Reptile & Amphibian Forums

...I have a lil question/doubt bout one thing....Can i feed my 19-20 inches BT a lil mouse (between fuzzy and adult) everyday, or should i continue the "leave a day space"...?
Cheers,
Sheri
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2.2.0 RES (Bowser, Angela, Leo, April)
1.0.0 V. Albigularis (Godzilla)
1.0.0 Z. Quadrilineatus (Yago)
1.0.0 Python Regius (Kaa)
1.0.0 Cat (Garfield)

feed him daily, feed him twice a day, feed him three times a day, four times a day etc. or you can feed once every other day, or once every three days.

The human is the supplier of the food. They eat when you decide to throw in food not when they are hungry want to eat or decide to eat. Now ask yourself is that the way it should be??

...not so sure, maybe a mouse everyday is too much hair for a lil body like his?
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2.2.0 RES (Bowser, Angela, Leo, April)
1.0.0 V. Albigularis (Godzilla)
1.0.0 Z. Quadrilineatus (Yago)
1.0.0 Python Regius (Kaa)
1.0.0 Cat (Garfield)

young man, I posted feeding info from varanus.net in a post right before yours.

ONE MORE TIME:
http://www.varanus.net/faq/

now...here is my question...if I feed my 10 inch asian water monitor 2 tiny mice each day, will he be 3 feet by christmas?

there are no exact answers. He or she will be what they will be and what they can be. if it is 3 foot then it is 3 foot but it may be 2 foot or 4 foot or more. Noone can tell you what it will be.

Until what is to be happens it is nothing except what it may become.

If you have problems with hair check your husbandry. If you just simply have a problem with thinking hair is a problem. Then feed pinkies, or hairless mice if you see fit.

Don't think of your monitor as a baby mammal (human) it is not. It is very alien in comparison and should be treated and thought only of as a reptile. You may need to research what it means to be a reptile (cold blooded). Then you may understand more about your question and its answer.

Monitors are just like many other reptiles in many ways. They do all the same things, only hotter and faster. However, unlike many other reptiles, when given the opportunity young monitors can and do eat two, three times a day, that is, eating a full stomach each time. They have very effective digestive systems when they have access to proper heat.

I think what JP means by "Should Be" is should you feed your monitor when you fell like it or when it should be fed. Your schedule or his?

Ok thaks everyone...now i got it
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2.2.0 RES (Bowser, Angela, Leo, April)
1.0.0 V. Albigularis (Godzilla)
1.0.0 Z. Quadrilineatus (Yago)
1.0.0 Python Regius (Kaa)
1.0.0 Cat (Garfield)

And this is important to understand. You got you should not think in terms of a set schedule. But you don't get how your monitor wants/needs to be fed, that is a very complicated thing to understand and I don't believe any of us really fully understand that.

The point is, you now get, its something else, but please don't think you know what that is.

Reptiles have many controls for hunger and use of food, they control some, and we control some. That is not counting the food itself. If you do not not provide the right conditions, we will never understand how they work. Good luck in learning, its a start, FR

What would be some tell tale signs that your monitor wants to eat(outside of him rushing to the front of the cage, madly flickering his tongue, because its not thursday, the day that is on you calender to "feed monitor lizard"??

Does he raise his left or right brow ridge at you? Seriously, what are some good ways to read hunger signs in varanus? Maybe give some examples of observations from your own animals?

That you very much

Of course it means they are hungry. Feed them

Why don't you try something just for giggles, feed one until it will not eat anymore. then see how often it will eat. Keep doing it. Not forever mind you, just a week or two.

You may learn that they are a bit like you. If your only fed a tablespoon per meal, you will act totally different then if allow to eat what you want.

Now, to understand the use of calories is another story. In most cases, monitors getting fat is not about to many calories consumed. Its more about the conditions that restrict the use of calories. So they are stored as fat.

Also, humans, think of everything on a schedule or regular basis. Monitors do not, they think in terms of availibility. Food is not always availible to them, they are designed to comsume all they can find, They use up a temporary resource, then conserve energy, when food is not availible. We for some reason cannot think like that.

What it means in captivity is, feed lots when its needed and do not feed at all when its not. How simple is that? What? you can't not feed them for a few weeks? why? they do that all the time in nature.

I used to work at a local zoo, then the director hired me to give a report on the Herp dept. So I did. One of the things I found out was, they had a feeding schedule, they fed every other monday. I passed out. What the heck does that have to do with a living animal??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????etc. FR

"What it means in captivity is, feed lots when its needed and do not feed at all when its not. How simple is that? What? you can't not feed them for a few weeks? why? they do that all the time in nature."

Hahaha... I can just hear the "experts" go off on this one. "You would let him eat his fill and then let him go off feed for a FEW WEEKS!?"

"To top it off, you DONT USE UV!?"

Sorry, had to throw that one in there too.