Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I fed my savannah a catipillar and the collard green leaf fell in and he went after it and tried to kill it like it was a rat pup or a cricket.. He broke it down to a little piece and kept on eating it. He ate like three little pieces. I have never even fed my monitor a catipillar but just fed one to do it...... Have you guys ever heard of a monitor eating vegtables,, i thought they were carnivores..... please post.>>>>....joe

They have too short of an intestine to digest and benefit from vegies or fruits.

Whats the deal with these questions? I thought we were still on the atkins plan. Now everyone wants their monitors vegitarian!

To do something they think is wrong. If someone else does it, it must be good, type thing and then Ill feel better about doing it.
Its less expensive to order rodents, crickets, and roaches than to feed them people, dog, cat, fish, ferret, hamster, or "wabbit" food.
Unless they think "iguana/ monitor after all they are both lizards, arent they".

Savs and albigs do indeed eat leafy plants and they seem to digest them without a problem, not like dogfood.

This person accidently dropped some in the cage and the monitor ate it. Now is asking if its a problem. No its not a problem. I would not make it a large part of their diet, but who knows how much is good or when how much becomes bad. For all we know, it may be an important part of their diet.

So please put your guns back in leather. Frank

actually, you probably have very little to worry about. As long as you continue to offer your monitor a predominantly whole food diet (ie rodents, insects, etc.. depending upon the age/size of monitor), it will be a relatively healthy critter.

Monitors as a whole are said to be pretty hardy animals, and unless the collard greens you're holding are sprayed with DDt or something, you should be just fine...

Hi,
It is not a blasted iguana, but an obligate insectivore...why would you want to feed it greens? For Vitamin A?

Keep it on bugs and more bugs...I liked your comment, "Southern Savannah" - thats funny.

cheers,
markb