Sad news.

[Loren]

Rosco, My savannah monitor, gently passed away last night while I was working in the reptile room. He was 5 years old.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/Rosco-_my_Savannah_monitor.JPG

[Stefan-A]

Sorry for your loss. :( What happened?

[Loren]

He had lost a little bit of weight lately, but other than that seemed ok. He still had a great appetite and great feeding response- nearly jumping out of the cage after his food. A few days ago he regurgitated a small rat, which was not a huge alarm to me as he's done that a couple times in the past, usually if I fed him too large a rat, or too soon after a previous meal. In this case, I had fed him 2 days in a row.
Last night I was watching him, and he just kinda laid his head down into his water dish and bubbles came out. I knew it didnt look right, so I lifted him out and laid him on his bedding. He was still alive, but drifted off very soon after.

[enigma200316]

sorry to hear about your loss........:(

[anji1971]

Awww, that's too bad. So sorry for your loss, Loren.:(:(:(

[adamanteus]

That's very sad, Loren. Sorry.:(

[Josh]

Sorry for your loss!!!!
i am just getting into the bigger lizard and when i gget my own place in two years ill make room for a monitor!!!

[Lori P]

Aw Loren, I'm so sorry to hear this. I really liked Roscoe. I'm glad that it was peaceful, whatever the cause. Hugs.

[drache]

oh Loren, I am so sorry
at least it doesn't sound like he suffered
how sad though

[Loren]

Thanks.
Yeah, he went quickly and peacefully. Being raised around animals my whole life, I could tell he was on his way out and that there probably was nothing I could do, so I laid him out straight, rubbed his back a few times, told him I loved him (thats right, I told a lizard I loved him:o) and that was pretty much it.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Awwwwe. Sorry to hear of your loss.... a lizard like this really grows on your heart after caring for them for so long. I love my savannah to pieces. Fluffy was a "rescue" effort from some #%$&@## guy who had a whole bucket of savannahs you could tell were straight imports. I looked in and saw that one was off by itself, very sickly looking, skinny, covered in ticks... dehydrated. I gave the guy his stupid 20 dollars and took fluffly home. She was only about 12 inches long at the time. Bathed her, fed her, nourished her, and look at her today: now about 3 feet long. Have had her about a year. Maybe you should consider rescuing a monitor from somewhere. There are a lot out there that still need a place to call home. Fluffy and I send our dearest regards.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v447/xxAngelinblackxx/P1010075.jpg

[Loren]

Thanks Shannon- great job with rescuing yours- he/she looks great!
I havent decided if I'll get another monitor. I have been leaning closer to a mostly snake collection, other than a few of my favorite desert lizards. I might set up my desert lizards in the house in larger tanks- that way when I get my rodent shed, my reptile room will become "the snake room" and I can specifically set it up for snakes.

[anji1971]

Hey, Shannon, good for you!! Lucky Fluffy.........she's beautiful!

[GarterGuy]

Sorry for your loss Loren, Roscoe looked like a really nice Savannah.

[Loren]

Rosco made it to several classrooms and 1 other large kids group to help educate kids on reptiles, and on which one do- and do not- make good starter pets, and that before they bring an animal home they need to know as much information about it as they possibly can. As far as temperment, He was a big puppy dog.

[Stefan-A]

Good for Fluffy, but the best way to rescue animals is probably to not pay for them. Take them off their hands for free, sure, but I wouldn't pay for an animal in need of rescue. It just encourages those responsible.

[Snaky]

Sorry for your loss, Loren. It's always painful to lose an animal you liked...

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I wouldn't normally do it but my mommy instinct jsut couldn't leave her there to die. I don't regret it.

[drache]

Good for Fluffy, but the best way to rescue animals is probably to not pay for them. Take them off their hands for free, sure, but I wouldn't pay for an animal in need of rescue. It just encourages those responsible.
I've actually paid for all of my rexcued animals, primarily because I wasn't the one who rescued them
so I end up paying an adoption fee, but I have a feeling my adoption fees have been subject to quantity discounts
other than my garters almost all of my animals are adopted rescues
it's an excellent excuse, you know
but I know what you mean
the people who made rescuing necessary should be paying
and I don't just mean the clueless pet owner, but also the folks that sold the animal

[Stefan-A]

As long as the money doesn't go to the wrong people, I'm okay with it. :)