Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have raised many Bearded Dragons, Rainbow Boas and Iguanas. I really want to move on to a Savanah Monitor, but I can't really find specific info on them. I tried a search but theres just not good SPECIFIC info. Here are a few questions hopefully experienced keepers can help with. Or point me in the direction of a GOOD caresheet.

1) I have a 4' Neodesha, how long before I move up to a custom built cage?

2) I know crickets and worms are a staple for them, but other than mice is there any other meat source that can replace mice?(ie...raw or cooked meat?) How about those monitor bites?

3) How often to give vitamin supplements?

Any other tips and hints would be much appreciated.

Monitors are nothing like beardies or any other kind of lizard. They are modern day dinosaurs.
"1) I have a 4' Neodesha, how long before I move up to a custom built cage?" I'm not sure what a Neodesha cage is but yes a custom will be needed. You shouldn't start a hatchling in less than 55 gallon. An adult should be housed in a enclosure 6'x3'x3' or larger.

"2) I know crickets and worms are a staple for them, but other than mice is there any other meat source that can replace mice?ie...raw or cooked meat?) How about those monitor bites?" Whole prey items should be fed. Chicks, Rats/Mice, Roaches, crayfish/fish etc. Bugs do not sustain a full grown monitor. Monitors get all their vitamins & nutrients from every part of the food item. Protiens, calcium, and others are all provided in the bones, and body parts of the animals they eat.

"3) How often to give vitamin supplements?" A monitor fed on a whole prey item diet doesn't extra suppliments. You can actually make the monitor very sick by giving them too many vitamins.

Also buy this book and read it over. http://mampam.50megs.com/bok/index.htm
This is the best book for Bosc monitors out there. Savs are not a good first time monitor either. Read up on them as much as possible. If you can't provide even the three answers I gave above, my suggestion to you is for your sake and the monitors, don't get one. Savs are a 15 year commitment at least. They require a lot of food, time, space and money. Money is the biggest factor for most people. Second is space/time. One Bosc could cost you $1200 or more per year in food. Can you give that? They also require everyday care for at least one hour per day for cage cleaning, feeding, watering, etc. That is 365 hours (at least) per year. Can you give that? If you answered no. Don't get one.
I hope I have answered some of your questions. Keep researching! It's good for you and your potential future pet.
Best of Luck,
Christine

>>I have raised many Bearded Dragons, Rainbow Boas and Iguanas. I really want to move on to a Savanah Monitor, but I can't really find specific info on them. I tried a search but theres just not good SPECIFIC info. Here are a few questions hopefully experienced keepers can help with. Or point me in the direction of a GOOD caresheet.

A good place to start would be proexotics.com/ check their caresheets for Blackthroats(same basic needs as Savannahs)

>>1) I have a 4' Neodesha, how long before I move up to a custom built cage?

I would think it depends on how fast your monitor grows, but usually around 6 to 7 months old is a good time to have one ready.

>>2) I know crickets and worms are a staple for them, but other than mice is there any other meat source that can replace mice?(ie...raw or cooked meat?) How about those monitor bites?

In my oppinion your staple should include mice( whole prey items are best) and as far as other meats like ground turkey and the like, they can be supplemented and added to the diet but should never be used as a staple. As far as bites they do have very powerful jaws and as adults can rip thru tissue and skin with ease and possibly even break the bone in a finger if it wanted but in my experience with them most have been reluctant to bite would rather hiss or tail whip when aggitated.

>>3) How often to give vitamin supplements?

From what i have been told by more experienced individuals like FR and others about supplements like vitamins and such is that they should always be kept on hand and used as needed. Basically if you're feeding whole items such as mice, quail, chicks, etc. you should have no need for such things since monitors get their calcium and vitamins from them. On the otherhand if you're feeding crickets as a staple to a hatchling, i would supplement them every other day.

>>Any other tips and hints would be much appreciated.

They are one of the more docile monitors on the market in my oppinion. They enjoy having a large water dish that they can soak in, a burrowable substrate(i.e. dirt), an ambient temp between 80f-85f and basking surface of 130f- 145f. They also like to explore when healthy and not over fed, so i'd suggest adding lots of hides thru out the enclosure with different temp options. They should be fed every day the first year and then cut down to twice a week thereafter. These guys are always hungry no matter how much you feed so be careful not to over feed since they can quickly become obese in captivity. I would also reccomend a 7 to 8 foot enclosure or larger when building your final home for it.

If you have any more questions please feel free to ask.
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James Grigsby - " 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)

Monitorman and built4spd13 have great advise for you about savannahs,i have 4 and all are dog tame except one and it took a lot of work to get them that way ,if you decide to get a savannah just remember take your time with them and respect them and they will turn out to be a nice monitor for you ,i love mine to death and would not trade them for the world.there are a lot of good people on here that can help you with your monitor questions.

hey.

you should definately listen to the advice you've been given in response to this post, its all a true story.
i just wanna add one thing to all of it though, in regards to the topic of monitors becoming tame:

it does take time, and it takes a good amount of effort as well to tame any monitor, but what you have to watch out for is that: if your monitor is starting to seem more docile to you make sure of the fact that it is actually becoming tame and not obese. when monitors have a full stomach they tend to be considerably more calm... therefore, if your monitor always has a full stomach then what you may interperate as a tame lizard, might actually be a lethargic monitor instead, and this is def. not a good thing as obesity is (i believe) pretty much the #1 cause in circumstances leading to monitor death.

goodluck in all things.