CB Savannah monitor

[xxxjustinxxx]

im thinking of getting a C.B. savannah monitor, she's about 3 feet and her name is cloE . do you guys have any advice for me ? i've done extensive research and i feel lik i can handle it all the way, but are their hands on tips that you guys have ?

[blkcrochunter]

I have a sav, and he cost way more than my boa or bp. I have found a reliable source of rats from a pet store who breeds them and freezes them. So right now my sav is about 2ft from head to tail, and I spend at least $10.00 a week feeding him. He eats about four rat weanlings in one sitting. Since I gave him my gold tegu last year for free he gives me good deals on feeder rats vs. the other pet store I go to sometimes. My boa eats every two weeks, I give hime a f/t 4lb rabbit for $10.00. My bp eats 1 rat weanling a week for $ 1.50. So keeping a sav is more expensive than a snake, so if you can afford it go for it. The thing I like about the sav is he has more personality than the snakes do. He is almost like a puppy of kitten as far as interacting with people. I almost forgot the sav will need alot of space also.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

[Itachi]

Don't be fooled though by ppl saying Savs are like dogs and such. Monitors have different personalitys and thats why you have mean, nasty Savs and then your "tame" Savs. I say "tame" for a reason because in all actuality, all monitors are wild animals, just like a wolf, bear, etc They are not domistacated and do not love you back such as a cat or dog. They will poop, scratch, bite, and burn a hole through your wallet. They also require alot of time and energy. Since you are looking into an adult, the problem of upsizing the cage every few months wont be a problem, but I will warn you about the so called "C.B. Savs".....alot of them are advertised as CB or FH, but are still wild caught. Me personally, i'd rather start out with a baby because thats one of the most rewarding experiances of keeping monitors is watching them grow and seeing their personalitys bubble out of them.

But anyways, good luck which ever you choose.

	Captive Born Captive Born

[lethargiic]

didnt we go thru this before in another thread??

[ST'77]

Originally Posted by lethargiic

didnt we go thru this before in another thread??

It's Savannah season again we will go thru it a few more times I bet.

[lethargiic]

Originally Posted by ST'77

It's Savannah season again we will go thru it a few more times I bet.

oh joy!

ok so here's my smaller faster explanation on savs..

1. u'll have either tame or not tame savs..each one is different.
2. they require lots of attentive care and husbandry requirements are rather difficult to maintain on a constant basis.
3. they are gluttonous pigs, savs are known to died from OBESITY. DO NOT OVER FEED AND DO NOT FEED LIVE! one meal a week..no more no less. at 3 feet she should be getting 1 small rat or 2-3 rat pups.
4. They are a pain to own but are rewarding at the same time.
5. They need tons of space so be prepared to dish out a 6' x 2' by whatever height enclosure.

[slayer{ed2}]

If i were you i would start out with a baby sav so you know more about what your doing and getting into. They can be very testy and agresive animals. I would even suggest a different type of monitor for starting off with. But either way good luck and have a nice day!!

[Richard]

I agree with what lethergic said. Except you will need a bigger cage then that when its full grown. You will need a 8' X 4' X 4' high. And 2 feet of soil for bedding cuz they need to burrow. They need tons of care. You buy it cuz you think you got it under control but then you start thinking different. I bought mine cuz it was cheap, small, and I THOUGHT it would be easy to take care of. But now I realize the cheapest part was him. You need to spend tons of money to keep them healthy and happy. And they need lots of attention so they stay tame.

[TheOtherAndy]

I hope I don't across as harping endlessly on this, but it's a very important point.

Obese monitors aren't usually the result of overfeeding, but the result of the monitor *not being able to metabolize it's food properly*. Think of people. Some people have slow metabolisms, and thus will gain weight on the exact same amount of calories someone with a high metabolism eats without gaining weight. A monitor's metabolism is dependent on the basking temperatures it has access to. With a proper environment, you cannot overfeed a young monitor (first two years) for all intents and purposes. All of that food will be put to growth. In the wild it is critical for monitors to be able to grow up as quickly as possible, and they are very well adapted to do this. If your monitor is obese, cutting its food intake will help, but 9 times out of 10 the real problem is thermoregulation. Not letting the monitor use its metabolism efficiently will open you up to all sorts of problems besides obesity as well.

[xxxjustinxxx]

im totally sure i kno enough info on savnannah monitors i work with them every day. i already kno about obesedisidy and stuff lik that, so i mean im preetty sure i can handle it i was just wanting to know if anyone had any useful tips.

[blkcrochunter]

Justin, if you get one get a baby so it can grow with you. As for handling it, use your own descretion.

[Richard]

Tips:
1. Be prepared to go broke.
2. Be prepared to spend most of your time handling and caring for your monitor.
3. Be prepared for your moniotrs cage to take up almost one whole room (because you need a huge cage for a full frown monitor)
4. Dont get mad at the constant noise of chirping crickets
5. Get used to cleaning and changing water all the time
Other than that, thats about all you need to know....including what everyone else said.

[blkcrochunter]

Your right about that, those crickets drove me crazy for months.