Savannah Monitor help questions.

[Kais]

I have a Savannah monitor that's about 2 feet long. Got it back in early December, it was supposed to be some alligator in someone's garage that ended being a Savannah Monitor, decided to keep it because it can't be re released. That said I know nothing of it's past or nothing, it could have been loose for months. Well the lizard is skinny compared to images online, it has eaten crickets, worms etc. etc. it has eaten some crickets on it's own but only a max of 10 at one time before (which is the most he's eaten of anything), besides that I have to make it open its mouth thinking it's gonna bite me to feed it. I did a bit of research and thought of parasites and got some word guard powder and started last week but idk if it's doing anything. Well now the lizard has come to a point where it isn't even threatened by me (still runs) that it doesn't opens it mouth anymore, just sticks it's tongue out and runs if sat down.

So any help here? Is he supposed to eat 70 crickets a day I saw somewhere else? Or is 10 a good amount because I can't really get him to eat more because he just ignores my hand now and doesn't care, I have to get someone else to get him to open his mouth because I guess he's only used to me.

 

[Zyn]

This is a Tegu forum but try

That’s a lot of crickets move to small rats or mice. How big is he? Because like Tegus they get largs

 

[Kais]

This is a Tegu forum but try

That’s a lot of crickets move to small rats or mice. How big is he? Because like Tegus they get largs

It's about 17 inches long, and I have gave it a couple of pinky mice before and fish pieces.
Also sorry about that forum but apparently the domain for a monitor forum is banned or something like that and I saw this through Google with a Savannah monitor post, maybe a different part of the forum? All I could see was Tegu and nothing monitor so I'm not sure where that particular post was made. I know comparing the two is like comparing alligators to crocs, very different, but they are of the same species so I thought tegu would be better than a snake or turtle forum.

 

[JoshD]

10 crickets at a sitting is ok but Savannah's are notoriously good feeders so if it's not feeding voraciously I would start by making sure it has a warm enough basking area which is critical for digestion. At one end of the enclosure place a hot flood light above a flat rock or piece of tile for retaining heat. A basking temp of 125 deg is not to hot as long as it has a place to retreat as well. If you have a local source for quail the eggs & chicks are an excellent, cheap source of nutrition for your monitor. You can mix up the bug diet with super worms & dubia roaches.
Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Big Red]

A Savannah monitor that size should be eating at least full grown mice. Not knowing his history and you want to keep him I suggest , if you haven't done so, is check for external parasites, ie. mites, ticks,etc. They can suck the blood out of any reptile making them listless, lethargic sick. I'd also take it to a reptile vet and do some lab work. Put him in a heated enclosure with a basking heat lamp, leave him alone and see how he reacts after a couple of days.

 

[Kais]

It has the basking spot and sometimes I hold it out in the sun so that is not the problem. It wants to swallow the food I give it, but now I am having to pry its mouth open to feed it. Due to this method I can feed it anything now, It may not like it but It just wants to sleep almost all day so it has to be feed.
Also no eternal parasites. And I know of no vet around me, its all livestock vets, and the petsmart that is nearby knows nothing about them.

 

[JoshD]

If you have no access to a vet I would step up the size of your heat bulb, they really need a "Hot Spot" & in my experience underheating or overfeeding are the most common mistakes made with Savannah's. Try offering a variety of different items, live & prepared (ground turkey, egg or even wet cat food as a starter). First invest in a heat gun (can be ordered on amazon for less than $20), keep increasing the heat & assist feeding & maybe it will resume feeding.

 

[Kais]

If you have no access to a vet I would step up the size of your heat bulb, they really need a "Hot Spot" & in my experience underheating or overfeeding are the most common mistakes made with Savannah's. Try offering a variety of different items, live & prepared (ground turkey, egg or even wet cat food as a starter). First invest in a heat gun (can be ordered on amazon for less than $20), keep increasing the heat & assist feeding & maybe it will resume feeding.

It currently has livestock quality heat lamp for heat and a UV light as well, which I think sometimes it can only stay so long or goes under halfway because it's plenty of heat. Also I already own a radiation temp gun before this so I am already equipped with it. I gave it some weird lizard food from the pet store, It didn't eat it all, idk if it even ate any or just knocked it over.

Also new discovery it gets all aggressive like it used again when I take it outside

 

[JoshD]

These are all very good things! The fact that its regulating it's temp is excellent & odds are it was knocked over in the feeding process. Aggressiveness is also a very good sign when it comes to Savannah's. Keep up the good work!
Not sure if your enclosure includes any kind of substrate but they very much enjoy a deep layer as they will spend much of their day digging around. I like to throw super worms, beetles & grubs in for them to dig for.

 

[Kais]

These are all very good things! The fact that its regulating it's temp is excellent & odds are it was knocked over in the feeding process. Aggressiveness is also a very good sign when it comes to Savannah's. Keep up the good work!
Not sure if your enclosure includes any kind of substrate but they very much enjoy a deep layer as they will spend much of their day digging around. I like to throw super worms, beetles & grubs in for them to dig for.

Right now it's in a cage that was used to raise baby chickens, it used to be a large dog kennel, I got it a large tray with dirt and made it a little hole it can get in instead of the PVC pipes if it wants. I already have the stuff to build it enclosure thanks to a nearby construction job, but didn't want to build to yet in case the lizard dies or something, essentially making sure it will be fine for a while before making a large enclosure.