Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I raised monitors about 5 years ago and I am starting to get back into it. For younger monitors I used to use a Ground Raw Turkey, Beef Liver, and 1 teaspoon of Cod Liver Oil for a nice mixture 3 times a week, 3 times a week roache/cricket coated in mineral-all, 1 time a week a mouse/rat. Is this still about the standard? the turkey,liver, cod oil mix seemed to grow them up so nice and the cod oil helps with their skin shedding flawless and have a nice shimmery feel.

Thoughts on the Turkey, Liver, Cod Oil mixture would be appreciated.
thanks

You're likely to get a lot of back and fourth on this question.

But my opinion is whole foods (crickets, mice, etc.) are better. They provide roughage which helps clean out the intestines of the animal. Processed foods (turkey diet) do not.

That being said, I'm not a vet or a nutritionist, and could be wrong.

But it made sense to me when FR explained it that way many years ago, so I stick to whole foods. Once a blue moon I've been know to feed turkey or eggs.

That being said, I don't think the other stuff will harm a varanid unless that is all you feed it every day. I used to feed turkey diet regularly and I know others have as well and it caused no harm, likely because whole food items were fed regularly as well.

Hi Colin, hows it going?

Someone mentioned my name, hahahahahahahha

now that you did, I will add. whole foods such as rodents are the BEST. anything else is not better. But as you said, it may cause no harm if done correctly.

With rodents, you do not have to worry about correctly.

Also as mentioned you can feed other whole foods too, If you want.

Results are what a diet is measured by, and in my experience, our best results have come from rodents on medium and larger varanids, and insects with the smaller varanids.

The person who posted this question mentioned a standard, A standard for what? is my question, to keep a monitor alive for a few years. Well on offense, thats not a very lofty standard.

A standard diet should support normal growth to reproductive size, average reproductive results, for an average natural lifespan.

If thats the case, then a rodent diet is the gold standard that has achieved superior results. Thanks

I'm good Frank. I'm living in San Diego now, maybe I can come pay you a visit?

How have you been? How are the Argus?

A whole prey diet is superior and is the standard for successful husbandry with varanids.

At least by results and results include, growth, reproduction and longevity.

For instance, you stated, you kept monitors five years ago and your starting over. That means you did not keep monitors for any time at all, not considering how ling they live.

Also you only mention shedding as something good. Not growth, or reproduction, which are the test of a diet. Not shedding.

Lastly, five years ago, whole prey items were the standard for successful monitors.

But like Colin said, if you get it right and include rodents and other whole food times, it will not hurt them, it just slows them down. And if thats what you want, then go for it. As far as I can tell, turkey is best at making a stinky cage.

The truth is, its your choice, its your animals. How about testing your turkey diet with one and rodents with another and see what happens.

Well 5 years ago I got sick and was not able to care for my monitors anymore and had to rehome them. I am well now and starting to study up on monitor care and such again. Would you reccomend just starting baby monitor out on pinky mice and skip the crickets? I don't like the whole cricket thing because if the monitor won't tong feed at the start the crickets end up staying in the cage with him and the ones that are not consumed can nibble on the tail and such when the monitor is sleeping.

Before anyone can recomend something, you really need to say what your thinking about getting, it does make a difference.

Also, the advantage of crickets is you can leave them in the cage and small or young monitors can feed when ever they want.

i have raised thousands of baby varanids of many many species and I have never had a cricket naw on a tail or anywhere else.

I have kept and bred some of the very smallest species and they never had a problem either.

Before I can recomend a diet, the species would be helpful.

Also I do not understand the A to Z thing. I mostly feed mice to larger species, rats rabbits too. But I have nothing against tossing a road killed anything, once in a while, or oddball insects. It can be fun.

My friend gave his ackies palo verde beatles and those things are nasty big, We had fun watching and the monitors seem to have fun killing that nasty bug.

The key is, BASE diet. And the details of the diet are also based on your goals, expectations, caging, and of course species.

I was thinking water monitor or a black throat monitor. Leaning towards the water monitor because I love their sleek look, but also have love for the black throats bulky look It will be a baby though, I just remember actally seeing crickets nawing on the tail of a baby monitor back in the day. I was able to get that monitor to feed off tongs though so it wasn't a problem. I thought leaving crickets in a cage was a no no, but I guess I was wrong.

You should have no issues with crickets attacking your monitor as long as you provide proper caging and care. I have baby ackies which are smaller then anoles pounding mid sized crickets all day long and still have all their toes, tail, and other body parts.

Dubia roaches are a great alternative to crickets. First off the breed very easily without much smell. Well really any smell, the only smell I have got is from unconsumed food. Next you have a large variety of sizes. You can feed the small when young, then adults when older. From what I have heard an adult dubia = about 10 crickets. Another great thing about them is you can put them in a bowl. Since they cannot climb slick walls, they cannot get out of a deeper food bowl. This way you dont have to worry so much about them getting out in the cage or house. You may already know about these, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

I have never had a problem with crickets nibbling on toes or tails (though I dont have a ton of experience either), my problem has been the chirping at night driving me mad.