Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I made a big mistake yesterday. I had added a front opening door to my monitor cage. Apparently it wasn't monitor proof. One of the monitors got out. I found him under a bookshelf several feet away and put him back. I thought it fixed the door, but i guess not. Because that night i noticed that both of them were gone. After and hour of searching i found the larger one sleeping under a shoe in my closet. The small one is no where to be found. They had 3, maybe 4 hours alone. How far will a 10 inch sav move in that time, with the lights on? And how can i lure it back? Will they go down stairs? and if it happens to die before i find it, will it smell? Thanks

My monitor does go up and down stairs if hes hungry maybe leave some meat baby food out in a room to get an idea to were he is or yfind him eating it the only way to lure him out i would suppose is by food.

Sorry i couldnt help any more
Sean Jordan

From my limited exerience, I have had an escapee found clawing at the windows.

It is somewhere close to the cage. Check tight places monitor like snakes seem to prefer squeezing into tight places out of direct sight. lookbehind the cage b/w the wall
& dresser anywhere tight. It can go down the stairs w/ the help of gravity but is not large enough to climb back up again. You don't have a door to close the room off? If you do close it. Hopefully you don't have any holes. 12 yrs. ago when I got my 1st varanid (a niloticus) it got into the wall but I found him basking in the window a wk. later I left water out for it plus I saw feces left were he was at but I couldn't get him. Trying baiting him w/ food & test the enclosure door before you leave barricade it if need be.

Some places they like to go are; behind the fridge/washer/dryer, under the fireplace(in my experiences), in the couches, and pretty much any small dark crevice. If this is so, he may remain hidden for a few days, and re-amurge to look for food. Just make sure he cant get outside, and youll find him in no time. No need to stress
Rgrds,
Michelle

One of my monitors escaped one day, and all I had to do was to play some Barry Manilow softly over my cd player...Low and behold! He showed up later that night. Strangely, he was wearing a top hat, and smoking something green and leafy... I also noticed he had a strange swagger to his walk... Must have gotten into daddies Jack Daniels. Good luck! And never underestimate the soft sounds of pappa manilow.

mamma

my savs always hide in the base board heating. its a poain inthe neck becuase its all over the house.