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Reptile & Amphibian Chat Sunday 9-11 PM Eastern - Click here! |
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field outfitter shop -
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Reptile & Amphibian Chat Sunday 9-11 PM Eastern - Click here! |
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********************************** matt2: Our last Guest for tonight is Daniel Bennett, who has a very nice website..and a new book coming out on Sav. Monitors this month
matt2: Welcome Daniel PHWyvern: This chat is being moderated. To ask Daniel a question, please doubleclick on the name AskDaniel in the chat room and post your question to him there. AskDaniel: what are the basics on building a savannah enclosure and how many air vents should there be? daniel_bennett: i think it needs to be deep with 12 airvents daniel_bennett: sorry the last bit was a joke, daniel_bennett: bascically deep enough to let them dig daniel_bennett: with adjustable ventilation daniel_bennett: there seem to be many ways of doing it, but the usual problem is too shallow daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: what is the best diet for a captive savannah monitor daniel_bennett: whole animals, no processed meat, in the wild they only really eat invertebrates, but a mixture of insects and mice seem to work fine daniel_bennett: in fact its probably the most specialised of the African monitor lizards as far as its diet is concerned daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: where can we purchase your new book on savannah monitors? daniel_bennett: from my website at www.mampam.com thanks for asking AskDaniel: > how bad in terms of physical damage are savannah bites daniel_bennett: compared with all the other cheap monitors they are not very dangerous daniel_bennett: but the jaws are sturdy and they extert a lot of pressure daniel_bennett: They could break a finger but I've never seen it happen daniel_bennett: there's very little tissue damage compared to say salvator daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: what substrate should i use daniel_bennett: well when I find them they tend to be on sandy soils daniel_bennett: and I've never been able to find them in areas where the ground is hardpacked like clay daniel_bennett: so I think a mixture of sand and dirt would be perfect daniel_bennett: if they can dig in it daniel_bennett: not newspaper daniel_bennett: its very cruel daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: in your opinion what is the greratest threat to wild populations of savannah monitors? and why? daniel_bennett: Where I work the gretaest threat is probably the ranching method of collection for the pet tarde, because they target gravid females in November and December daniel_bennett: and they end up dead daniel_bennett: generally though its habitat destruction daniel_bennett: also there are massive numbers of skins coming out of Sudan and Nigeria daniel_bennett: nobody has ever looked at the effect it has on populations daniel_bennett: but for the Accra animals its the notion that its better to collect these gravid females rather than the babies a few months later daniel_bennett: its a terrible idea and everybody should be aware of how destructive it is daniel_bennett: not just with savannah monitors, but all species daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: what way can i sex my sav monitors? daniel_bennett: ha, well personally I am not very good at it daniel_bennett: Big males, no problem daniel_bennett: their heads are bigger and their tail bases are often well hung daniel_bennett: but being positive that an animal is a female is not always so easy daniel_bennett: In the book we put a set of pictures showing males and females from the same angle daniel_bennett: but the best way is to start off with a small group of youngsters and let them sort themselves out daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: Daniel, my savannah really likes to walk around my house with my cats, so I don't keep him in a cage. is room temperature ok for him? Should I give him a bed to stay warm? daniel_bennett: give him some places to get hot daniel_bennett: and if he uses them its electricity well spent daniel_bennett: just hope he treats the cats the same with a bit of heat in him daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: What is the smallest size a savannah monitor cage can be for a 3 1/2 foot animal who gets at least 2 hours out of the cage a day? I'm not trying to be cruel; I just have a small apartment right now. daniel_bennett: It needs to dig daniel_bennett: there are some really cool monitors to keep in small apartments daniel_bennett: but this isn't really one of them daniel_bennett: in the book we recommend a minimum of 8 X 4 x 4 feet daniel_bennett: which might seem like a lot daniel_bennett: but once its full of dirt its really quite snug daniel_bennett: the real problem is not that they can't move about in small encloures daniel_bennett: but that they can't thermoregulate daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: How should you approach handling? Wait for it to come to you or can that only be achieved through daily handling when it doesn't seem too keen on it? daniel_bennett: I think you might be waiting forever daniel_bennett: savannah monitors are very very shy daniel_bennett: they are much more shy than other cheap species and that's why people hardly ever see them daniel_bennett: so I think you would need to force it to accept handling daniel_bennett: once they get used to it they are very good with people daniel_bennett: but instinctively they are one of the shiest species I've ever worked with daniel_bennett: shyest daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: > how big of an enclosure does one savanah monitor require? daniel_bennett: probably the same size as would house two or three daniel_bennett: it needs to be at least four feet deep daniel_bennett: in the book I wanted to stress the amount of trouble keping these lizards is, so it recommends 8 x 4 x 4 feet daniel_bennett: in fact you could get away with less length and width daniel_bennett: but the depth is essential daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: What conservation org in your opinion is doing the most to save monitor lizards? daniel_bennett: That's rather a difficult question daniel_bennett: my opinion of most major conservation organisations is very negative daniel_bennett: I've worked witha few and I think they are wasteful, insensitive and sensationalist daniel_bennett: The funding I've had to work on monitor conservation in recent years daniel_bennett: has come from Fauna and Flora International daniel_bennett: in fact monitor lizards are horribly neglected by conservation daniel_bennett: they are a major part of many landscapes, its cler many species should be considered in se vere danger of extinction, there daniel_bennett: are massive pressures on populations through their economic value daniel_bennett: but very little research is being done daniel_bennett: I suppose the question centres around the Komodo dragon because that is where 99.9975% of the money on monitor conservation goes daniel_bennett: so I suppose the ansswer would be Disney daniel_bennett: bless them daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: Daniel; in your field research in Africa..have you had to endure setbacks due to local political/etc unrest? daniel_bennett: never had any problems with unrest or ever fely threatened anywhere I have ever worked ecept Cambodia daniel_bennett: and Ghana is the most laid back country daniel_bennett: I did get thrown out last year for commenting on a hippo relocation plan that was very stupid daniel_bennett: but it was a very sensitive issue for them daniel_bennett: I knew what would happen but I had no choice daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: you said that the 8'x4'x4' tank is quite snug once full of dirt, and that they cant thermoregulate? What should i do then? daniel_bennett: no sorry they will be able to thermoregulate with some heat sources and a deep bed of substrate daniel_bennett: they can't thermoregulate on the floor of a small enclsoure covered in newspaper daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: I head a report from Germany that a person bitten by a savannah monitor was hosiptalised for a bacterial infection related to the bite. Do you know anything about harmful bacteria in their saliva? daniel_bennett: The dangerous bacteria that monitors carry in their moiuths are Proteus types from feeding on carrion daniel_bennett: in the wild savannah monitors do not eat carrion and so any such bateria would be picked up in captivity daniel_bennett: I would image an animal fed on dog food and kept in a nasty set up would harbour plenty of bacteria daniel_bennett: all monitor bites are easily infected, all animal bites in fact daniel_bennett: but there's no regular bacteria in a savannah monitors mouth that would cause problems for people daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: you said that the 8'x4'x4' tank is quite snug once full of dirt, and that they cant thermoregulate? What should i do then? daniel_bennett: i think you should buy my book daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: > do monitors make good pets for someone that's never had a lizard before daniel_bennett: I think some do, little ones daniel_bennett: but unfortunately people like to start out with cheap animals daniel_bennett: so the savannah monitors get it daniel_bennett: they are really not suitable for anyone who isn't certain they want to spend years paying to keep it warm and fed daniel_bennett: having said that it is such a good natured animal daniel_bennett: that I think it would be a real shame if people stopped keeping them, especially kids daniel_bennett: and i think that once people have access to better information about how to keep them the lizards will benefit daniel_bennett: so the answer is probably that captive bred monitors like ackies are good for beginners daniel_bennett: and savannah monitors are a lot more work daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: My male Savannah is almost 17 inches bigger then my female. He is 46 inches total length. The female was a rescue and did lay some eggs but the individual did not use good judgement and ruined them. Is the size difference a real problem? Also when in N. Florida should I introduce the two for breeding? daniel_bennett: Female lizards might not always have good judgement, but they are afirly good at knowing where to lay eggs daniel_bennett: fairly daniel_bennett: the size difference isn't a problem if he doesn't hurt her daniel_bennett: and if they aren't together all the time anyway the best time would be when it is warm and she looks nice and fat daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: with a high invertebrate makeup of their diet are internal parasites a problem in captive kept savs? daniel_bennett: this would depend on what foods they were fed daniel_bennett: In general once they are clear of the parasites they are imported with a diet of crickets and mice shouldn't intorduce more daniel_bennett: in the wild they pick up parasites from eatuing frogs daniel_bennett: but interna; parasites are the major cause of mortality among savannah monitors daniel_bennett: I susopect it kills off a massive proportion both before and after export daniel_bennett: and because the animals are so cheap peoiple dont bother treating them daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: My captive bred savannah is 9 months old. I see pictures of older savs very calm. my little guy is very active and i have to keep close tabs on him when i have him out of the cage. he is not violent, just squirmy, do they tend to calm down when they get older? daniel_bennett: when it gets used to you it will calm down daniel_bennett: some individuals just hate people but most will eventually learn to tolorate them daniel_bennett: congratulations on getting a captive bred one daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: what's your opinion of the turkey diet for savannahs? daniel_bennett: well i have an open mind about it daniel_bennett: and if somebody demonstrates that monitors kept on that diet will reproduce through many generations I'd be happy to suggest it daniel_bennett: but that hasn't happened daniel_bennett: and so I'd definitely suggest whole animals daniel_bennett: also the feces produced from that diet are terrible daniel_bennett: I think thats why so many people like newspaper daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: what is the youngest age child they should be allowed around daniel_bennett: any child that understands the meaning of gentle and can wash their own hands should be ok daniel_bennett: with a savannah monitor that is used to people daniel_bennett: apart from the salmonella business i think cats are more dangerous to children than savannah monitors daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: Please comment on foods other then Rodents adult Sav. would benefit from having. daniel_bennett: crickets daniel_bennett: and they also like lots of crickets daniel_bennett: and a few orthopterans daniel_bennett: in the wild the babies eat crickets daniel_bennett: and the adults eat huge millipedes daniel_bennett: and all ages take scorpions and snails and slugs daniel_bennett: and beetles daniel_bennett: but for captivity it should be simple daniel_bennett: because they need plenty of of food daniel_bennett: so crickets are ideal daniel_bennett: maybe roaches daniel_bennett: of coures animals that are used to mice will just laugh at crickets daniel_bennett: so they might need reminding daniel_bennett: but crickets are very good for savannah monitors daniel_bennett: not just the nutrition, also the thrill of the cahse daniel_bennett: chase daniel_bennett: next AskDaniel: is ti ok to feed a savannah monitor a raw chicken egg once every month or so as a treat? Also, i heard that you should only feed the monitor egg yolk instead of the yolk with the egg white because the egg white is more "fattier"? I also heard that if a sav is not eating properly or refusing food, you should dip the nose of a mouse in egg yolk and it should work, is this true? daniel_bennett: working backwards, if it isn't feeding I'd suspect something in the environment was wrong daniel_bennett: savannah monitors are also the greediest monitors I've ever worked with, in terms of how much food they eat per day per unit of body weight daniel_bennett: they are greedy daniel_bennett: as for eggs, there's various problems associated with egg white and in general I'd suggest not bothering with egg at all daniel_bennett: just using crickets and rodents is simpler and there's less to go wrong daniel_bennett: if it won't eat them it has a problem that won't be cured by eggs AskDaniel: Folks we're up on the hour..on behalf of JeffB, Kingsnake.com, myself and PH's..thanks so much Daniel for taking of your time..especially at your late hour in England. This has been a great audience! daniel_bennett: thank you very much PHWyvern: I appreciate the time you have taken to join us this evening. I myself am not a monitor person, but I did learn a lot of interesting things about them. :)
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