Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I read that corn cobb bedding can cause impaction to monitors. I was wandering if any body can confirm this, or if they are currently using cobb with no problems. Also if their is other suitable bedding that is also asthetically pleasing. I was told alfalfa pellets are ok?

Thanks

What sort of monitor? I'd forget about aesthetics and concentrate on what is good for the monitor, in which case both corn cobs and alfalfa pellets are out.

Most monitors do best on dirt, leaf litter or a combination of two.

Looks are not a high priority. I have a baby savv. and am looking to purchase a black roughneck very soon. The only reason I said alfalfa, was that it was suggested in monitor book.

Whatever monitor book that is, I suggest you chuck it. Or, at very least, stop referring to it for husbandry advice. For a good, up to date book on savannah monitors, buy Daniel Bennett and Ravi Thakoordyal's book, The Savannah Monitor Lizard: The truth about Varanus exanthematicus.

Scroll down this forum, or do a search, and you'll also find information on proper substrates for those species. Savannah monitors do well on dirt that they can dig burrows in, but for best advice check out other people's posts, for I've never kept that species. The black roughneck will probably do well on leaf litter. Look for posts by Dragoon, as she breeds rudicollis and will be able to tell you what they do well on.

Definitely not corn cobs and alfalfa.

I use a aspen/cypress mulch/ dirt combo. It works really good and I'm only cleaning every 14-20 days since V. dumerilii like to defecate in the water.
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Greg Holland
G&M HERPS
www.imageevent.com/gmherps
gmherps@sbcglobal.net

If you don't mind my asking.... why mix aspen and cypress mulch in with dirt?