in that screen cage you wanted to put him in your humidity and temps are to low if your are still trying to hold him every day to tame him he is probably stressed out.Please post pics of your set up so we can better help you.What I would do is first check your temps basking 120 ambient 80-85 with a cool side of no lower than 75 night temps not lower than 70 humidity 85-90. Give him plenty of places to hide to feel more secure try to make the cage higher they like to be above eye level and most of all do not try to pick him up or hold him or tame at all just leave him alone

greg

I totally agree with what Greg said, but also get a faecal sample to a vet, you don't have to taken the whole animal, just it's droppings, as fresh as possible. fresh WC are full of parasites which in combination with the stress will kill her in days or weeks. If she hasn't had any droppings let the vet flush her cloaca or put her in a bath yourself. One or two treatments will turn her around (it did with my rudi's).
Also try to get grasshoppers, they don't hide and you can leave them in the cage. It is easy to count them and be shure if she is eating or not. Also leave dead mice in the cage, don't try to tongfeed her, that won't work the first months. Don't look at her cage for more than 5 minutes twice a day, do not touch her or pick her up!!!

Jasper

Thank you I'll have to try the grasshoppers. when she wasn't eating the live mice I tried leaving a dead one in there for her to decide but she wasn't happy with it so I took it out because I didn't want it to rot in there.

Hmmm I totally (not totally, but mostly) disagree with what Greg said.

Heres the deal though, humidity not lower than 70%? Based on what? 85 to 90????? Why again?

Ambient not lower than 80?????? Why?????????

Adding in all of this and that at this temp and that humidity is so dang hard for a new keeper to keep up with. Checking each and every temperature and humidity and making sure there is this and that.....dang, no wonder some people quit after their first reptile.

Why not just keep it simple. CHOICES from cool to hot and from not humid to humid. The more you try to keep up on these temperatures being at 80.4 to 85.9 or humitiy that is 85.564% is going to push away from keeping such animals.

Just give a range of everything (ambient temps, surface temps and humidity), keep stuff simple. Once you provide your range you can adjust based on YOUR observation. And then you can adjust again, and again.

You will be rewarded for keeping it simple and listening to your monitor(s).

Cheers,
Mike.

I agree with you 100%. The information i provided on humidity is based what I have read and observed when the humidity drops blow 70% their skin dries out quickly.Th ambient temps I try to replicate the natural environment as much as possible.You are right that it is best to provide a full range of temps and humidity and let the monitor chose what it wants and make adjustment from their

greg

I think you have me confused for someone else I haven't ever posted on forums about monitors before and I have no idea about a screen cage? but thanks. I have the basking temperatures around 125 warm side around 90 and cool side around 80. I don't have my didgital camera so I can't post pictures. And I don't bother her I understand they are wild animals I don't keep them to cuddle with I have a dog for that.

thanks for the help everyone I increased her humidity some and tried and a friend of mine that owns a retile shop told me to try an egg rubbed in chicken stock. she went right for it when she was done i tried a thawed pinky and she took it right down.