# Is my baby savannah monitor sick?



## Test181 (Apr 18, 2015)

I have his hot side set to 110, warm side is about 85. I feed him crickets twice a day ( around noon and around 8 ) and he each time I let him eat until he gets full then I take the crickets out. He is active and he likes to just lay out around the basking area or just lay out on a random spot. I heard if your savannah monitor isn't mean he is unhealthy and my hatchling isn't mean nor does he hiss. I spend at least an hour total each day with him and I had him for 3 days. He seems to really like me because I can put him on my belly and he will rest while I let him ( sometimes with his eyes closed and he doesn't run from me after he has settled down) is he healthy or is he sick just because he is not mean or what ever ?


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Can you give more details on your enclosure. 
If possible a photo. 
How your temperatures are being measured, where they are being measured from, and the type of thermometer being used (digital, dial) etc. 
UVB (if your using one) (any decoration) 

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/newbie-advice/112135-how-post-pictures-using-photobucket.html

Or you can use the attatchment feature when you go to make a post by clicking on managing attatchments and uploading 

I wont blow bubbles up your backside, some will (depending on your information sources) debatably tell you that those temperatures are a little too low depending. 

In my experience with bosc monitors, (or most monitors for that matter) even in those temperatures, I would be suspecting something wasn't right with that kind of behavior, it may be a one, or many things, maybe even stress, and still acclimatizing himself. 
Though, I suppose this depends on how he has been kept previously too, because sometimes it can catch up with them. 

Really, it would be impossible to say, but a "friendly" monitor, usually does shout, "lethargy" obesity, or general incorrect environmental parameters. 
All monitors I have ever worked with have been extremely active, and very food orientated towards movement. 

Those details will help someone with more experience help guide you on there needs. 

I hope he is okay though.
Good luck. 

Dixon.


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## Test181 (Apr 18, 2015)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> Can you give more details on your enclosure.
> If possible a photo.
> How your temperatures are being measured, where they are being measured from, and the type of thermometer being used (digital, dial) etc.
> UVB (if your using one) (any decoration)
> ...



I will be able to post pictures later on today. He is pretty active and he uses a lot of energy when hunting I tell you that! ***128514; but let's say if I take him out and don't rub is back he like to explore my bed and he will let me pet him while he is smelling around. If someone else enters the room and try to pet him he will attempt to dart off but it is like when I pet him he seems comfy and will even close his eyes. I thought it was pretty weird for a baby monitor. I am using the gun to check my temperatures and I am using UVB.


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## mitsi (Feb 1, 2012)

Closing the eyes is usually due to stress not enjoying the interaction, a healthy normal bosc will be scatty and bitey at first, its all they know,
alot find including me thst temps of sround 55c to 60c basking then ranging from 32c to 24c overnight for rest of enclosure works very well. 
When a hatchling bosc is healthy, happy and thriving they are fiesty little buggers, i to believe if they arent something somewhere isnt quite correct.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

as above - basking temp 135f minumum - using low power halogen flood lamps is the easiest way to do this without burning off humidity, a single 30-40W will probably do for now while he is small, but you might aswell make a rack with 3 lamp holders in it, because within a year he'll be tipping 2ft+

with out high temps he is facing impaction, infections, renal failure, gout and death

check your humidity levels, should be 60% ambient, 90% inside his burrows (best option is sand/soil mix, 60/40-70/30, 2ft or so deep)

without the right humidity he is facing liver failure and death

if he is in a small enclosure right now (4x2x2 - anything smaller is Tiny), then put as much soil/sand as you can, 1ft, perhaps sloping up towards the back - then start building an 8x4x4 enclosure as soon as you have done that...you are going to need it within ~6 months, but dont wait 6 months to build it!

you dont really need to remove the uneaten insects, 20minutes after they seem full, they will quite happily eat again, and while he is under 2ft, you cant really overfeed them - as long as the temps are high enough - once he has grown you can then start moderating his food intake - recomend you dont feed him anything but insects until he is ~9months old, then add in the occasional mouse, very occasional egg, and other things like sprats, crayfish are all good suppliments to his diet (in the wild they would eat around 30% vertebrates, 70% invertebrates/insects)


(Have you got a 12% UVB Tube? Essential to maintain a fully functional immune system in a Sav - despite the few that dismiss the scientific evidence and claim it is unecessary)


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

As already stated, closing the eyes and/ or laying extremely still usually means stress. Monitors really should not be handled until they will accept food off tongs, and willingly walk onto your hand. If you have only had him a few days, he needs time to get used to the new surroundings. Taking him out and interacting with him at this time will cause considerable stress and can make him ill or even cause him to 'give up' and die. These guys are wild animals, and are fragile while young. 
Bump up your basking surface temps (watch that the cool end ambient doesn't rise) and leave him be besides adding food and changing water for a few weeks. : victory:


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## Test181 (Apr 18, 2015)

ToothlessSav said:


> As already stated, closing the eyes and/ or laying extremely still usually means stress. Monitors really should not be handled until they will accept food off tongs, and willingly walk onto your hand. If you have only had him a few days, he needs time to get used to the new surroundings. Taking him out and interacting with him at this time will cause considerable stress and can make him ill or even cause him to 'give up' and die. These guys are wild animals, and are fragile while young.
> Bump up your basking surface temps (watch that the cool end ambient doesn't rise) and leave him be besides adding food and changing water for a few weeks. : victory:


He takes crickets off tweezers and he walks on my hand if I put it in front of him. I think he was just handled a lot before hand because he is active and acts like any other monitor .


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

Test181 said:


> He takes crickets off tweezers and he walks on my hand if I put it in front of him. I think he was just handled a lot before hand because he is active and acts like any other monitor .


well there is always the possibility you have that one Sav in 20billion that doesnt mind humans, but, this kind of behaviour is also seen in Savs that dont have high basking temps, which ultimatly will kill him/her

basking temp must be a minimum of 135f, humidity no lower than 60%


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## Test181 (Apr 18, 2015)

Hmmm maybe !!***128514;***128514;


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Those number things are doing my head in, they keep randomly appearing on some of my posts in replacement of words. 

:devil:


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## Test181 (Apr 18, 2015)

Yeah I Noticed them! They are suppose to be iPhone emojis but I guess they can't be used


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## jarich (Mar 23, 2012)

Hey test, 

I know its probably not the answer you want to hear, but what you are talking about are very normal signs of stress in a monitor. It could be because your basking area is not quite hot enough, or just the handling is a bit too much for him. 

While you seem warm to the monitor, they arent able to get enough heat to really have proper functioning at the surface temp of a human. So what is happening when you say he 'settles down', is actually that he has become too cool to really function at proper levels. He manifests this by acting very sluggish, or what you are seeing as tame. At this age especially, if you take him out, it should only be for a few minutes at a time, maybe 10-20 min tops. They are small, so lose body heat quickly if the room is not itself at a higher than normal room temperature. 

As for shutting his eyes, this is very typical stress behaviour. Monitors do not just settle down to sleep when let out of their enclosures. Its new and interesting and for such an intelligent creature that is not time to sleep, thats time to explore or hide. So that it is laying their and closing its eyes means that it is stressed but either cant run and hide or is too stressed to deal with what is happening. 

I know its tough with a new animal, but you must leave it alone to acclimate. When they are small like this, they arent able to deal with stress as much as an adult, so you have to pay close attention to these signs. They are hearty animals, but its not about what they can live through so much as it is giving them what is best for them (even when its not necessarily what we want). Give him a week or two to get used to his new home without taking him out or handling him at all. In the meantime, read through this to make sure your enclosure is where it needs to be:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/841282-boscs-savannah-monitor-care-sheet.html


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

Test181 said:


> Hmmm maybe !!***128514;***128514;


not maybe mate, without 135f basking temps you are likley to have a monitor that slowly dies within 5 years, probably of liver failure, possibly liver tumours, and gout is likley too, and it will suffer illnes after illness as it gets impacted and full of bactiria from undigested food and a reduced immune system, on top of that he will be suseptable to Viral, Fungal and Bactiria respiritory infections, skin infections...and probably allot more that isnt yet known about.

there are a few studies on the topic, try search "dr fry monitors" in google, and you'll find a long line of research by different scientists/herptologist and more, and if you search through all the sick monitor threads to be found online, you will find a common theme, low basking temps.

UVB improves their immune system, recent research has shown this without doubt...but is next to useless without proper basking temps


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## Test181 (Apr 18, 2015)

CloudForest said:


> not maybe mate, without 135f basking temps you are likley to have a monitor that slowly dies within 5 years, probably of liver failure, possibly liver tumours, and gout is likley too, and it will suffer illnes after illness as it gets impacted and full of bactiria from undigested food and a reduced immune system, on top of that he will be suseptable to Viral, Fungal and Bactiria respiritory infections, skin infections...and probably allot more that isnt yet known about.
> 
> there are a few studies on the topic, try search "dr fry monitors" in google, and you'll find a long line of research by different scientists/herptologist and more, and if you search through all the sick monitor threads to be found online, you will find a common theme, low basking temps.
> 
> UVB improves their immune system, recent research has shown this without doubt...but is next to useless without proper basking temps


 I got the basking temperature to 135 after finding out that it wouldn't be too hot for him. He acts the same and nothing is wrong with the temperatures of the cage. The humidity is 65, the basking spot is 135 and he has his burrows. He eats his coated crickets every other day. And I've done all my research and got everything for him. I think that's just the way he is honestly. He is very active and he will crawl on my hand without me forcing it


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

Test181 said:


> I got the basking temperature to 135 after finding out that it wouldn't be too hot for him. He acts the same and nothing is wrong with the temperatures of the cage. The humidity is 65, the basking spot is 135 and he has his burrows. He eats his coated crickets every other day. And I've done all my research and got everything for him. I think that's just the way he is honestly. He is very active and he will crawl on my hand without me forcing it


i'd take the advice above personally, when he gets bigger, he will have more confidence, at that point you really want him to trust you, not be afraid of you


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

Are you having to mist daily to keep the humidity at the recommended range? 
You should only need to water the soil every week or two to maintain a constant humidity. If you are having to mist, it means the enclosure is not sealed correctly. Large fluctuations from misting is hard on them.
(just in case you were not aware : victory.
As already stated, hatchling savs really should not be handled. They have gone through quite an ordeal to get to you, and need plenty of time to settle down and reduce stress hormones. Removing them from their 'safe place' at this age will cause stress (whether it is apparent or not). Interacting on it's terms while inside the enclosure is ok at this age, but they should remain inside the enclosure where they feel safe until they gain some size. 


I know it may seem like people are nit-picking, but most here have seen first hand, on mulitple occasions, what force handling and improper parameters can do (and it's not pretty). We are only trying to help ensure your sav stays healthy and happy for years to come:2thumb:.


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