Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is there a healthy looking s#it? Some times my waters crap looks like bird or just mush, some times it looks like a butterfly cacoon but of mouse hair.

Friend of mine who has 2 bearded dragons, and 2 geckos wants to get a monitor. He wants a water or a big monitor but cant with the space he has to build or me to build for him. He likes the tree monitors but the price and the fact they eat crickets and pinkis turns him off of it. He is looking for something that gets around 4 to 5ft. that eats mice and that he can handle or that is not known for there bad attitude. so if any 1 could toss out a few names or pics of what they could look into that would be great. thanx

PS. my guy just keeps eating ... and eating ... and eating ....

I would say a banded whitethroatmonitor,not the albigs from tanzania,they grow much larger than 5ft. And if 4ft is ok to,than maybe a big savannah monitor,look around at this site and you will find a lot of info! greetings, barry

Hi,
The Equatorial Tanzanian/S. Congo/Angolan V. albigularis grow the largest of any local population of V. albigularis. They are recorded at over 7 feet total length, with older reports of even larger examples - the southern populations do not attain such larger sizes as seasonal/food supply is not as abundant as in the Equatorial belt is...
mbayless

maybe...

Hi,
As silly as it sounds - there is a healthy looking sh$t - and that aint no sh$t Sherlock! haha... Depending on the diet the crap and water intake makes the crap what it is. Varanids do not digest rodent hair so it comes out the back door. If an animal has too much Urea buildup within it body it comes out (= white stuff w/feces). If it has ample water, excess water comes out. If it does not have enough water, the very dry chalky stuff comes out.

You are what you eat metaphor comes to mind. MD's of old Europe listened to your heart, checked your eyes and tongue and your bowel movements for illness (= George III of England =)- it is still a good indicator is some diseases for Mammals and Reptiles alike. There is a german paper on the excrement of V. salvator done 30 years ago or so about just this topic.

As you have noticed with your monitors feces, it differs according to food - and thats totally normal.
Good Luck,
mbayless

hi guys, to avoid misunderstanding,that "maybe..." was meant as a comment i gave with me trying to place a picture! greetings, barry