Feeding – Diet
As we have covered, the Savannah Monitor is hunter of invertebrates and the majority of its diet will consist of insects found while foraging throughout the day.
Aside from the cost of caging, the cost of maintaining this medium to large lizard solely on its proper diet of insects, mollusks, and crustaceans is enough to make anyone think twice about keeping a Savannah Monitor. Owning several or more self sustaining colonies of insects will be a necessity. Being such a specialized feeder, it’s one of the many reasons that this monitor should never be looked upon as a “beginner monitor”.
Insects
For insect prey items, we can suggest a combination of roaches, crickets, large mealworms, locusts (mainly available in Europe), grasshoppers, millipedes, and centipedes as being most nutritionally complete.
For most of us, the easiest of these to acquire and/or keep in larger quantities will be crickets and roaches. Crickets are such a staple insect in the reptile feeding industry that their availability is quite high. While we realize that the concept of a breeding roach colony is not appetizing to a keeper’s family, roaches are extremely easy to maintain. Checking into species of roach such as the popular Blaptica dubia, you will find availability of non-climbing, non-flying roaches whose enclosures do not produce a foul smell. Roaches have a fantastic meat to shell ratio.
The biggest complication in feeding a monitor that hunts invertebrates is how to sustain an invertebrate-based diet as the monitor gets older (and therefore larger). The idea of a large monitor trying to sustain itself chasing comparatively tiny crickets around an enclosure is enough to give anyone a chuckle. One option is to move to larger insects. Blaberus craniifer and Blaberus fusca are great feeder roaches that are similar to Blaptica dubia and larger than Madagascar hissers. Also, at age 2-3 switching over to more shelled items to increase variety will be beneficial.
Thiaminase
Though shelled items will be part of the staple list of prey items in a Savannah Monitor’s diet, it would be worth it to mention prey items containing Thiaminase, and to suggest using them sparingly. Thiaminase is an enzyme that breaks down Thiamin/Vitamin B1, and is found more in fresh water animals. Too much thiaminase can lead to Thiamin Deficiency Syndrome.
Though we have not seen harm in sparingly feeding some types of foods containing Thiaminase, anything above “sparingly” is questionable. Harm due to thiaminase overload is seen more in situations like private keeping of puffer fish, as they rely quite heavily on diets of seafood.
Mollusks
Snails are a Savannah Monitor favorite, and most contain low to no levels of thiaminase. Oysters have also been used, and contain little to no Thiaminase. Mussels and clams are also fed by a number of keepers, but contain varying levels of the enzyme. The Savannah Monitor has no problem taking these items whole.
Crustaceans/Shellfish
Crayfish/crawfish/yabbies and crab are great components of a varied diet. As with all non-insect prey items, however, shellfish should be used as an addition to the diet rather than a staple. Crawfish/etc. can be purchased online and shipped to your door in large quantities, and can be fed to the monitor whole.
Fiddler/hermit crabs can also be used. Asian markets are a great place to come by shellfish. Shrimp should be fed heads and all, as a whole animal (not just the tail).
For younger monitors, the prey item can be cut up as long as it is still fed in its entirety.
Sources of your food
Care should be taken to verify the sources of your food! Due to the prevalence of pesticides and chemicals, taking in feeders simply from outside your home is generally a bad idea. Also make sure to buy items such as seafood and avians from a reputable vendor.
As discussed above, rotate fish markets to vary the types and degrees of possible chemicals and/or toxins the fish have been exposed to.