Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just adopted a 3 ft Savannah from some folks who well-cared for, yet spoiled him rotten with food @ will (a common mistake leading to obesity, so I've read all over and here).

They were feeding him several boiled chunks of chicken EVERY DAY. I'm planning on switching between boiled chicken and live/frozen mice for meals...and have a plethora of bought/caught insects (crickets/worms/june bugs/etc.) for between-meal snacks.

Q: Besides getting him out of the cage every day for handle-ability/exercise, how often can I (do I have to) feed him a "meal" (chunks of chicken/mouse) for him to maintain health/growth (length), and yet seriously work on cutting back on the bulge that is his belly? Is a "meal" twice a week, with snacks (insects/occasional "pinkie" on off days OK/enough sustinence?

Thanx in advance for your input!

Todd Henry

There are a variety of answers to this issue. You might have read that daily feedings lead to obesity on this site, but the problem is that it is springtime. In the spring there are a wealth of "experts" on this forum who make comments and give advice who have, in fact, just bought their first monitor and have had it 2 weeks. So beware the advice on this forum.

Obesity is not usually related to the quantity of food offered, but more a function of temperature. A cold monitor uses less energy from its food and ends up becoming obese. A warm monitor is more active and better able to expend energy and usually does not end up becoming obese - even with daily feedings.

A mostly (or completely) rodent based diet has worked for many people for many years. This includes daily or near daily feedings of rodents. I still like variety and I try to add some variety to my monitors. The variety is so infrequent though that their diet is essentially all rodent based. The chicken you use is probably more like filler food than anything of great nutritional value. Just be aware of that and adjust your offerings of chicken with that in mind.

I suspect your obese monitor has been kept at temperatures that were on the cool side and this lead to obesity rather than being fed too often. I aim for temps around 110-115 in my basking spots and other people go warmer than that.

Good luck

Thanx much, Bloodbat! Good thoughts...I currently have 150-watt ceramic bulb approx. 2 1/2 ft above basking spot, and daily fluorescent lighting from above. Can't have undertank heating, due to wood (not glass) cage setup. Not sure my temps are getting that high, but might try to add a shelf to get him closer to source.

Is it true that live rodent is much better than cooked chicken, because their is much benefit to eating the bones (calcium) and innerards that are processed out with cooked stuph? Doesn't have a ton of room to run and chase live rodents in current enclosure, but would exercise gained by feeding in different 55-gallon tank be a healthy benefit here?

Thanx again for you advice.

Todd
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