Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We had a Savannah monitor for a year and a half. He seemed to always have some sort of ailment. He was so unlike what I would see on the internet. He was so sweet and so tame. We got him as a baby but no matter how well we did things and researched he always had digestive problems and not a lot of energy and other things I cant think of right now. We had a hard battle with pinworms but got through that. In the end he acted constipated again and soft bloated so I took him back to the vet over an hour away and he was in kidey failure. His kidneys were 2-3 times normal size. The vet only gave him a month and my boyfriend thought it best to euthanize. I held him till he closed his eyes.The vet said this was due to a genetic flaw or tumors. He was always with us and all of our time was devoted at home to our lizarsd but he was very special. He went outside everyday to use the bathroom. He didnt have to have a leash.
We had 2 other savs before him from the same source and the first one died in shipping and the second maybe a week and after we got him. Are Savannah's usually so unhealthy in captivity? Why did this happen to our poor baby? We spent so much time with him and tried everything. Does anyone know what could have caused such a tragedy for him to have been sick from the go? Looking back it seems like he was always living on borrowed time and somehow we kept him alive as long as we could not knowing of this problem.

you could be getting your Savannah's through a bad source. You could also have major husbandry flaws for them to die off like that.

Yours is the experience of thousands of keepers with poor husbandry info, unfortunately.

Since you provided no husbandry details, I am going to make an educated guess that those details are not that important in your story, for you.

Yet they are the most important details possible for the reptile. Most likely your monitor died from bad husbandry.

Get a copy of the Savannah Monitor book by Bennett and Ravi, available here on the classifieds, it contains up to date husbandry info and detail. It will put you on the right path to monitor success in the future.

Savs are very easy to keep, but you have to have the info to work with.

Best of luck in the future.
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robyn@proexotics.com

ShipYourReptiles.com
Pro Exotics Reptiles

The husbandry is the most important in any case. We did everything we knew and learned and changed it if we found a better source of info. Panik was in a 125 gallon tank and we were in the process of building a custom enclosure as I heard this was best. He had the right temps and all and daily soakings, uvb, cage cleanings and always had a great appetite. Everytime I turned around someone was changing what needed to be fed and we always did what we thought was right. Ever since the pinworm problem there was always something about him that I knew wan't right. I tried to feed him the right diet and give him excercise outside in the sun. It hurts my feelings that I tried my best to find all the right information and care for him with all of my time and love and it always goes back to not having the right information or doing things wrong. Is it possible that I did things right and he did have something wrong with him that just couldnt be avoided or fixed? We had him for a year and a half surely for him to survive that long we had to be doing something right.I hope I do not sound rude I just am upset over his death.
How do I find the book you are speaking of because I am always interested in learning what needs to be known on monitor care so I can do the best. My boyfriend thought it best to get an Asian Water Monitor, I was just not ready because of the sadness of the loss of Panik, I am sure we can provide and care for it if I can just get the right info on care. Everyone on the internet and in pet stores thinks they are right but they all say different things to do. I am very interested in this book but am new to the forums so dont really know my way around. I do appreciate your help and advice.

It would be easier to attempt to address your problem if you could attach some pictures of his setup. You still did not include hardly ANY details of husbandry. All you told us was that he had "right temps and all and daily soakings, uvb, cage cleanings and always had a great appetite"

"Where can I find this book?"

You can go the top of this webpage and click on the 'Classifieds' tab and then go to 'Books'. The title is 'The Savannah Monitor Lizard' by Daniel Bennett and Ravi. You can also find this at Pro Exotics webpage as well, just do a simple search. This book is available at most pet stores. It's one of the most updated pieces of literature on monitors in print (there is still outdated information, but it will definitely point you in the right direction).

"Is it possible that I did things right and he did have something wrong with him that just couldnt be avoided or fixed?"

Sure, it's possible. Probable? eh..

He could have been severely dehydrated, as I've seen several monitors in stores die from dehydration in tanks. Tanks aren't really suited for monitors unless they are 1) modified and 2) the lizard is very young.

"He had the right temps and all"

How do you know this? How did you accurately test the gradient temperature and the basking surface temps? Temperatures are the most important thing and Robyn@Proexotics will surely tell you the same thing. You have to be honest about his captive conditions if you want honest answers about why he died.

"My boyfriend thought it best to get an Asian Water Monitor"

That would be a big (7 maybe 8ft) mistake if you can't get a Savannah to survive in captivity. Savannah's are wild animals too, don't forget that. Asian Water monitors require a HUGE amount of support - much more than a Savannah. Yeah they are small and 'cute' when they are babies but those cute little babies grow into huge 7ft monsters. They grow extremely fast and their diet alone is expensive enough and what goes in must come out the other end. Their poop is like that of a horse. Don't let your BF talk you into buying a Water monitor off of impulse. It's part of being a responsible herpo owner. It's impulse buys like those that will be the death nell for all monitor keepers if it doesn't stop.

Good luck!

The book is available here on the classifieds, use the tab at the top of the page, or check it out directly on our site. The book by Bennett and Ravi is the ONLY Sav book I recommend. The others are not just bad, they are horrible, and have terrible husbandry recommendations. Terrible too are many of the Savannah articles in Reptiles magazine. Use the Bennett book as the basis and reference point for other "suggestions" or caresheets.

Keeping it "hot" and soaking everyday are not details of good husbandry, unfortunately. Temp requirements are fairly specific, and soaking everyday would be silly and detrimental.

Living for a year and a half is about right. That is about the time it takes for systemic failure from poor husbandry. Poor health compounds and compounds over time, and then the body/system just collapses.

Don't worry about fault, it is too late for that, worry about knowledge for the future, so you can have a positive experience, and give a monitor a long healthy life. Tens of thousands of baby Savs are sold each year, 95% of those die within the first two years from these same issues. Ignorance of proper husbandry, unfortunately it is very common. Pet stores are clueless, aside from how to take your money, and even good Vets are about medicine, not captive husbandry.

Check out the book, the husbandry applies across all monitor species, and it is an excellent place to start for your next reptile.

Best of luck!
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robyn@proexotics.com

ShipYourReptiles.com
Pro Exotics Reptiles

>>The book is available here on the classifieds, use the tab at the top of the page, or check it out directly on our site. The book by Bennett and Ravi is the ONLY Sav book I recommend. The others are not just bad, they are horrible, and have terrible husbandry recommendations. Terrible too are many of the Savannah articles in Reptiles magazine. Use the Bennett book as the basis and reference point for other "suggestions" or caresheets.
>>
>>Keeping it "hot" and soaking everyday are not details of good husbandry, unfortunately. Temp requirements are fairly specific, and soaking everyday would be silly and detrimental.
>>
>>Living for a year and a half is about right. That is about the time it takes for systemic failure from poor husbandry. Poor health compounds and compounds over time, and then the body/system just collapses.
>>
>>Don't worry about fault, it is too late for that, worry about knowledge for the future, so you can have a positive experience, and give a monitor a long healthy life. Tens of thousands of baby Savs are sold each year, 95% of those die within the first two years from these same issues. Ignorance of proper husbandry, unfortunately it is very common. Pet stores are clueless, aside from how to take your money, and even good Vets are about medicine, not captive husbandry.
>>
>>Check out the book, the husbandry applies across all monitor species, and it is an excellent place to start for your next reptile.
>>
>>Best of luck!
>>-----
>>robyn@proexotics.com
>>
>>ShipYourReptiles.com
>>Pro Exotics Reptiles
>>
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Heinrich,
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
www.amazontreeboa.org

Sorry for your loss, the reason our friendly sav is so popular is their built to survive & it takes a long time for them to give in to death.Bennett's book is well worth reading. good practical advice the rest you learn from asking questions on forums like this one.

Good luck.

well not so sure!

I have been trying very hard to establish those new colorfull imports from TOGO? this past year, but I failed repeatedly regardless of my experience. I must have lost 12 so far, probably all from the dealers 3 shipments are dead?

will try them again soon.

Hello Jobi,
I too have lost a small group of those. They are beautiful. Best to you- Mike