savannah monitor growth rate and diet

[sauroid]

i got my sav last april (four months ago) at six inches total length as a hatchling. after four months, it is now at twelve inches TL. is it growing normally? do you think it will hit two feet at one year old? i feed it every day (as much as it wants; alternate) lobster roaches, lateralis, dubia, mealworms, superworms (all insects are dusted with either pure calcium or repashy calcium plus ICB) and (very occasionally) pinkies and HB quail eggs. i'd like to hear your opinions. TIA.

P.S. is it alright to include the egg shell when feeding HB quail eggs?

 

[Tramonte172]

If he is growing one inch per month or faster you are doing everything correctly. Growth is difficult to predict because they can have growth spurts like we do. Savannahs eat eggs in the wild so the shells are likely safe for him.

 

[sauroid]

thanks Tramonte172. i guess nobody else keeps savannahs in MFK.

 

[Silvertears]

I have had my Savannah a month and he went from about 8" to 1' which shocked me on how little time it took. Mine gets crickets, earthworms, pinkies, and hb eggs as his normal diet on what he gets threw out the week. Every now and then he gets meal worms, feeder roaches, grass hoppers and snails.

 

[Toby_H]

I have a Tegu not a Sav, so I can't say much about growth rates. Although I suspect your Sav will reach 2' in less than a years time. My Tegu (similar in both hatchling and adult sizes) was growing over 1" per week at it's prime growing time.

Eggs shells are absolutely fine. They are actually a very natural source of calcium. I've found both pros and cons to feeding reptiles unfertilized chicken eggs meant for human consumption. Most suggest raw yolks are fine or soft to hard boiled is fine. We must keep in mind the eggs reptiles eat in the wild are fertilized eggs.

If your quail eggs are fertilized then they are a great food and I would suggest offering as many as you can.

 

[Tramonte172]

thanks Tramonte172. i guess nobody else keeps savannahs in MFK.

No problem. All varanids are cool. Do you keep any others?

 

[chloe]

id say cut down feeding to every 2 or 3 days though. u will just end up with ANOTHER overwieght bosc.
bosc will eat everything u give to them. they r dustbins. so u always think they r starving, they arnt they are just pigs.
x

 

[sauroid]

No problem. All varanids are cool. Do you keep any others?

yeah i have two juvenile (1.5 feet and 2 feet long) asian water monitors V. salvator. strangely, they grow slower than the bosc.

 

[ringoyam]

they can grow pretty fast

 

[EricIvins]

id say cut down feeding to every 2 or 3 days though. u will just end up with ANOTHER overwieght bosc.
bosc will eat everything u give to them. they r dustbins. so u always think they r starving, they arnt they are just pigs.
x

Again, if proper husbandry and a proper basking spot is provided, they can eat door knobs all day long and still perform life functions.........

A properly metabolized Reptile will NOT get overweight, no matter what you're feeding.........