as I said, in a more recent thread, I think that the problems Corrupt is having with his/her monitor, is based on two parts, that I can see..
1. improper basking temps..95F is not a sufficient basking temp for any monitor. Without proper temps, an animal cannot digest properly, or maintain a rapid metabolic rate..
2. being that they only got this sav a week ago, and it is very skinny, I would suspect it to be a freshly imported individual, or an animal who was in hospitable conditions prior to the acquisition. Nevertheless, the animal is severely dehydrated. Most people think, that when they see a skinny, emaciated, monitor, they see a hungry animal.. This is not the case.. It is siimply dehydration.. The conditions in which the animal was kept prior to you recieving it, was probably what did it...whether it be the exporter's facilities, or the importer/distributor which it came from(initially). I would worry right now, about getting the animal rehydrated, and make sure that it is drinking on its own, before you even consider feeding it. Without proper internal body moisture, the animal is not going to be able to carry out normal events properly, such as digestion...
When I recieve freshly imported, WC tree monitors, they are 99% of the time, skinny as hell; all skin and bones... With them, I do not worry about feeding them for at least a week, sometimes several weeks, as it is getting them hydrated which is important.. Reptiles can go much longer than you think without food, when compared to us mammals... a week or two shouldn't hurt the animal at all. I think forcefeeding, or overfeeding in this transitional period will ultimately lead to the animal's death.
One of the responibilities you take on when getting a WC monitor, is that you must 'nurse' it back to healthy condition, as most wc animals are in rough shape upon the customer recieving them. Unfortunately, most people do not have the knowldege, or have common sense to see that their animals are dehydrated, instead, they see them as starving, which in most cases, is the absolute wrong diagnosis...
I would do something with your cage situation..if you are going to use the aquarium, instead of having a screen top, use plexiglass, or some other impenetrable material, to help prevent moisture from escaping... Try spraying him several days, to encourage it to start drinking on its own.. If that doesn't work, try warm baths, of about 95F water temps, but be careful, only give him baths for a couple of minutes, as water temps cool down quickly...Many people(i am guilty of doing this in the past), let them sit for hours, where the water temps, drop down to room temperature(which is too cold for a monitor), which can harm your animal.. Sometimes, while soaking, the animal reluctantly begins to start drinking..everything usually falls into place after he starts drinking on its own..
I would also refrain from handling now..Regardless of what you want to believe, handling a freshly wild caught animal is indeed stressful...Stress Reptiles = weakened immunological system= sickness= death....
Like i said FEEDING IS THE LEAST OF YOUR WORRIES RIGHT NOW. Get him drinking, and fix the basking temperatures, and he will come around nicely...that is if he isn't too far gone... from the sounds of your post, he seems gravely ill... I would also encourage you to adjust your other savanah's husbandry, as if you are keeping them in the same fashion, they most certainly are not living healthy lives....
Cheers, and I hope you can make some sense of what i have posted. This is the protocol that I use to acclimate tree monitors, which in my opinion, are significanlty more difficult to acclimate than boscs...Not to mention how sensitive even healthy ones can be to neglect/mistakes...
Take care, have a wonderful day, and best of luck to you..If he does not come around for you, I would recommend visiting a vet, for rehydration injections... but please, cool it with the feedings....for now at least...get him hydrated...
bob
The Odatriad
