Can someone help me identify this reptile that was abandoned at my work.

Just don't feed him more than two in one day. I would just give him one a day for awhile to nurse him back to strength. Then later, if he seems to still actively want more right after eating one, you can give him two in a row. Don't try to give him two at once, the other one will probably die of fear as he sees his buddy being eaten by Godzilla, and then he won't eat it. Or, if the second one is really brave, he might actually try to take on Godzilla, and give him a bite which can get infected.

Not suggesting you should name the lizard Godzilla or anything.

Originally posted by NiteNGale2
reply to post by Hellhound604

 

Possibly a savannah monitor? The poor thing is in bad shape.

yea savannah monitor who needs some love for sure.

I really hate it when people abandon their pets.

Dammit all to hell.

I want to skin them alive and pour honey over them and stake them to an anthill.

Unfortunately, I can understand how hard it can get to keep pets, and how ahrd it is to give them to an organization sometimes.

reply to post by JValhalla


Just bear in mind one thing...monitor lizards are aggressive and often poisonous, and they WILL bite (think Komodo dragon, a large monitor). Right now he's starved and very dehydrated but once he gets to feeling better and grows bigger you will have to get educated on his habits pretty quickly. If you have small children, do not allow them to play with him unsupervised...even if he doesn't have poisonous saliva or bacteria on his teeth, a bite will hurt very badly and can become infected rapidly. I'm sure you also already know reptiles carry salmonella on their skin, so hand washing is crucial for anyone who touches him or the inside of his enclosure EVERY time.

He's cute I think people who abandon their pets should lose the right to own them. It's awesome that you took him in. Good luck!

Native to Africa, savannah monitors need a dry, hot environment for them to thrive in. They spend most of their time in the wild basking in the sun and eating a variety of small prey food such as rodents, smaller lizards, and insects. They are carnivores and prone to obesity, therefore it is vital to monitor the weight of your savannah monitor to prevent excess weight gain. Feeding juveniles a few times a week is fine but adult savannahs may only need to eat once a week.

Savannah monitors will grow to be about 3 to 4 feet long. Regular handling will make them more tame but like all monitors, if they are not a captive bred baby or are not handled often savannah monitors can become aggressive.

A full grown savannah needs a minimum of an 8 feet by 4 feet enclosure, or twice the length of the monitor. A juvenile (young) savannah will be alright in a 55 gallon aquarium for short period of time but since they grow quickly most owners have their adult set-up ready when they bring home a baby.

More info here-
exoticpets.about.com...

From the source provided above..."Savannahs will eat gut loaded insects such as crickets, roaches, and earthworms along with appropriately sized rodents. Pinky mice, fuzzies, adult mice, and various sized rats are the usual fare in captivity. Calcium powder should be dusted onto insects and young rodents that don't have good bone density. A low fat, high quality (grain-free) canned dog or monitor food can be fed only occasionally as too much protein can lead to disease like gout."

"A basking temperature of 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit should be provided along with a temperature gradient down to 85 in the day and as low as 75 at night. Ceramic heat emitters are best for achieving night time temperatures instead of lights.

UVB lighting is necessary for almost all lizards. A high percentage UVB output bulb (8-10%) should be on for a 10-12 hour cycle daily to mimic the sun. These bulbs should be changed every 6 months, even if the light doesn't burn out, since the invisible UVB rays expire. Diseases such as metabolic bone disease will occur without appropriate UVB rays."

It is extremely important to pay attention to all its' needs. An exotic pet is a big responsibility. These lizards have special requirements of heat, light, large environment, proper foods etc.

These lizards get huge! That could be one reason he was let go. Supposedly they are good escape artists, so that too could be a possibility of why he was loose. In any case, the poor thing looks starved and I am very happy that you are helping the poor thing. Whether or not you wish to keep him may be another story.

Anybody consider that he might have escaped??????????????
He/she is cute. Hope he lives.

Originally posted by sad_eyed_lady
Anybody consider that he might have escaped??????????????
He/she is cute. Hope he lives.

Just re-read the beginning of this thread. Evidentally, it was left in an aquarium. I am so happy he/she is finally being cared for. It's too thin and with proper care should fill out quickly enough. I just hate when people abandon their pets like that. A simple add somewhere would have found him a home. Even bringing it to a pet store would have been ok. To simply abandon the poor thing who isn't even native to this country is a shame.

reply to post by JValhalla


Well done JV!!!
Thank goodness a good person found him,I hope he gets well soon.
I have seen monitor lizards in the wild in Aisa,and the first one I saw I thought was a dinosaur.
It was two meters long,and looked badass.
Hopefully yours will not grow quite so large,but if it does I doubt you will get any burgulars at your house.


Oh yeah,the ones I saw in Asia were pretty dang good at tree climbing too,so watch out for that in the future.

Good luck buddy,and well done again for rescuing the little chap.

Im pretty sure it is a Savannah Monitor. Bad shape though. Make water available and give it small mice and/or soft cat food. It should come back ok.

Source: I breed reptiles for a living and have 50 Savannahs within 100 feet of me as I write this.

reply to post by tigertatzen


No monitor is poisonous. Some larger monitors can have septic bite however, That is dependent upon what it is fed. Carrion feeding can lead to saliva that can cause a bad reaction. I have been bitten more than a few time and Have never become sick.

That said, be careful with monitors. They can be highly aggressive and are capable of doing real harm. Be aware of their behavior and know what to expect and you should be fine. They make awesome pets for an informed owner. I have a Savannah and a Black Throat. Barring a few food aggression incidents I've not have much trouble with them. My Black Throat runs freely in my house for several hours a day. He is almost 7 feet long.

Good for you OP

He looks like a friendly enough guy, hope he fattens up a bit!

They're great lizards really, you cane tame them but it's not easy and they can still hurt you. But most people people get hurt by them from just being careless. Knew one breeder that carries his to every rep' show in a big tub.

If s/he an aggressive feeder and you're worried about getting bitten, just throw a wash cloth over s/he head be for you feed them. It's what I had to do when I was work for an exotic pet shop. wash cloth over the head, drop off the food, take the wash cloth off and run like hell out of the cage. (note this was for larger adult ones and after I got used to the task my run became a quick walk cause I had other things to feed)

reply to post by Silcone Synapse

I have seen monitor lizards in the wild in Aisa,and the first one I saw I thought was a dinosaur.

I almost spit my coffee out!
I didn't know they could climb trees. Amazing!

Originally posted by Hawkmoon1972
Im pretty sure it is a Savannah Monitor. Bad shape though. Make water available and give it small mice and/or soft cat food. It should come back ok.

Source: I breed reptiles for a living and have 50 Savannahs within 100 feet of me as I write this.

50????? Man, they must need a LOT of room! Are yours aggressive? I love lizards big and small and would love to have a huge one, but they need too much room and I don't like the things they eat.

Originally posted by Hawkmoon1972
reply to post by tigertatzen

 

No monitor is poisonous. Some larger monitors can have septic bite however, That is dependent upon what it is fed. Carrion feeding can lead to saliva that can cause a bad reaction. I have been bitten more than a few time and Have never become sick.

That said, be careful with monitors. They can be highly aggressive and are capable of doing real harm. Be aware of their behavior and know what to expect and you should be fine. They make awesome pets for an informed owner. I have a Savannah and a Black Throat. Barring a few food aggression incidents I've not have much trouble with them. My Black Throat runs freely in my house for several hours a day. He is almost 7 feet long.

7 feet long??? Holy sh....
Would love to see pics if you could share some.

Originally posted by Hawking
Good for you OP

He looks like a friendly enough guy, hope he fattens up a bit!

So does my turtle, but he bites! Looks can be decieving. trust me!

reply to post by Hawkmoon1972


Thanks for that. I only said "poisonous" because I'm used to creating laymen's terminology to describe medical issues to pediatric patients Should have just said what I meant instead right?

Originally posted by Night Star
reply to post by Silcone Synapse

 

I have seen monitor lizards in the wild in Aisa,and the first one I saw I thought was a dinosaur.

I almost spit my coffee out!
I didn't know they could climb trees.

Amazing!

They are real monsters,but intelligent as well-they had an understanding with the jungle outpost I stayed at-they would patrol and eat animals but leave the humans alone,unless scrounging for scraps.
The camps 2 dogs were on a lead at all times,I felt really sorry for them,they could not run free in case the giant lizards got them.
This vid was the same river I went to,but its very long and this is a different part,with small and too fat monitor lizards getting fed by humans:

The ones I saw were more muscular,and were covered in crusts of mud,which made them look seriously creepy in the dark under torchlight.