Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Two WC MTC Dumeril's monitors (Varanus dumerilii), 3' long, 85F amb, 120F bas, have not eaten since arriving a week and a half ago.

They have turned down live and dead mice, crickets, mealworms, and canned cat food.

Anyone have any idea why or for how long they will fast? Any recommendations for getting them to feed again?

MTC??

How many hides are in the cage? After jst arriving they need time to acclimate to the new setup. Are they housed together? Large tub of water? What is the cage like?

How have they been acting since arriving? do they hide, stay out and bask? are they scared of every movement?

What have you been doing? Handling them or letting them be? When feeding how long did you leave the food in with them?

if your husbandry is ok, ie. temps, hides, humidity, perhaps you can try offering them crayfish, as I have found pesky dumeril's to come around and start feeding on crayfish, and then slowly work them over to mice/rodents. It's worth a shot. I would worry about whether the animals are properly hydrated first, that may be the underlying cause to their "lack of appetite". Most wc monitors are severely dehydrated while in the possession of dealers/importers/retailers... they leave it to you to get them hydrated and healthy, as it usually means too much work and effort on their part, or, they simply do not understand the needs of the animals, and neglect to provide them with the proper temporary holding cage, until they're sold. Hope this helps.... make sure that the animal/s in question are drinking on their own, whether it be when you mist them, or from a bowl in the cage...

Cheers, have a good one,

bob
THe Odatriad

Thanks for your help, they were dehydrated when they first arrived, they both drank for a good 10 minutes when they were first unpacked and their weight has been increasing since they arrived despite not eating anything. They soak for hours in their tubs and can been seen drinking every now and then. Now I have to go track down some crayfish...