Who has raised baby savanna monitors?

I just got Malika, a hatchling savanna, and at the shop, she was laid back and mellow ... now, after having her "own room" and good heat and light, she is a little spitfire - tail-lashing, hissing, puffing up ... extremely cute, but a little surprising!

I found a site online last evening, a very "serious" one, that advised not forcing interaction. They suggested just to go about taking care of the enclosure, and letting her get curious and approach on her own terms. They also said start feeding with tongs to get her used to thinking of you as "the good foodies person". Sound right?

Also, she has no interest in ANYTHING to eat besides her crickets - I have tried little roaches, waxworms, phoenix worms ... NADA!! No interest in chopped smelt or raw meat diet either ... just trying to offer her good variety in nutrition, but she's not having it!

So, with this information, I'd really like to know of any experiences others hav had, and would appreciate some feedback! BTW, she loves her cage - a 20 long, with several hides, basking spots and such.

Kathy

what site did you find??? lol

How big is your small one?

Most pet /reptile shops do not keep their monitors in 'proper' conditions because it makes them easier to sell. So they're kept in small cages with not enough heat. In turn that makes them appear 'tame' and really sweet. Only when properly set up do they start the exact behaviors you're talking about. Which for most varanids is 100% normal and may not get better with age.

I also agree with the 'hands off' form and in my experiences has proven extremely effective. Yes to most monitors under three foot humans are seen as predators. Never take a monitor out of it's hide or burrow. It's an invasion of privacy and trust. Tong feeding is VERY important as it's much safer then feeding by hand and yes is a trust builder.

For the feeding you can lightly dip a pinky mouse in egg and give that. That usually does the trick REALLY quickly. If you're brave enough you can also cut up a fuzzy mouse.

Here's my care sheet (most of it):

Housing requirements:

Enclosure: The best rule of thumb for this is you want at least 2 sq. foot of space for every one foot of adult monitor. That’s inside open cage space. From the top of the enclosure to the top of the substrate. A hatchling /juvenile can easily be housed in a 3’ long x 3’ deep x 3’ tall enclosure but that will not last long with proper care. Adults can and will take at least a 6’ long x 4’ deep x 4’ tall if not larger. You can build or buy a large enclosure.

Temperature: The cool side of the cage should be between 75° - 80° F, with ambient temperatures 85° to 90° F on the hot end with basking spots that reach 120° to 140° F. Night time temperatures can fall to normal room temperature but leave the heat mat on 24 /7.

Heat/Light: A warm basking spot should be provided for this monitor by radiant light. Racks of flood /spot lamps work well for this, plan on 3 to 4 lamps at 60 to 120 watts each. Adjust the height above the basking spot to reach the ideal temperature. Supplemental heat can be supplied by large, robust heat mats such as Kane Mats. The monitor should be able to rest its entire body on the mat. You will need a Helix or some other form of heat controller!!!!! You want the heat mat to reach 100°. Ultraviolet light is not necessary.

Substrate: Dirt provides the best substrate. It needs to be deep enough to allow the monitor to construct tunnels and burrows naturally. This provides not only security, but helps with regulating humidity and temperature. Go to places like Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick up non-chemically treated soil, sand, and peat moss. Mix the soil and peat moss (add water if needed) then add the sand slowly together until it clumps in your hand but doesn’t drip. Fill the monitor's cage to a depth of two or three feet. You can also get mulch (cypress) and use that instead of dirt but be sure to have humidity gages so that you can ensure proper humidity. You can buy a mister to spray if the cage with if it’s having a problem holding humidity. By using the mulch the cage will need to be sprayed everyday. You can also spray the top of the soil to ensure it doesn’t get to dry which can strip the cage of humidity and dry out the monitor.

Environment: Humidity levels should be about 65-70% for this species. Monitors become less active in the dry season; a dry cage coupled with readily available food will lead to obesity and health problems. Logs and sticks, particularly hollow logs, provide exercise and entertainment. All monitors climb so be sure to provide logs /branches that are thick enough to be used. A large cat litter pan can be used for providing water. Live /fake plants will quickly be destroyed by a curious and active monitor and can be toxic!!!! It’s advised to not use them. If you choose to use fake plants be sure to only buy plants purely designed for reptiles.

Diet: Adult monitors can be fed a staple diet of frozen-thawed mice, rats, sea food (whole fishes, shrimp, etc) and bunny kits every other day. Juvenile monitors can be raised on a diet of insects dusted with vitamin and mineral powder and appropriately sized rodents everyday or all the above chopped up to proper sizes.

Maintenance: Clean up feces and urates as soon as you notice them, inspect the cage at least once daily for cleanliness. Replace the water when it becomes soiled or dirty and scrub out the dish. The top substrate can dry out, but make sure it remains moist (not wet) underneath. Add a few buckets of water to the cage as necessary to keep the substrate slightly damp.


Hope all this helps.

Thanks, Christine!! I should have just e-mailed you to begin with - LOLOL!!!

The site I read everything I mentioned on, was savannamonitor.org - it was prettynegative on rodent feeding as a staple, too - check it out, let me know what you think.

She is such a cutie ... I really want her to like me!!

I know that site. I also know the owner /creator. While there are disagreements to the all rodent diet on the site it's truly geared toward a very new keeper who will not provide the proper husbandry these animals really require. So to keep it safe for the animal and healthy certain things have been placed on there. That may not make a lot of sense but it's the best explanation I can provide without going into some long winded detailing stories.

Liking you and trusting you will take time. Even at that I try to stress that it may not ever be 'tame' handleable or the like. I'm not saying they all turn into demons but some monitors just are not accepting of any form of human interaction. Just something I try to ensure a keeper is mindful of.

Are you looking for diet tips???