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Savannah monitor diet
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by OphiophagusDude on July 17, 2009
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Sorry to keep asking so many questions but I need to know what your savannah monitor eats if you have one
and how much it eats.
Thank you so much.
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RE: Savannah monitor diet
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by BobH on July 17, 2009
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They were featured several years ago in Reptiles magazine. In the wild a very large percentage of their diet is invertebrates. If you really want to keep it healthy, I would suggest trying to duplicate this with cricket and roaches and maybe a few superworms. The easiest but not healthiest thing is to feed them rodents but in general these are too easy to digest and have a fat content that is much higher than what they have evolved to eat. Hope this helps. I am not sure how much to feed since I don't know how big yours is? They probably should be fed about what they can eat a couple of times a week.
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RE: Savannah monitor diet
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by OphiophagusDude on July 17, 2009
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I do not have one yet I am doing research before I decide to get one. Is there any advice you want to give me? Anything helps.
Thanks
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RE: Savannah monitor diet
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by Existential on July 17, 2009
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I had a sav for a while.. they're interesting, for sure, but can become a handful. If you want a 'tame' one, you've got to put in the hours and effort handling it everyday.
As far as feeding, mine ate about every three days. I liked to give her a varied diet, and she would eat anything I offered. I would give her a nice mound of freeze dried crickets, dusted with calcium powder. Then the next meal, she would have chicken gizzard and hearts (with vitamins), on occasion she would get a nice rat, and even rarer, a boiled egg (she absolutely loved this, though). Bugs are great, too, because they get some exercise chasing them - roaches are one of the best feeders. She was healthy, but had a problem around strangers.. she would flip out if a new person came to watch her eat (I took her out of the cage to feed sometimes). They have a strong bite, powerful tail, and sharp claws!
She also loved a good soak. It wasn't uncommon to find her in her big water dish. I'd take her for a nice swim in the bathtub, too.
All in all, savs are smart animals, and a lot of fun to work with. They do need a lot of room, though, and mainly people let their monitors run free, with an easy accessible spot to bask. If you're in a nice climate, an outside pen is a great idea, too.
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RE: Savannah monitor diet
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by Agkistrodoncomplex on July 18, 2009
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yes, you need to research the animal extensively, there are several websites that have good care sheets for them, just google savannah monitor care. also there are some good books that are available that can tell you all you need to know, savs can be a handful so do your research first.
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RE: Savannah monitor diet
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by Rob_Carmichael on July 18, 2009
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A few important tips for keeping savannas healthy:
1) Enclosure: too many people keep them in enclosures that are too small. Minimum cage should be at least 8 feet x 4' x x 4' with a DEEP layer of dirt/sand/gravel mix for digging.
2) HEAT: They need HEAT: basking area should reach 125 deg F with a cool end of around 80 - night temps can drop to low to mid 70's. I prefer Power Sun bulbs but there are many good models - you want one that has good levels of UVA/UVB
3) DIET: Insects should be a staple (various cockroaches, crickets, super worms, etc.). Occasional rodents and quail which they will relish (perhaps 1 or 2x a week but feed in limited amounts). We'll even throw a little catfish chunks in their diet. We sprinkle some RepCal/Herptivite on the insects twice a week. These lizards need to EAT but they need to ahve large enclosures so they can exercise.
That's the short version but will get you going in the right direction.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center
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