Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a savannah monitor about a foot and a half long so still a baby but im having a lot of trouble getting him to eat dead foods. He will eat anything living (crix, pinkies, etc.) but nothing living. The only dead stuff he has ever eaten is some white chicken breast meat that i got out of a piece of KFC chicken. We are having a hard time affording food for him because of his pickiness. Any ideas?
thnx tito

It depends on what you are offering as far as none living food , if it is money that is trying to be saved on food then you might try buying foods in frozen form such as mice , still it needs a more varied diet than this , canned cat foods works but still there are many other items to complete a balanced diet , the problem with funds will only increase as the monitor grows , possibly a savannah was not the best choice in monitors for you

don't feed it cat food.

get yourself some frozen mice. Don't feed your sav for two weeks, then hold a thawed mouse in a pair of tongs or forceps and move it rapidly in front of the monitor.

If it still refuses the mouse, don't feed it for another week and try again. If your monitor is healthy and in good condition, three weeks without food will not affect it.

The easiest answer to your question would be, "Because he does not want to." However I will also say, I did not know crickets and pinky mice cost more than KFC chicken? I would think crickets costs maybe 5 cents each - does KFC chicken cost less?
If your animals is eating live food, then feed live food.

Is it a matter of convenience you are really talking about? I think so...perhaps you need to re-evaluate your motives and future ability to be responsible for living WITH a varanid in your home, and take him back to petco, or maybe even KFC? They put alot of 'things' in their chicken FYI - and cut off the chicken beaks prior to killing as a matter of convenience for their processing....
good luck,
markb

ive got the varied diet down and everything. I'm not wanting more of a convienecnce. (KFC was the family dinner that night and i had been experiementing with foods to coax him). He is definitely a very healthy guy and ive tried the starvation thing with him. Oh and also my freezer is broken and we are trying to get it fixed. That is the only reason that i havent bought bulk feeders yet. THe real reason besides fund issues that I want to feed him dead stuff is safety for him though. Crix and stuff doesnt hurt now but surely a rat will in the future right?
Tito

Thats one of many big costs incurred normally with them. Caging is number one (proper caging that is), food is almost as high, vet bills are next for a healthy animal over years (a bad example may cost a fortune at the vets), heat. All of these must be able to be covered before you have the animal, not getting the animal then waiting to afford the rest, this is after all a living thing not a new toy. This is why a pet should NEVER be impulse bought. Nothing against you personally but this happens every day sometimes on this forum and others, research and ask questions for a long time, build your cage set it up, have the food ready in your feezer, then look for an animal, but you must be prepared at all times to afford the vet.

Rodents will not hurt your savanna monitor - I suggest you go pick up Daniel Bennett's book, "Savanna Monitor's" ASAP, and read it cover to cover. Savanna monitors eat mostly insects, centipedes etc in the wild and will, with moderation eat rodents too. Best to feed small meals daily than big meals weekly...I am still questioning your motives with food costs - maybe you should reconsider and return your lizard from whence it came??
Think about it...
good luck,
mbayless

Ive been on an emotional rollercostar with Hewey as you already know. He is dificating on average of once a week, even while being soaked daily and give his daily laxative dose. He had begun feeding on his own about 2 weeks ago. That was definitely a high time for me! However, since he had eaten that whole mouse (I think its been 10-11 days ago) he hasnt touched anymore food. Well, this afternoon I had him out on the livingroom floor for his daily exercise. I left to go get his bath ready, and when I came back he had his nose burried in my lunch! I left my plate on the floor, not even thinking that he would the slightest bit interested...boy was I wrong! Just yesterday, I was offering him food, and did he want it? NO! However he had no problem stealing my chicken thigh! Hahahah! I gave in and let him have a big chunk of it, being the pushover that I am! When he started nosing the popcorn, thats when I had to put my foot down! After all, it was my last bag!