Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey I have two flavi crosses one of them has not eaten in like 3 days that I know getting skiny but not to a point where it is scrawny just babies here one eats more than the other cant be husbandry because if one is eating like hell then the other one should be too? Is the other one just submissive or what im kinda worried, I posted before and I am still giving them time to adjust Im just posting again for precautionary reasons should I take it to the vet ? OR ride it out it seems very active still so I don't think its anything internal.....

any thoughts

Just because the husbandry works for one doesnt mean it will for the other. They are not robots right? They are living things which means they are different from one another not off from some assembly line.

If it is being subbmisive to the point of not eating then seperate them until it eats then return it. Try different things don't just sit back and see if it works it out. Sometimes you have to help them along.

I figured that much Jody I think when I said that the husbandry works blah blah rumble I made was not accurate I meant to say if the husbandry seems correct according to most others are doing shouldnt they both be doing ok ? I think I am going to separate them for a bit see how that turns out have you had an experience like this before?

Do you care to share the results you had by separating them? I have housed single monitors before but never faced a dilemma like this with a pair of flavi crosses I guess its a big difference between hosuing some ackies and housing some crosses. I am in the process of building them a bigger enclosure 6 long by 3 wide by 4 tall I think the 30 L repatarium might be a casue of this too.

thanks for the insight jody as others have mentioned to just let them get over it by themselves

Happy Holidays

Listen to Jody, what he says is very accurate. It will not bother them to seperate them.

Remember, as I have said many times, its all about making decisions(you have to make them).

So far, you say things like, I thought of that, well, thinking and doing are two different things.

Lastly, you simply should not judge your husbandry by what others are doing. You judge it, by what your monitors are doing, PERIOD. It simply does not make any sense when you see a dead montior in a cage and say, so and so said.

It does bother me when I see someone jumping from forum to forum, and pet shop to pet shop, taking everyones advice. None of that is going to help. You have two monitors in a cage, you think one is dominating the other(stressing) The only way to know that, is to seperate them in exact same setups and see it what happens. If the shy one does better, then your assumption may be right.

There are many unknowns, first of all, sexes, they know what they are and you don't. If they are both the same sex, that may cause stress, or even if one is female. Females can be shy and sensitive compared to males. You only task at this time is to make sure they grow up. Then you will recieve some of these answers.

Because you ask these questions, means you do not understand how stressed an individual can go before its too late. With that in mind, seperate them now. F

Pet shop to Pet shop? Quite Frankly what I stated about the pet shop to petshop did not have anything to do with my crosses. I only stated that information on the forums simply for discussion reasons where more KNOWLEDGABLE PEOPLE can comment on certain things individuals say in other places. If it bothers you that much that post it then ask me not to post it and I will do that, but from my understanding Mr. Retes these forums are about understanding as best as you can getting a little help on the way from those individuals who have more knowledge and experience such as yourself and other folks. I am not on here trying to bother people and ask a bunch of stupid questions. There is no such things as stupid questions is what I was taught. Forgive me for trying to understand what I can do to help make the experience for my monitors a better one I am new to this and I can understand you having impatience for newbies because you have dealt with so many in the past I am not trying to be a burden on this forum or on yours I am simply trying to be in a community of people that own varanids and that share their experiences their trials and tribulations their successess and their failures.

I am just trying to understand. I see that one is eating more than the other but the other is still very active( the one that is not eating) when I first got them from you it was the other way around the one that is not eating was eating more. There is no aggression between the two in terms of biting etc... I took the steps to getting more hiding places and covered the screen mesh cage with foil. I see him lunge at cricks but when he misses he gets discouraged to go after it again. Again not signs of over aggression from my inexperienced eyes, but I dont know what this might mean to you Mr. Retes because you have dealt with most twists and turns thats why I ask for opinions.

happy holidays

This is exactly the point, no one said a darn thing about you bothering anyone or not asking, only you are thinking that. What we have said and are saying is 'seperate" them. You can ask anything you want.

You must understand, we/I are not there, we/I do not see the individuals and we/I cannot make any decisions based on your observations. I/we have no idea what your seeing.

It will not harm them to seperate them, thats all we/I can recomend. The point is, you have to do it.

The problem with newbies is, if tomorrow one of your monitors dies, you will say, someone should have told me what to do. Well, we did and before the monitor died.

It seems your trying to figure out advanced behavior, when in fact, you should be allowing the monitors to thrive. They thrive much easier in a cage by themselves. The reason is, you only have to understand the cage requirements. Once there's more then one monitor in a cage, you have to understand, not only the cage requirements, but behavior as well. Get control of one, then try to understand the other. F

Good points Frank that I will not disagree with. But, I never said that I was getting on anyone's nerves if thats the way it came out I apologize. What I wanted to say without writing an essay was I did not want to get on people's nerves asking newbie questions they probably have answered many times. I went ahead and did everything I thought would change this dilemma I think it might work here.

The more aggressive eating monitor was placed in a rubbermaid tub with the lid. A hole was cut out matching the diameter of the heat lamp. This will enable the humidity etc... to stay in the tank rather than having it escape if I was to clamp the light.

The monitor with difficulty eating I left in the reptarium cage with the foil still all over the the screen top except for the hole I cut out again matching the diameter of the heat lamp.

I think this will do the trick ......my question Frank would be in your opinion does the rubber maid hold the humidity etc.... better than the job I did on the rubbermaid container.

thanks and happy holidays

correction does the rubber maid do the better job than the screen cage sorry in your experience. IT is just temporary I am in the process of building them an enclosure much like Ian's.

thanks and happy holidays

Again, I have no answer, its not the type of cage its what it does. You can make glass tanks to work or rubbermaids or cattle troughts, or even a trashcan. The key is how you make it work. The properties are the same.

I have and use glass tanks, have since 91, and rubbermaid type tanks, adjusted to raise monitors. I use many many kinds of cages.

Personally glass tanks with home made lids are great. I like the monitors to have the ability to see out. Something to pass their day. With the rubbermaid types, I do put plexi fronts so they can see out.

My own personal feeling about all monitors is, they like to be in a safe place with the ability to see large areas. As long as they have the ability to hide if they want, they will not stress. Its only if they do not have an ability to hide that causes stress. F

Yeah well to an extent it should work. But you always have to be ready to cater to them. if it works for one that is fine. If not for the other then change until he or she is satisfied as well. Thats part of keeping them. You will continue to adjust things. I do it all the time to meet the needs of my monitors.

Well sometimes they just don't get over there spats. Whether it be too small of a enclosure to get away, or not enough basking sites, hides, etc.. If housing together it is just little spats they typically work it out. But if it gets to were one is so stressed it stops eating. Well thats when I change things. If not it could lead to a death. You may not need to seperate them for a long time. I raised a pair of dumerils together. They were fine for 2 years. All of a sudden the male is so dominant she cannot eat. So I seperate them during feedings so I know she is getting what she needs. If she was stressed or picked on all the time i would of seperated them more prolonged.

I have also raised babies and had them pick on each other. If this happens I change to cater to them. Sometimes you can let them get over it but other times you cannot. It is a judgement call that must be made on your part.

I wish you luck with them and Happy Holidays to you too.

I see what you are saying Jody thanks for the example.... Look I dont mean to be a burden on the site or whatever its just I am new to this here hobby in terms of having larger species I keep ackies like I mentioned and they do great. So I just want to make the most of it for them and myself learning. I know I have to do it myself which I am doing, but doesnt hearing other people's thoughts and experiences make for some enlightening things that may have never popped in your head that you can try and it work for you? I mean we are here to "share the wealth" as they say. Thanks for the responses jody

happy holidays

There is not much left to add to this other then what has been said already.

Please don't feel offended and think we/I do not like questions.
As Frank has stated it is just we cannot help to much. We are not there.

Feel free to ask questions by all means, all we ask is that you take in what we say before repetition of the question.

Good luck

Jody I will do that ......I dont think the questions were repeated, but if you guys thought they were then my bad for no really being clear. I went ahead and did everything I thought was right for the little fellas I put one in the rubber maid hole cut in to put the light on there working good so far. Then the one that was eating less I left in the glass tank and left it with the tin foil over the screen top to reduce heat escape etc.... hope this works

thanks jody for all your help

Just wondered cause you put something about it being in a glass tank with screen lid, but above to Frank you said reptarium which is a screen cage.

But you did the right thing seperating them, now watch them and see how they react. But from what i read it sounds like you need a new setup for them.

I have used rubbermaid tubs with modified tops they worked for my needs. Otherwise a 10 gal. or whatever tank works rearing little ones as well. I have never raised a monitor in a reptarium though. But my chameleons love them.

Sorry about that Jody I bought it at petco as a "reptarium", but really its a 20 long glass sided aquarium with a screen cage the other is in a 20 gallon rubbermaid I modified the tops to keep all the good stuff in like I mentioned the heat humidity etc.....

thanks Jody p.s. they are little guys for now lll keep you updated thanks for your help

Hope all works out for you with them.

I am sure they will come around for you.

I had to seperate one of mine, that was being stressed out by another in the group. The one I seperated wouldnt submit to the other or seem to work things out.I seperated it for a week and threw it back in and at first they were back to chasing each other around, but after a day or so they were comfortably basking and eating together, something they wouldnt do before.Even though they still hiss and puff ocassionally at each other, they seem comfortable around each other now. Not saying this will work for you just relaying my experience. Try changing things around if you want better results.

Thanks Rat it looks like this is the direction I am taking too separating them. I want them to be both eating and what not by the time I get their new enclosure done. Hopefully it will work out. The two little guys I have here are not going to that extreme like i mentioned one just eats the other one doesnt eat as much lunges at cricks but when it misses it gets discouraged to chase further its like hes losing self esteem ha ha ha ha like when youre playing little league and you strike out so many times that you dont even feel like swinging the bat anymore

happy holidays

Happy holidays to you to!
Pay close attention to what these guys above are telling you. They're pointing you in the right direction.

No Doubt I certainly will