Key Food Groups: | Whole Prey: Vertebrate prey is a source of protein forsavannah monitors, but is consumed slightly less than insects in the wild. However, in captivity whole prey is the most important food group for savannah monitors.This is because whole prey items include organ meat and bones which as essential for providing vitamins and minerals. Frogs are their exclusive source of vertebrate prey and consist of 40% of the wild savannah monitor diet by weight (Losos and Greene 1988). Other studies have indicated that frogs are the only vertebrate prey but only consist of 5% of preyitems (Bennett 2000). It is important to note that these counts were by prey item not by weight. If 5% of prey items consumed were frogs, this would account for a much larger portion of the diet by weight.Ideally, this diet would be mimicked in captivity by feeding whole captive-raised frogs to the savannah monitor as an exclusive vertebrate source. However, this simply isn't a practical feeding solution for most keepers. It is also important to note that wild frogs can often be infected with parasites and should never be fed to reptiles. Frogs are extremely lean compared to mammals. This indicates that the savannah monitor's liver is not adapted to handle a large portion of fat in the diet. Whole prey such as day-old chicks are recommended over mice and rats because of their lower fatcontent. Whole, lean, freshwater fish are also a good food choice for savannah monitors. The carp, goldfish and minnow family should be excluded due to highthiaminase content, whichunfortunately are the most common feeder fish available. Whole sunfish and perch are themost practical options to feed whole, lean, freshwater fish, but may need to be wild caught as they are difficult to find in stores. Rainbow trout are higher in fatcontent, but are often available as whole fish in grocery stores. All of this information is not to say that mice and rats should never be fed to a savannah monitor. Many healthy animals have had these food items as a large portion of their diet. It is simply important to be aware of the limitations of these food items. If feeding a mice or rat heavy diet, balance it out with lean foods. Lean White Meat: Lean meat is crucial to balance out the inherent fat content of whole prey items. Even day-old chicks have 2-4x the fat content of a frog. In order to prevent fatty liver and obesity in the savannah monitor it is wise to add a lean meat source such as commercially raised frog legs, chicken breast, turkey breast (ground turkey is too high in fat content) or even walleye and pike. Lean white meat source should only be a small supplement to whole prey items and consist of less than 1/3 of vertebrate foods. Insects: Insects are the main food source for savannah monitors. Most commerciallyraised insects are deficient in several nutrients, including calcium,thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin A and vitamin E. It is necessary to feedthe insects a high calcium and vitamin A diet before feeding to your savannah monitor.Gut loading is much more effective than dusting insects.The insects fed should also be low in fat content. About 70% of the insects a savannah monitor eats in the wild are in the grasshopper/cricket family(Losos and Greene 1988). This wascorroborated by Bennett (2000) whocould that 85% of all prey items were in the grasshopper/cricket family. It is also interesting to note that juvenile savannah monitors share a burrow with the giant cricket and feed heavily on this species (Bennett "Observations" 2000). Savannah monitors, however, do not need crickets/grasshoppers as an exclusive insect source, even in the wild. Studies of other savannah monitor populations have found that their primary prey items are in the beetle family (Cisse 1972). Scorpions, moths/butterflies and snails also are natural prey items for the savannah monitor (Losos and Green 1988 and Bennett 2000). This indicates that in captivity these animals are highly adaptable to any insect prey item. Ideal insects include crickets, grasshoppers, roaches, hornworms and soldier flylarva (reptiworms). Insects that should be fed more sparingly due totheir fat content include mealworms , superworms and waxworms. Check outthe nutritional analysis of some common feeder insects. Insects' Diet- Gut Loading: Gut loading insects is critical for all savannah monitors because so much of their diet comes from insects. The food for gut loading should be 20% calcium, 50% greens, 10% vitamin/mineral supplement and 20% vegetables, by weight.This diet should be fed to the insects for at least 48 hours. This allows the body to absorb nutrients such as vitamin A. Calcium is not well consumed by insects, so in addition to feeding this gut load diet, insects should be dusted with a calcium powder. -Calcium (20% of gut loading diet): A calcium supplement should be purchased separately from a vitamin and mineralsupplement.Almost all feeder insects are deficient in calcium and calcium is required more than any othermineral in reptiles. The calcium supplement fed to insects should include vitamin D3 to ensure that the insects can process the calcium. The calciumrecommendations for gut loading are based on the Finke (2003) study that recommends 3-9% elemental calcium in a gut loading diet, depending on the insect species. Calcium carbonate (the most common calcium supplement) is 40% elemental calcium, thus 20% calcium supplement is needed in the diet. Thisrecommendation is also backed up by Finke et al. (2005), which showed that 15% calcium carbonate supplementation to the gut loading diet increased the calcium content of small crickets from 0.2% to 1.1% calcium.Considering that the 20% calcium supplement amount is by weight, it actually won't appear to be as much calcium as you would expect. It is highly recommended you weigh out the ingredients in your gut loading diet. Due to palatability issues with simply adding a calcium powder to a gut load diet of fresh vegetables, insects should also be dusted with a calcium powder before feeding. It is unlikely that insects will consume enough calcium in a home-made gut load diet. -Vitamin/Mineral Supplement (10% of gut loading diet): A vitamin and mineral supplement is essential when feeding insects to ensure no nutrients are missing, however there is quite avariety of supplements on the market. When looking for a supplement fora healthy gut loading plan, as outlined here, there are a few keynutrients one should consider. Most insects are low inmagnesium, iron, iodine and vitamin E. Make sure your supplement provides thesenutrients as well as ample amounts of B vitamins. Often iodide isprovided using kelp as an ingredient.Vitamin A is also a nutrient commonly lacking from commercially raised insects. A vitamin and mineral supplement can be used to help increasethe vitamin A content of a gut loading diet, but if fed the correct vegetables in the gut loading diet, this is not required. Greens (50% of gut loading diet): Greens provide moisture, bulk and vitamins to a gut loading diet. Greens generally can be divided intothree categories, staple, occasional rare and never foods. To make agreen an every day green it must be rich in nutrients like calcium,low in phosphorus and low in anti-nutrients like oxalates andgoitrogens. Occasional greens are rich in nutrients, but contain toohigh a level of oxalates or goitrogens to be feed every day. Raregreens have very high oxalates and goitrogens. They should be avoided.Never greens have high phosphorus, low calcium and sometimes have highoxalates. Staple greens are escarole, endive, alfalfa and dandelion greens. Occasional greens are bok choy, collard greens, mustard greens, turnipgreens, watercress Rare greens are kale, dark lettuces, parsley, swiss chard, spinach Never greens are iceburg lettuce, cabbage Vegetables (20% of gut loading diet): Vegetables are critically important for gut loading as a source of beta-carotene, which is processed by the insects into retinol, a form of vitamin A that savannah monitors can use. Good vegetables areoften bright in color and not too high in oxalates and phosphorus.Sometimes the healthiestfoodsare also the strangest, such as pricklypear leafs and hibiscus flowers. Some of the best vegetables include acorn squash, butternut squash,bell peppers, prickly pear leafs, hibiscus, common button mushroom, okra, andpumpkin. Other good vegetables include asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts,carrot, green beans, snap peas, tomato, yellow squash and cucumber. Check outthe nutritional analysis of vegetables. Sources: Bennett, Daniel. Observations on Bosc's Monitor Lizard (Varanus exanthematicus) in the Wild. Bulletin of Chicago Herpetological Society. 35(8):177-180 (2000). Bennett, Daniel. Preliminary Data on the Diet of Juvenile Varanus exanthematicus (Sauria: Varanidae) in the Costal Plain of Ghana. Herpetological Journal. 10 75-76 (2000). Cisse, M. (1972). L' Alimentation des Varanies au Senegal. Bull. L'inst. Fondam. Afr. Noire. Ser. 39 503-513 (1972). Finke, Mark D. Gut Loading to Enhance the Nutrient Content of Insets as Food for Reptiles: A Mathematical Approach. Zoo Biology. 22(2):147-162 (2003). Finke, Mark D., Shari U, Dunham and Christabel A. Kwabi, Evaluation of Four Dry Commercial Gut Loading Products for Improving the Calcium Content of Crickets, Acheta domestics. Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery. 15(1) 7-12 (2005). Losos, Jonathan B., and Harry Greene, Ecological and Evolutionary Implication of Diet in Monitor Lizards. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 35: 379-407 (1988). |
FAQs
What is the proper diet for a Savannah monitor? ›
Savannah Monitors require a high protein diet. Offer gut-loaded insects such as large crickets, superworms, king mealworms, silkworms, grasshoppers, co*ckroaches, as well as crayfish and other low-fat foods like cooked egg whites or Egg beaters®. Waxworms should only be offered occasionally, as they are high in fat.
How many crickets should I feed my Savannah monitor? ›How often should I feed my savannah monitor? According to field research conducted by Daniel Bennett, savannah monitors will eat up to 150 insects/day for 5-6 months out of the year, up to 10% of their own body weight.
What vitamins should I give my Savannah monitor? ›A healthy Savannah Monitor also needs those vitamins so sprinkling a little Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 with Rep-Cal Calcium, calcium/Vitamin D supplement, on insect meals daily should be done.
Can I feed my Savannah monitor scrambled eggs? ›Raw lean meats such as chicken and turkey and soft-boiled or scrambled eggs can be provided to vary the diet. Raw meats carry the risk for bacterial contamination and should be offered with extreme caution. Avoid ground beef and other meats that are high in fat.
What fish can I feed my Savannah monitor? ›Whole sunfish and perch are the most practical options to feed whole, lean, freshwater fish, but may need to be wild caught as they are difficult to find in stores. Rainbow trout are higher in fat content, but are often available as whole fish in grocery stores.
Can a Savannah monitor eat chicken? ›Before giving your savannah monitor meat, you should consider how much fat the meat consists of because its liver cannot handle too much fat. Savannah monitors can eat cooked chicken breasts. In fact, cooked chicken is often used as a treat and reward during training. Turkey breasts will make it happy, too!
Do Savannah monitors need to eat everyday? ›Adults should be fed 1-2 times a week depending on their body condition (obese monitors should eat less often than under weight monitors). The bulk of an adult Savannah monitors diet should consist of rodents (mice to small rats), the occasional baby chick, insects, eggs, and fish should all be offered as well.
Can you overfeed crickets? ›Keep food and water in the tank at all times.
If you use fruit, make sure that you replace the fruit every day so that it doesn't rot or create bacteria in the cricket tank. Crickets won't overeat, so don't worry about overfeeding them.
Hatchlings are only a few inches long, but grow rapidly and can reach maturity in as little as 2 years, though 3 to 4 years is more common. Adults range in size from 2.5 to 3.5 feet in total length with both larger and smaller specimens occasionally occurring.
How often do Savannah monitors need to eat? ›Adults should be fed several insects 1-2 times a week (larger monitors may eat less frequently). Juveniles should be fed 2-3 times per week. Babies should be fed every other day.
Do Savannah monitors need light at night? ›
Provided the diet is rich in vitamin D3 and calcium, UV light is not required, however it is common to use SunForce Mercury Vapor bulbs to produce the necessary heat and light for monitors. Make sure your Savannah Monitor is at least 8” to 12” from heating and lighting bulbs.
How do I know if my savannah monitor is dehydrated? ›- Wrinkled and/or saggy skin.
- Dented/cracked scales.
- Trouble shedding.
- Loss of skin elasticity.
- Sunken eyes.
- Yellow/orange urate.
- Loss of appetite.
- Lethargy.
Can I feed my lizard meat? Yes, they can. Some beardies will eat raw meat such as minced beef, lean turkey, or chicken breast.
Can you feed a savannah monitor dog food? ›7387 In the past, Savannah monitors have been fed a diet of mice or rats, domestic pet food, or commercially prepared canned food. Unfortunately, the protein-rich diets can cause long-term health problems.
Can Savannah monitors eat snails? ›Diet Requirements
In the wild, savannah monitors eat rodents, birds, insects, toads, eggs, and smaller reptiles. They will also take carrion. A favorite food in the wild is snails.
Fresh fish filets. Sea food: Crab, Scallops, Shrimp.
Can monitor lizards eat raw chicken? ›Fish, shrimp, crab meat, turkey, chicken, and eggs can all be fed raw to your pet. Make sure that any food is prepared as bite sized pieces or ground up. Your monitor will need a source of fresh water.
Can savannah monitors eat hot dogs? ›Foods designed for other types of animals (or humans) should be avoided or fed sparingly. These include cat and dog foods, hot dogs, and red meat.
Do savannah monitors bite? ›Diet: Savannah Monitors are carnivores and do well on a rodent diet although they primarily eat invertebrates in the wild, including a large number of snails. Young monitors can be fed crickets and pinkies. Restraint: Savannah Monitors can bite and scratch, but are usually calm for typical procedures.
Can savannah monitors eat live mice? ›Adult monitors can easily gulp down adult mice. Savannahs will rarely eat prey that is too big for them. If they do, they will regurgitate the prey.
What temp should a Savannah monitor be at night? ›
Strive for 85-90°F (29-32°C) with a basking area that reaches 94-100°F (34-38°C). Temperature should drop to 74-78°F (23-26°C) at night. Provide fresh drinking water daily as well as access to a larger soaking tub at least one to two times weekly for several hours.
Why did my Savannah monitor throw up? ›The two most common causes of vomiting or regurgitation in snakes are low-environmental temperature and handling the animal too soon after eating.
How do you keep 100 crickets alive? ›The two biggest factors to successfully keeping your crickets alive, are humidity, and feeding. High humidity kills crickets very, very rapidly. It is entirely possible to wipe out a colony in less than an hour by leaving them in a high humidity environment.
How long do crickets stay gut loaded? ›Commercial cricket foods are available and should be fed to the crickets for at least 48 hours before their use as prey items, a practice called gut loading.
How do you keep 1000 crickets? ›To keep 1000 crickets we suggest a container at least as large as a 10 gallon glass aquarium with some egg crates or similar items for them to crawl on and spread out. You will also need to control the temperature of the enclosure to either increase the growth rate or decrease the growth rate.
Can 2 savannah monitors live together? ›Because of their size, savannah monitors should be housed alone, but a male and a female or two females can live together if there is substantial room for each lizard. Male savannahs should not be housed together as they will fight.
How deep should a savannah monitor substrate be? ›See video description for more details. You might have read that an 8 x 4 x 4 foot box half full of dirt is the absolute minimum that savannah monitors require in captivity.
Why is my savannah monitor so small? ›There is not a “correct” growth rate for savannah monitors. Speed of growth is determined largely by the conditions and food available to the animals before they reach sexual maturity. Males grow faster than females and there are probably large variations in individual growth rates.
How often should Savannah monitors eat mice? ›Savannah monitors are carnivores and opportunistic eaters that are prone to obesity. Monitor their weight to pre vent excess weight gain. Feed juveniles three times a week, but adult savannahs may only need feeding once a week.
How much UVB does a Savannah monitor need? ›UVB Lighting
We recommend a UV Index based on the research by Arcadia, which states 4-6 UVI for Bosc Monitors. This is the in the basking zone, not at the floor of the enclosure, so you need to measure from the bulb to the basking area, which may be a raised rock or slate to help increase temperatures.
What is the best bedding for Savannah monitor? ›
Savannah Monitors like to dig, so provide a deep loose substrate such as Zillas Jungle Mix alone or mixed with Zoo Med Repti bark or Exo Terra natural sand. Also, provide a hiding place for them to feel safe in when sleeping.
How cold is too cold for savannah monitor? ›The deepest parts of the substrate should never drop below about 25oC (77oF) while non-basking surface temperatures should be between 32-38oC (90-100oF) during the day.
Can you soak a savannah monitor? ›You will want to soak your monitor in lukewarm water once or twice a week, to ensure proper hydration and encourage shedding. FEEDING Savannah monitors require a high protein diet. Feed a variety of foods such as crickets, roaches, and mealworms, all dusted with D3 Calcium.
Do savannah monitors need to be misted? ›High ambient humidity isn't required, given their native habitat. If your home's humidity is particularly low, you may want to consider misting your savannah monitor's enclosure daily. Ideal humidity is between 40% and 60%. Use a hygrometer in the enclosure to ensure that these levels are maintained.
How long can a savannah monitor go without water? ›Trappers of the animals in Ghana believe that savannah monitors can survive in a dry bag for a year, without any food or water.
How hot should a savannah monitor tank be? ›The ambient temperature should be between 80-85°F. Basking temperatures on one side of the enclosure can reach 125 to 130°F. Savannah monitors also require overhead UVA/UVB fluorescent lighting.
Can monitor lizards drink tap water? ›It's is generally safe to use for reptiles, although if you want to use it for amphibians, it's best practice to use a high-quality water conditioner to eliminate the chlorine and chloramines if you're using it for misting, fogging, or drinking.
Can lizards eat cooked eggs? ›You might wonder if you can simply scramble eggs for your dragon. The answer is yes! Bearded dragons can safely eat scrambled eggs. They can also eat hard boiled eggs.
What human food can I feed my lizard? ›- Apple. Cut it in small, bite-sized slices and remove the seeds, as they can be toxic to lizards. ...
- Lettuce (Dark Green) Avoid iceberg lettuce, as it has little to no nutritional value for lizards. ...
- Honeydew melon. ...
- Celery. ...
- Strawberry. ...
- Yellow Squash. ...
- Blueberry. ...
- Collard Greens.
Yes! Skinks commonly eat eggs out of nests in the wild, so you can safely feed your pet skink eggs every once in a while. Whether cooked or raw, you can safely feed BTS chicken or quail eggs.
Do Savannah monitors carry salmonella? ›
The most common bacteria hazard carried by Savannah monitors is salmonella. Not only do monitors often carry the bacteria, but sometimes their food, such as feeder mice, do as well. Salmonella is commonly found in the reptile digestive tract, including Savannah monitors.
How often should a savannah monitor eat? ›Savannah monitors are carnivores and opportunistic eaters that are prone to obesity. Monitor their weight to pre vent excess weight gain. Feed juveniles three times a week, but adult savannahs may only need feeding once a week. You can also feed them at regular time to get your lizard used to a routine, if you want.
How do I keep my savannah monitor healthy? ›Captive monitors should be given a primary diet of whole-animal foods, such as mice, small rats and large roaches. The rodents provide natural calcium via their bones and cartilage. Females require a higher dose of calcium and vitamin D3 during egg production.
What can I feed my monitor lizard? ›Like all monitor lizards, Argus monitors are strict carnivores and don't eat any kind of vegetation. They readily feed on carrion and take living prey as well. It's best to feed your Argus monitor a varied diet consisting of insects, rodents, fish, snails, raw eggs, and raw poultry.
Should I feed My savannah monitor everyday? ›Adults should be fed 1-2 times a week depending on their body condition (obese monitors should eat less often than under weight monitors). The bulk of an adult Savannah monitors diet should consist of rodents (mice to small rats), the occasional baby chick, insects, eggs, and fish should all be offered as well.
Can Savannah monitors eat hard boiled eggs? ›Diets containing crickets, mealworms, waxworms, ground turkey and hard-boiled eggs are suggested for Savannah monitors.
At what age do Savannah monitors reach size? ›Hatchlings are only a few inches long, but grow rapidly and can reach maturity in as little as 2 years, though 3 to 4 years is more common. Adults range in size from 2.5 to 3.5 feet in total length with both larger and smaller specimens occasionally occurring.
How do I know if my Savannah Monitor is dehydrated? ›- Wrinkled and/or saggy skin.
- Dented/cracked scales.
- Trouble shedding.
- Loss of skin elasticity.
- Sunken eyes.
- Yellow/orange urate.
- Loss of appetite.
- Lethargy.
The ambient temperature should be between 80-85°F. Basking temperatures on one side of the enclosure can reach 125 to 130°F. Savannah monitors also require overhead UVA/UVB fluorescent lighting.
Do Savannah monitors need misting? ›Strive for 40-50% relative humidity, which may be achieved by light misting of the cage. Also offer a moist hide area. Savannah monitors are active lizards.
Does monitor lizard eat fruits? ›
Did you know that there are 3 FRUIT-EATING MONITOR LIZARDS and you can find them all ONLY in the PHILIPPINES! This episode features Dr. Arvin Diesmos, a top herpetologist and one of the scientists who discovered one of these species.