What do monitors eat

I am by no means making any claims that the information presented here is exhaustive or written in stone. Rather it is a compilation of data accrued by myself, my colleagues, and various experts over the past years.

Monitor nutrition is a highly debated subject, and while many will agree that the insight provided below is proper, some will surely disagree with my recommendations. This is to be expected, as no two husbandry situations are alike, and what works for some, may not work for other. Finally, be sure to carefully research the need of the specific type of monitor you are keeping. Some species have very specific dietary requirements, while others will eat nearly anything placed before them.

Knowledge of your animals natural history, that is where they come from, and how they behave in the wild, can be one of the most important tools when developing a husbandry and feeding regimen. In the wild, the staple diet of many monitor species is insects and other invertebrates. Recent studies have shown that presumed rodent eaters such as savannah monitors, actually consume mostly termites, millepedes, and scorpions. In captivity, these foods may be difficult to procure, but other insect species are readily available, and should be part of every monitor diet.

Crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and roaches should be considered required items in the monitor diet. Many roach species are now available to monitor owners, and keepers are strongly encouraged to maintain a small breeding colony of them as a constant source of feeders.

Depending on the species of monitor you are keeping, other prey items such as fish, shrimp, and baby chicks can be offered, the frequency of which will depend upon your specific situation. Commercial monitor and carnivorous lizard diets can be categorized here as well. These diets are formulated to be complete and balanced, but should not be relied upon as a sole source of nutrition.

While they are a nice way to add variety, they should be offered as filler, in addition to other foods. The debate over whether or not to feed rodents to captive monitors is a heated one. 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. Water Your monitor will need a source of fresh water. A water dish should be available at all times. For tropical monitors who require a bathing area with warm water, a water dish should still be supplied.

Misting is another option for supplying your pet with water. A spray bottle with fresh clean water and a daily misting might be greatly enjoyed and preferred by your monitor. Supplements Calcium and vitamin D3 and a reptile multivitamin are supplements that help make sure your pet is getting everything he needs to stay healthy. They were an important traditional native food source and are commonly represented in Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.

Today there are 27 extant species of these large lizards in Australia, most are carnivorous. All have a similar body shape to their original ancestors and have sharp teeth and claws to help them hunt and eat. Size is the distinguishing feature of Australian monitors; the largest is the Perentie V. Monitors are commonly dark-coloured or white and orange-yellow in the desert. Most have camouflage bands, speckles or spots relating to their environments, though these differ between species and age groups.

They can live up to 40 years in the wild. Photo Jiri Lochman. Goannas mostly live on the ground and dig holes for nests or burrows to protect eggs from predators and provide a constant temperature for embryo development.

The Heath Monitor also known as Rosenberg's Monitor and Lace Monitor will dig holes into the side of termite mounds to lay their eggs. This is clever as the termites then rebuild the nest around the eggs, keeping them safe and at a constant temperature. Unlike Heath Monitors, mother Lace Monitors will return when the young hatch, to help dig them out.

Several species, including the Perentie, hibernate during the coldest months from about May to August. Ridge-tailed Monitors get their name from the raised and pointed scales on their tails, which they wedge into rock crevices, making it harder for predators to pull them out. Particularly when they are at the baby and juvenile stage and cannot yet eat larger prey items this is an essential part of their diet. As will any insects-eating reptile there are certain insects that are better for your monitor than others.

Here is a list of which ones would be staples and which ones are better as treats. IMPORTANT - You should never feed your Savannah Monitor wild-caught bugs that you have found outside, these can be contaminated with pesticides and also contain diseases that will seriously harm your reptile. They can also carry parasites that can infect your pet, so do not feed them any bugs found outside or from around your house.

On the subjects of bugs that shouldn. If you're monitor does end up ingesting these then you should seek veterinary attention as soon as you can inform them as to what you think your monitor has ingested. Certain toxic bugs are worse than others, fireflies have been known to cause death within an hour of being ingested, while some other bugs like ants and spiders can be ingested, and there isn't necessarily a problem.

Activated Charcoal can be given to your Savannah Monitor should they end up swallowing something they shouldn't have, though you should still seek a vet while you doing this. For any reptile that consumes live insects supplements are a vital part of their diet. For the Savannah monitor there are two main supplements that you need to use for their diet. You will nee calcium powder and a multivitamin powder. Some reptiles require a supplement with vitamin D but the Savannah Monitor does not need to have this due to having different UVB needs.

Offering them supplements is pretty simple, all you need to do is lightly dust one of their meals per week with the multivitamin supplement and two - three meals per week with the calcium supplement.