Do savvy monitors need UVB?!

[Diesel]

Someone told me that they did not? i beleive other wise? what does everyone on here think?!

 

[Strange_Evil]

Depending on the diet Your sav can thrive without uvb. Many long term sav owners have kept and raised them without uvb, but provided a healthy diet and proper basking temps.

Pro Exotics, one of the biggest breeders of monitor lizards, says that UVB is not required and even mentions savannah monitors: http://www.proexotics.com/care_savannah.html

 

[katoeLAZARO]

I don't use none on mine. But he does get good calcium for his bones. I put some vlcium powder on his food and give him two mice a week to get more calcium and I provide uvb light every now and then.

 

[Toby_H]

UVB does not "supply" calcium... it provides a chemical or a chemical reaction that produces Vitamin D which is used in metabolizing calcium...

So if they get lots of calcium but no Vit D, then they simply do not process the calcium and suffer calcium deficiencies...

This process is true in most animals, including human beings. If the animal has very low calcium needs or if the animal has other sources of Vit D, then they can thrive with little or no UVB.

I have seen a Sav Monitor with MVB. That same Sav is not stunted, but otherwise healthy basking daily under UVB. I've heard both sides of the arguement and I've seen them living both with and without. I'm convinced they do better with UVB...

 

[hoosier]

this has been a debate for quite a while between monitor keepers. some say yes, others say no with no one giving definitive evidence to prove their point one way or another. Im on the side that says yes because of natural vit D3 etc. they get it in the wild so why risk it just because they "may not" need it?

 

[Diesel]

I believe that given the proper diet, monitors can live perfectly healthy lives but can also benefit off of uvb as well. But if you dont have the best diet, then it would be a good idea to supply uvb for the monitor. Thanks guys .

 

[james.w]

I don't give my Sav or my Water monitor UVB.