Baby Savannah monitor feeding?

[Hippo]

hello everyobody i bought a baby savannah monitor 2 weeks ago which is about 3months old the people i got him from would only feed him in his cage and since i dont feed my reptiles in there inclosure he has only eaten like 1-2 medium dusted crickets every 2 days since i got him. and when i its been three days since he last ate and he is getting skinny but he still drinks his water. is there any advice that i can have on d=feeding him properly? thanks id appreciate it

 

[BretF]

What is your substrate? If it's soil/sand or eco earth, you have no risk of feeding in the cage. I got a savannah 2 weeks ago too, and had the same exact problem!

 

[Hippo]

What is your substrate? If it's soil/sand or eco earth, you have no risk of feeding in the cage. I got a savannah 2 weeks ago too, and had the same exact problem!

i got him on ecoearth but he going to get him some top soil mixed with sand somtime next week. my risk is i dont want him to get cage agressive and think my hand is food. i had that problem with my bearded dragon and hes finally getting out of it. and since ive seen people and their savs eating in their cage i wouldnt like that.

 

[BretF]

I usually just put the crickets in the cage when he's in his hide or not paying attention, and also I am not 100% positive, but I have never really heard of a food aggressive savannah. A lot of people hand feed them, but i understand where you're coming from.

 

[LizardzRock]

If I were you I would not worry too much, but if things have progressed:

Are you giving it time to settle? I would not feed it in another enclosure or container(from my experience its a myth= they can pass most substrates with no problem as long as they are properly hydrated) but that is up to you and I am not going to tell you how to feed your herps. If you just got him/her they need time to settle and get use to the enclosure and you most of all. Plus if it is that young they do not like to be handled as hatchlings/babys, and going through 2 moves at such a young age is very stressful on your savvy(one from the previous owner and you, plus not to mention where it came from; quite a stressful first few months of life...). Stress leads to lethargy and severe apatite loss, and sometimes worse. If you are constantly moving them in and out of their enclosure, and possibly force handling them they are not going to want to eat because it is probably scared to death and it wont eat. I would advise keeping it on eco-earth like you are(try top soil/sand if you want), giving it space and time to acclimate(about 3-4 weeks) w/o trying to hold it(just be around it and talk to it), make sure your temps and humidity are not too high/low. Get the book called Savannah Monitors by Mark K. Bayless, it's a good read and very informative. I dont know what your temps are like, but they really should not be over 110-115 at basking spot and 85-95 for your thermal gradient, and your relative humidity should always be above 60, preferably 70 and above. Just because it is drinking water does not mean it is fully hydrated, they need to feel it and breathe it to fully be hydrated. They ingest substrate in the wild all the time and are fine, but only fine if they are properly hydrated. Mostly all savvys are imported and will hold their wild like instincts for their whole life in some ways. I would also collect it's 1st poop and bag and tag it with the date and time and bring it to a vet who knows reptiles, especially monitors. Through that they will let you know if it has any type of endo-parasite (worms). Usually if they do have parasites their poop is EXTRA stinky and it's not properly digested, i.e. cricket heads, legs, you get the picture. I'd check all these things twice and get that fecal exam done ASAP. That should be done regardless as soon as you get a new buddy especially if the genus/species is 95% imported, even if its a CBB, i'd advise doing it. Studies have been showing that CB/CBB habitats are more prone to parasites than wild simply due to the fact that most CB/CBB habitats are poorly cared for making them huge breeding grounds for for internal and external parasites, and in the wild they have them, but are able to regulate them and naturally rid of them in some cases. With that being said that is why it is very important to do good research on where your herp had come from, and how good of a breeder they might be if they are CB/CBB/farm hatched. I have had a couple savvys, and actually just got a new baby the other day as well. Hope this helps. Good luck to you and your savvy.

 

[james.w]

What is your enclosure setup? What are your temps, basking and cool side, and what is the humidity? Post some pics of the enclosure if possible.