SAVANNAH MONITOR QUESTIONS?

Question

im going to buy one.
ive been researching a lot.
i have a good overveiw of proper care.
yahoo answers is my last line of research and im just using it to back up every thing ive found out so far.. here goes.

Proper day and night temps?

will feeding them in the cage make them SEVERLEY more agressive or slightly?

is it better for your monitor if they have a friend? * do they do better in pairs?*

do they NEED uvb light?

would a plexiglas tank be bad for them in any way? * mostly health-wise*

would at LEAST 1 hour of holding my monitor per day be enough to keep it social?



Any thing at all els you would like to tell me is GREATLY appreciated :) THANKS EVERY ONE!

Answer 1

Day temps should run 80-95, put in a gradient with a heat pad underneath and a heat lamp on one end of the tank to create a gradient. Night temps should drop roughly 10 degrees.



Feeding them in the cage won't make them more aggressive, just more prone to think you're food. If at all possible, feed in an alternate location, particularly when feeding anything meatier than crickets (mice etc).



Yes they NEED a full spectrum bulb. They won't properly metabolize calcium without it.



Plexiglass is ok but not great. It'll quickly get scratched up and the scratches can retain bacteria. It's not really recommended but can work for a limited time.



Your monitor will never be social, it's a solitary reptile. They just aren't social and never will be. He won't ever want for you to pick him up and play with you contrary to what some people want to think. 1 hour a day is plenty to keep him tolerant though.

Answer 2

Temperatures:

135-140F/ 57-60C Basking spot. I do mean a spot, as in on top of a basking shelf, or closest to the lamps.

85-90F/30-32C Air temps.

80F/26-27C Cool end.



Night:

72-80F/22-27C

Make sure you maintain a hotter end, using infra red, heat tape or what have you.



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Feeding in the cage does nothing to a reptiles temperament. Savannah's are more hands off animals than You Tube makes inexperienced keepers believe. A sav who is protective of cage space is most likely a very healthy sav ;)



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Savannah's are solitary animals, they do not do better in pairs. Just one sav needs a 4x8' adult enclosure, why would you want a pair either way? If you want monitor pairs (as well as a better beginner species) start looking at Ackie monitors. They're smaller, easier to deal with and can be housed in pair or trios.



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No, they don't need UV. Just make sure you dust your insects, add rodents into the diet for calcium and keep your basking spot where it should be so the sav can make good use of that food.



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A tank is bad for them to start with. You need a wooden built enclosure that is resistant to moisture and water and that can hold 2 feet deep of dirt. 2x4' for a baby or younger sav, 4x8' for an adult. The lid can be plexi, not the entire body of the tank. Believe it or not, savs make effective battle rams.



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Again, Savannah's are more hands off animals than You Tube makes inexperienced keepers believe. You shouldn't impose yourself on the monitor if it doesn't want to be handled, as it will start to associate you with bad things and that will be bad in the long run. A healthy sav will most likely not want to be handled to begin with. Your job as a monitor keeper is feed-clean and being a good slave overall. After your monitor gets used to you, you can offer food as bribing and it will decide when to come on its terms, not yours. Savs are not like beardies or skinks, they do better when you look and don't touch.



~ I'm starring this, in case Becky B or VARANID have something more insigthful to add.

Answer 3

Azure Child covered sav basics pretty good. ;~)



Be aware that most of the monitor husbandry info out there will kill a monitor if used long-term. There a few good sources, but most of what you see on YouTube and those 1 pg care sheets is not appropriate monitor care. Here are a couple of links to some good info ~



http://www.mampam.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=48&Itemid=60



http://forums.kingsnake.com/forum.php?catid=55



http://www.proexotics.com/FAQ2.html#lizard_monitorhousing



One question you left out was regarding diet. Whole prey food items only please. They don't need eggs, dog food, canned monitor diets, or any of the other junk regularly fed to monitors. Stick with rodents and bugs, maintain the proper temps and substrate so that the lizard can properly utilize it's food.



I'd like to touch on a couple of your questions, though Azure Child already answered them, because you can't hear (read) this enough.



~Feed in cage. Use tongs for rodents, release bugs for the sav to chase and catch.



~Yes, your basking temp needs to be that high for a sav to properly function.



~Solid enclosures. HUGE solid enclosures with two feet of good diggable substrate (dirt).



~At least 1 hour of forcing yourself on your monitor daily will not keep it social. I know that there are those out there who would disagree with me, "but look at the YouTube vids!!". Monitors do best when allowed to come to you on their terms and not forced to submit to your will. Holding them against their will causes major stress and can easily cause your sav to "give up" ~ they will have given up and submit to your whims, but can also give up in the rest of their captive life, going off food and what-not, because of the stress. Stress kills monitors. Be a GOOD monitor keeper and realize that a sav is a great display animal, not such a great pet. They will come to recognize you and will eventually come check you out while you are cleaning the enclosure, changing water, checking emps, etc. Definite signs your sav is stressed by forced handling ~~ hissing, puffing up, trying to tail whip or bite you every time you get near, regurgitating, projectile pooping.



Keep researching before you make your purchase. Monitors rank right up there with igs as a cheap lizard to buy that is often neglected/abused because they do require a huge enclosure, a lot of food and are not cuddly little buddies if kept right.

Answer 4

you bought some high-quality distinctive solutions right here so i visit basically provide you my speedy opinion. nicely i've got had 3 savannahs in my existence so a strategies. One I stored on my own and the different 2 I stored collectively. i did no longer observe a distinction. the only I stored collectively did no longer combat and the only I stored on my own did no longer look lonely so the two way it high-quality from my journey. As for temperament... Savannahs can get genuine recommend in the event that they are no longer held as a toddler with interaction from you. constantly feed him in a seperate field, do no longer feed him in his tank. this way he will savor being picked up via you reason he's familiar with he's approximately to get nutrients.

Answer 5

just go by what uv found out and if you wonna be 100% ring up your local reptlie shop and ask them

Answer 6

no need for me here....its all been covered