Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I want my sav to feed live but I also want it to be tame. Does live feeding a Sav make it aggressive?

No, no and no.

Feeding live does not make them "aggressive"

They are Monitors, Monitors did not make it to the top of the food chain by playing nice.

The last thing on earth that you want is another one of those slow moving "Puppy dogs" like you see on youtube, they are all sick and dying.
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Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Thamnophis US
Savannah Monitors
Snakes and Lizards, It don't get any better....

Thank you. I agree 100%

Hi, feed which prey live? If you mean half grown or adult rodents, they can cause serious injuries, safer to feed f/t or f/k. No, feeding either way won`t make the monitor "tame", the secret to having a chance of that ever happening is (shhhh) TIME and PATIENCE, nothing else, no other way (that means working at the monitor`s pace, not yours).
The most important thing to do is to give the animal as much time as it needs to become fully acclimated to the enclosure, until that happens and it feels safe, no forced handling should take place (except obviously if there`s a genuine emergency).
You need to provide many hiding places throughout, especially around the feeding and basking areas.
Before we go any further, can you give details of the conditions you`ve got in place just now, and a few photos would be a help, too? Thanks!

When feedng live, you need to consider the health of your monitor. If its not healthy, then feed dead items.

If its very healthy, then you can feed live.

THis is a touchy subject. Folks somehow think we(people) are the only killers around. Monitors appear to take pride in killing prey, I would say "enjoy" but thats a bit anthropromorphic. hahahahahaha it all is.

Anyway, more accurately, the are expert in killing prey and in knowing what they can or cannot kill. Its their design and they are good at it.

But do not leave larger items that were not killed in the cage, if reptiles choose to not eat them, they do not kill them out of danger. And they cannot escape so, make sure larger items are not left in the cage.

In captivity, we tend to take everything away from "what makes them monitors" captive life is not exciting. Monitors may differ from other reptiles as they are very behavioral. They require behavioral stimulus. Feeding live, is just one of them. I gives them something to do.

Normally, a monitor either ignores prey items that are too large and pose a problem or make an attempt, then ignore it. If that occurs, remove the item.

Also, killing prey is an inhereted skill and a learned skill. So start with smaller items so the individual can practice its skill. Some species are pack hunters and several animals gang up to kill large prey. Which is also a learned and practiced skill.

The learned skill means, do not start with really large dangerous prey items, let the individuals practice their craft before that type of challange. Cheers

Very imformative, thank you. I'll be sure to consider that.

Thanks for your response. I haven't yet set up my enclosure. I'm going to purchase the monitor this week but before I did that I just wanted to research a few things. As far as the set up goes, a little advice on how to properly house a monitor will be very useful. I have done some research on it and feel pretty comfortable with what I have learned but I'm always open to suggestions.

Hi again, you really need to have the enclosure ready and running before you get the monitor, it takes a few days to get the conditions inside in place (temps, humidity, etc).
If you tell me/us exactly what you have now we can offer more advise.

Please have your enclosure complete and ready ahead of time.

Why improper housing kills monitors!- Quick link

Savannah Monitor Care - Quick link

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Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Thamnophis US
Savannah Monitors
Snakes and Lizards, It don't get any better....

I just picked up a 40 gallon breeder to house it for the first couple of months. I'm planning on going out today and buying some halogens, I already have the UVA bulb and ceramic heat lamp. I was planning on going with a mixture of sand or mulch and soil. I have two nice size hides, zoo med hygrometer, thermometers, water dish. One of my only concerns is that the breeder tank comes with a screen, how do I keep humidity high? Also I see most tank have the halogens inside the tank, how do I do that?

Hi again, I`m not sure how big a 40gallon fish tank is, but I`ll guess around 90cm (3feet) long, and maybe 45cm (18inches) high?
It will definitely only last a couple of months or so, they grow very quickly when properly supported. I think the easiest way to modify it is to place some thin plywood (even cardboard) around the outside on the back and sides, just taped around the top and bottom edges. That will offer both privacy and help insulate. You MUST cover the top with something solid, again plywood, sealed with several coats of WATER based polyurethane varnish (oil based takes much longer to cure), alternatively, use plexiglass, and make sure they are very firmly fixed in place. Best to have the heat/light on the inside of the lid.
I think if you put two 40 to 50w halogen (flood) bulbs and raise/lower them or the basking object `til you get the desired surface temp @ between approx 50 to 60c (120 to 140f) you won`t need any extra heating during the day. The only other temp you need to know is the coolest ambient (air) at approx 24c (75f). If the room/tank are exposed to relatively low temps during the night, below approx 21c (72f) you can use a ceramic heat emitter or infrared bulb (you can also leave the heating and lighting on 24/7 so long as there are cooler, darker places to hide). The more hiding places there are the better, also make sure there`s lots of cover throughout, especislly around the basking and feeding sites. Keep asking questions!

I just picked up a 40 gallon breeder to house it for the first couple of months. I'm planning on going out today and buying some halogens, I already have the UVA bulb and ceramic heat lamp. I was planning on going with a mixture of sand or mulch and soil. I have two nice size hides, zoo med hygrometer, thermometers, water dish. One of my only concerns is that the breeder tank comes with a screen, how do I keep humidity high? Also I see most tank have the halogens inside the tank, how do I do that?

Many thanks to Terry (MX Racer) for the photos.

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Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Thamnophis US
Savannah Monitors
Snakes and Lizards, It don't get any better....