Chat Week on Kingsnake.com
Monday, December 9, 2002
Daniel Bennett
Savannah Monitors
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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
daniel_bennett: hello
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. :)
