New to Savannahs

Razaiel · #1 (**permalink**) 01-25-2006, 08:41 AM

Hi

I'm new to Savannahs (well haven't actually even got it yet) and new to this forum. Found this really active monitor forum by accident as I'm intending to get a BCI later this year.

Apart from a dog and a parrot we have had a beardie, now have 3 rankins and a ball python. We've got a baby Sav on reserve (CB) as my 18 year old daughter who works in a reptile department has always wanted one and has known some nice large ones. So I've decided to do my homework (I feel that if anything moves into my house I have a responsibility for it). I've seen how they act as babies (and read all about their crankiness on this forum

) so we know what we're letting ourselves in for LOL!

I just want to make sure I have everything right according to what I've read and what our reptile specialist says so please forgive what I can see coming up as a long post

Firstly, temps should be 80-85 cool end and 100 hot end with basking spot of 120.

Substrate should be soil (without additives etc) and newspaper, sand and repti-bark is a big no-no - although of course it's much easier to clean up newspaper and paper towels (would a large box in one corner with soil be acceptable?) or would this be OK until the Sav is an adult?

Hides - One thing that struck me as odd straight away is the guy said "no hides unless you want to keep providing new ones" (the baby savs had a plastic plant up the side of the tank they were perching in). Having a python I can't imagine life without a hide for any creature that is prone to stress. Python has two hides one at each end.

Handling - leave alone for a couple of weeks until he/she gets used to seeing us - then attempt to pick up and bring out for about 15 minutes handling time - and not letting go and giving up when bitten.

Well I guess I've exhaused my current list of questions but please thank you for having read this far and let me know what you think

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #2 (**permalink**) 01-25-2006, 02:27 PM

You seem to have the basics down. Do you have a good idea about how much they eat? My sav is only 16" and eats 2~4 fuzzy rats a day!!! Soil and sand mix works well and holds burrows.

Razaiel · #3 (**permalink**) 01-25-2006, 09:34 PM

Thanks Pork Chops, I posted under the feeding bit in another thread that seemed appropriate, but I wonder about the substrate - should I put critter onto soil/sand immediately or wait a while? Would a large box/plastic tub in one corner with soil be OK?

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #4 (**permalink**) 01-25-2006, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razaiel

Thanks Pork Chops, I posted under the feeding bit in another thread that seemed appropriate, but I wonder about the substrate - should I put critter onto soil/sand immediately or wait a while? Would a large box/plastic tub in one corner with soil be OK?

I would get her onto soil asap. With out soil, the sav can't get the proper exersize it needs and the paper as a supstrate doesn't let their legss develop as well as they really need to. I am having problems getting dirt here at the moment nor do I need any since she is on eco earth. She will be moved into a 8' by 4' with about 2-3' of real dirt soon I hope

Dachande · #5 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 12:16 AM

soil also gives them a hide.it allows them to make a burrow to their liking and keeps humidity up better than other substrates.
if it is less than a year old it should be fed everyday until it is big enough to accept adult mice.then you can feed every other day until it gets over the
2ft mark.after that i offer appropriate sized prey 3-4 times a week.make sure it gets a belly full at each feeding.
most of your supplies will come from lowes or home depot( dirt, lights, cage materials).especially if you order your rodents and insects online.you will hardly ever step into a pet store if using online purchased prey.

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #6 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 12:23 AM

Unless its to rob it to pay for your expenses!!! lol j/k I think I will order some hissers now. I can feed the young ones to the geckos.

Lucky Lep · #7 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 12:37 AM

i started bredding mice i have a sav and love him/her yoshi as i call it lol is kinda timid but nice once out for a little bit

Razaiel · #8 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 08:47 AM

Thank you!

Is that 2 - 3 FEET of soil?? That's deep - may sound like a silly question - but how do I stop all this soil falling out of the viv everytime I open the sliding doors? I guess I can somehow keep it all to the back of the viv and put some rocks or something in front ...

Unfortunately I live in the UK and we don't have Lowes stores here - not sure where I'll get the soil but it will probably be from our local garden centre but I need to make sure it's the right soil without the additives and crap in it.

Are Hissers cockroaches? My beardie used to love them

And it's nice to hear, Lucky Lep, that there are definitely some nice ones out there

How did you tame yours? Did you take him/her out every day for a certain period and keep him out till he stopped squirming? Did you ever get bit? LOL - sorry - lots of questions all in one sentence!!

Sue

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #9 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 01:10 PM

Most people don't use sliding dpprs when you need that mcuh soil. You will have to have a top opening cage for ana dult usually. You can use the dirt you would dig up in your back yard

Dachande · #10 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 05:41 PM

you will need to build an enclosure for your monitor.if it is small now a large aquarium can work, but it will outgrow the cage fast.so your best bet is really to build your own enclosure.
to start on a young one, 1ft of soil is good.but as it gets bigger you will need to add another foot.minimum is 2 ft for an adult savannah.PCNCB is making sure they have more than minimum with 3ft of soil.
you can still do an open front cage, but make sure your doors are above the 2-3ft mark so you can allow soil depth and not worry about it falling out.this also allows you to have a solid top with side ventilation.sidevents allow good air exchange without losing heat and humidity like screen tops do.
the best caresheets i know of are on repticzone.com.
there are people from all over and some of the UK folks in the forum could possibly tell you where the best soil is around there.but they are very uh, let's say particular.and they will tell you what they're thoughts are wether you like the answers or not.but they won't misinform you or lead you on with false info.
read the caresheets and try to get a copy of Daniel Bennets "the truth about varanus exanthematicus".it is the best source for info on savannahs and is more up to date on info concerning exanthematicus.i guess you could say it's a must have for savannah owners.

Lucky Lep · #11 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 10:14 PM

i would just take yoshi out everyday or everyother day and hold him. i would let him squirm if he wanted and after about 5-10 minutes he calms down i used a glove or some sort of cloth over my hand to get him out of the cage. here are some pictures of my cage maybe it will help you. these pics are about two weeks old now i have one solid sheet in the front, soil and the other side is cleaned and the lights on lol i had work on there but thats my yoshi it wont let me put pic sorry man

Razaiel · #12 (**permalink**) 01-29-2006, 02:47 PM

Thankyou - yes I am going to get that book - I'd heard before that was the one to get - it's currently on a 5-6 waiting list here on amazon.uk

so I'm thinking of getting it from amazon.com.

amercnwmn · #13 (**permalink**) 06-05-2006, 08:51 PM

Im digging up this thread because I have a question..Is it ok to keep the sav on the forest bedding? Im referring to the stuff that expands when it gets wet..
Right now I have a water bowl sunk in far enough he can get in and out easily. I have a branch, a hide log, and a basking spot. I plan on getting some nice flat rocks to stack so he can climb up and get warmer or cooler..

Anyways I was worried about the sav ingesting any of the dirt or forest bedding.

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #14 (**permalink**) 06-05-2006, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amercnwmn

Im digging up this thread because I have a question..Is it ok to keep the sav on the forest bedding? Im referring to the stuff that expands when it gets wet..
Right now I have a water bowl sunk in far enough he can get in and out easily. I have a branch, a hide log, and a basking spot. I plan on getting some nice flat rocks to stack so he can climb up and get warmer or cooler..
Anyways I was worried about the sav ingesting any of the dirt or forest bedding.

I like it more than dirt for a good reason. When you put dirt in the cage, the sav starts to get covered in it and T has had many skin problems since then. I owuld just use that instead. Its ok if they get a mouthful of the forrest bed every once in a while. Monitors in general have a very strong metabalism and they if they can pass 4-5 mice through worth of hair every few days, a mouthful of forrest bed won't hurt. The thing to be concerned about is if its a male, they let their hemipenis out when they poo so some gets stuck to that occasionally

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #15 (**permalink**) 06-05-2006, 08:57 PM

Oh ya, I also feed on a little plate so that they get very little in their mouths

amercnwmn · #16 (**permalink**) 06-05-2006, 09:02 PM

Quote:

The thing to be concerned about is if its a male, they let their hemipenis out when they poo so some gets stuck to that occasionally

yeaaah that will be when it becomes Ryan's pet again...lmao

Right now hes not real big, hes chunky though! He's about as big around as a quarter, and about 4" snout to vent or 6-7" overall. Hes a lil voracious eater. I tried to give him meal worms, and hes wasnt the least bit interested, but today I tossed in the crickets and hes still eating them!
Maybe I should have got more!
I know you were using roaches..what kind and where did you get them? I have the Water dragons, the beardie, the Tarantula (which I dont know about eating roaches) but it might be in my better interest to go that way.

amercnwmn · #17 (**permalink**) 06-05-2006, 09:03 PM

Is he about ready to go to pinkies yet? How can you tell?

amercnwmn · #18 (**permalink**) 06-05-2006, 09:10 PM

9 million more questions..Do they walk funny? Or is mine hurt? LOL
He sort of ambles along almost like a limp, but not all the time..I thought it might also be the substrate. At the shows you cant very well let them down to see how they walk or whatnot..So its sort of hard to thoroughly examine your animals..He didnt seem to have any problems going after the crickets though

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #19 (**permalink**) 06-05-2006, 09:18 PM

I use blatta lateralis. They are slightly bigger than a cricket and babies are smaller than pinhead crickets. They are very profolic breeders and I have had 2 egg casing hatch now. Most people use lobster roaches for beardies and savs because of their medium/large size. The can climb glass so you need some vasaline at the top in liuke a 3" strip to hold them back from escaping. Just type in feeder roaches and that should give you a good start. Just dust his crickets almost every time you feed him. I would try and get some non climbing roaches though. I had crickets breeding in my sav cage so many times before. Thats why I now dish feed the geckos because the crickets were breeding in her humid hide full of forest bed. I'll answer some more questions when I get back in 45 minutes!!

amercnwmn · #20 (**permalink**) 06-05-2006, 09:24 PM

Thanks Pork..Ill come up with a few more questions and post some pics of him in a minute

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