Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Being as though younger monitors are known to have weaker digestive systems than adults, and adult monitors in a proper setup can digest its food in as little as 24 hours, i am curious as to how long it would take a juvenile/hatchling in a similar setup to digest a large meal? I ask this because i offered my 18"-20" water a 7 day old rat pup to see if it could consume it since it was readily eating 4 to 5/ 1 day old pups/per feeding (greedy little sucker isn't he/she). To my surprise, though a small struggle, it got it down its hatch and was looking for more and this was after having a cube of turkey diet and several crickets. I think if i let it, it would eat itself to death lol. Boy do they love food!
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Jaye- " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

As a hatchling most monitor can digest a larger meal (in relation to their size)in 24 hours or less (they seem to crap it out the next morning all of the time). They can warm up and cool down faster than their adult counterparts therefore allowing digestion to occur fast. As a hatchling the surface area of skin in relation to thickness is much higher so they are affected by temps much faster, as well they dehydrate faster because the thinner skin and larger openings in it (eyes, vent, etc) in relation to adults. I wouldnt say weaker digestive system at all, they are fully functional miniatures of their mother after all (reptiles in general).