Martha the Savannah Monitor Lizard

I didn't have an HD camcorder until the lizard was 3 years old but still glad I documented different stages of it's life.
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[@ChromatophoneNature]

More reptile videos here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHPTpYmXnM2de6M

[@shanekingsley251]

I'm not crying I just go something in my eye

[@geckoman63]

What a beautiful girl she was. She had a tough start in life, but you rescued and clearly cared for her well and loved her. She had a safe secure life in a caring family. Thank you for sharing this touching story.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

We tried our best, that's for sure.

[@dexterchenault5029]

RIP Martha 😢

[@runningbear8088]

I feel for u both of u for the loss of your girl. I want to thank u for taking her in when u could've ignored her and walked on. BIG HEARTS!

[@asublueeyes4583]

I love how the entire video was Martha just roaming the yard rather than a “handling video”.

[@Collins22bobcats]

Thankful there are people like you out there to help the little guy!

[@DadBodJdawg]

7:26 that glint in her eye

[@varanid9]

I noticed that, too.

[@lucasd534]

His*

[@lizardinadress]

I keep a collection of a few different types of lizards, two locales of boas (1 BCC and 2 BCI), and a baby rescue ball python. I plan on getting more snakes, but my little scaly family won't be complete until I get a savannah. Thank you for saving Martha and giving her a happy healthy life while she was with you all :)

[@rqds3126]

Wow this is a happy and sad story you didn't think you just did I respect that

[@SikWiTiTx14]

You are a great person for what you did for her and properly doing so as well. Respect

[@janefilkins1735]

omg what a heart touching story. wanna thank you guys for showing her to us. and I'm so sorry that she's passed. but at you both gave her a amazing home for those precious years xxxx

[@jessicaa.a9861]

Beautiful tribute. We have a baby Sav and they are great lizards with ton of personality.

[@oldbagel2479]

I have the same type of lizard and I am holding him right now they love to cuddle and sleep on u if u take good care of them

[@danambrose1821]

This is an absolutely lovely video and lovely story. It's such an interesting journey to find love and companionship with another living creature and there is something really special when it is with non-mammals. Nothing wrong with mammals! But there's just something special about kinship with an ancient lizard. Martha was a special girl. Thanks for sharing her with us!

[@ChromatophoneNature]

+Dan Ambrose You're welcome and I agree that non-mammals are special :) Thanks.

[@kagog197]

This is the video that set me on course to get ricky

[@icefire436]

Wow, what a great video. Thank you for putting it together and sharing. They are extraordinary creatures indeed.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Yes they are, and you're welcome. So glad you liked it.

[@OmegaMegalodon]

thank you for the wonderful journey. RIP...

[@princessmisery3378]

That was such an enjoyable video. I love lizards so much!

[@ianaliciaperry5243]

Monitors are amazing creatures, I'm sorry for your loss. What s cool experience, though. Thank you for sharing!

[@matthewjohnson1385]

That is awesome what u did i had a 3 foot savanna I bought off a guy that was feeding it pizza and hamburgers had it for 3 and a half years let my friend take care of it when I went to college he died 3 months later due to his lack of feeding and taking care of it very sad loved ur video

[@user-bl3jw4bo3r]

my daughter came home with one a few weeks ago. She snuck it into the house, a baby savannah. We also have a husky / shepherd mix which I worry, if the dog had the opportunity, it would eat the lizard so we try to keep them apart. The lizard is "interesting" but I tried to talk my daughter into something that wouldn't grow as big and maybe something that are fruits as well, which would be easier to feed. I tried the savannah with a piece of hard boiled egg and a piece of lettuce but nothing doing. It seems to be only interested in crickets .. and live ones only! frankly the little bastard worries me because couple of times he hissed at me and snapped at me! I still picked him up to show him whos boss but I know when he gets bigger, he will likely eat me in my sleep. Thank you for sharing your time with this creature.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Monitor lizards require very specific conditions, definitely not for inexperienced reptile keepers, so please look into this. Here is a good resource I found on the internet: www.savannahmonitor.net

[@user-bl3jw4bo3r]

thanks!

[@itsallgood9370]

Tbh, I don't know if reptiles are the thing for you, they all can get attitudinal and you have to just work with them

[@crystallinesheen]

Great little video, thanks for making it and sharing. You had a good looking cool reptile there.

[@ralphnardi6979]

Great story!

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Glad you liked it even with the sad ending.

[@ralphnardi6979]

I have a Sav of my own, and he's still a baby but the fact that you were able to restore Martha back to full health and give her four years of an actual life is truly wonderful. It takes a special person to rescue a monitor and keep up with their needs. Especially, when you didn't expect to have one in the first place.

[@Jellybomb.]

Thanks for sharing this ...made my day x

[@ChromatophoneNature]

You're welcome. Great to hear!

[@quietlyoutspoken420]

I hope she has a good life now

[@Joff3005]

wow - he was a beaut! My sav is just over 3 now, and I would be devastated if anything happened to him. It was really interesting to see him playing with the plant, as Phil (my Sav) also loves to rip leaves and plants apart, but ive not seen this before in any others. Savs/Boscs are apparently quite prone to cancers....Sorry for your loss.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

+J 3005 Thanks. Hope Phil never has to go through cancer.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

+J 3005 Don't you mean "she" was a beaut?

[@Joff3005]

+Chromatophone Productions I do mean "she"....sorry!

[@MentallyUnsanitized]

Great story. Its damn shame it didnt end happy. Made me sad

[@ChromatophoneNature]

+MentallyUnsanitized Yea, I was kind of on the fence about making this video. Even though it is sad I think it is an interesting story and it felt therapeutic to make the video. Glad you liked it but sorry to have made you sad!

[@whitemage1234]

very nice, such beautiful animal, I'm sorry for it :(. This video make me cry

[@CronusandRhea]

I'm really saddened to see your hard work end in cancer, I mean every where I turn cancer is raping lives. I have a varanid, her name is Fiona and I really can't tell if she is a she yet. Fiona is an Argus, so I will know when she matures (sexually dimorphic). It seems you kept her properly, the video stated she lived in a large wooden enclosure with deep substrate. Burrowing is so important, as well as knowing where and what is inside their food. Sorry for your loss, it's hard to lose family.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

+CronusandRhea ZeusandHera She never burrowed much and I don't know if that is because the soil was not warm enough. My vet insisted that there was no way to find what factor led to the cancer but I assume if she had laid her eggs it would not have appeared. She did have a stressful childhood though before we found her, for sure. Thanks for your thoughts. We were very attached to her and it was really sad.

[@CronusandRhea]

Probably not your fault to be honest, her eyes did not looked sunk in, her digits did not appear swollen, and her spine looked straight. Like with is humans, life is unfair and unpredictable. Maybe one day you'll raise another varanid ;o)

[@arronhobby6548]

Your amazing peopple you did the right thing and feel sorry for you and your loss but the person that left him on the road as a little babby is bloody horrible and I hope that that feel how he did one day and r.I.p to him

[@95blckfirebird1]

Beautiful

[@yourmomsfilms]

this made me sad

[@barbarafrench6380]

We had a Savannah monitor like yours, name Puppy unfortunately he past as well. We miss our pet to this day.

[@robertfrench5864]

Barbara French

[@rcb6ocs414]

I cried

[@HeartCocoCloud]

Great video did you have to put her down? And I'm sorry for your loss

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Yes, she was not eating and probably in a lot pain. Thanks

[@rays3995]

Cool

[@indusha002]

it soo cute

[@Rat0verlord]

Nooooo I watched this to be happy :( poor girl..

[@ChromatophoneNature]

I'm sorry to have upset you, but thanks for watching!

[@Storytimeadventures2]

love the video

[@user-bl3jw4bo3r]

I think they should be called Savannah Monsters not Monitors. When ours gets bigger, I hope to rent it an apartment where it can live somewhere far from here lol

[@danielkangal6113]

Nice job

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Thank you :)

[@vivictus7165]

About the most adorable video I've ever seen. I had a savannah that passed too soon and he was amazingly affectionate. I never thought I'd see affection like that from any reptile. Just wish you didn't let her eat wild prey. So many pesticides and toxins out there.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Glad you enjoyed the video. The percentage of wild prey that she ate was extremely small. The local wild animals seem to do just fine eating the bugs in our yard.

[@BoyCary]

Way to go. If you didn't like reptiles before I bet you do now.

[@gabrielmichaels3641]

can u send me your care sheet on how to care for these beautiful animals

[@ChromatophoneNature]

I suggest purchasing this book: www.amazon.com/Savannah-Monitor-Lizard-Varanus-Exanthematicus/dp/0952663295 or consulting some of the hobbyists at the kingsnake.com monitor lizard forum.

[@freddyalvarez8940]

What do you feed him?

[@angelbabi4419]

She looks very tame. How often did you handle her when she was small?

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Pretty often. We were very enamored with her!

[@TizonaAmanthia]

farily sure pothos vines, [the house plant he was attacking] are poisonous. if he's not injesting, might not be bad, but I'd still consider taking it away, for the plant's safety as well as the kewt monitor.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

She would have to have been eating a whole lot of pothos for it to adversely affect her. Apparently these plants are not very toxic to reptiles.

[@TizonaAmanthia]

I did a small bit of digging and it never did mention reptiles, though, I wasn't sure if that was just a lack of research, etc due to...few people owning reptiles by comparison, or if they just aren't harmful. thanks for clarifying!

[@johnsullivan4056]

what's the perfect size tank for it to survive in

[@ChromatophoneNature]

You need to do a lot more research into monitor husbandry. Savannahs do not do well in typical "tanks" of any size.

[@VaranusVideos]

loved this video did u have reptiles before?

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Yes, certainly did. Still have a few.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Here is one of the first reptile vids I ever made: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn63gXuVdqZ5nas

[@rnrrandomranch.1863]

I have 2 monitors a savanna named Chita and a water monitor named Spots I'll make a video and post it on Mono Ranch WD.

[@DuyTran-vm3go]

If Savanah can eat vegetables, I will get one...

[@ChromatophoneNature]

You won’t be getting one.

[@KenPSI]

Does retaining eggs happen to all females in captivity?

[@ChromatophoneNature]

It is a common issue with captive Savannahs. Martha did not do much borrowing even though she had a cattle trough full of burrowing soil. I do not know why she never laid her eggs, but I assume there was some reason why she did not like to burrow in her cage. I just wish I had known she was a female and had gotten an x-ray much earlier :(

[@bf3PRO1234]

How did she retain eggs who did you bread her with

[@KeelansEncounters]

+bf3PRO1234 you dont have to breed them. female lizards of all species lay eggs even if they aren't fertile. they just lauy the eggs and they never hatch as anything. sometimes the female wont lay the eggs and they can damage the body.

[@KeelansEncounters]

+bf3PRO1234 you dont have to breed them. female lizards of all species lay eggs even if they aren't fertile. they just lauy the eggs and they never hatch as anything. sometimes the female wont lay the eggs and they can damage the body.

[@Liksterr97]

So she died from carrying eggs too long in the uterus? That must've been why she was in that hole? Trying to lay them in it?

[@ChromatophoneNature]

+Malik McCullom I do not know why she retained the eggs. I assume something was not optimum in her enclosure. If I had known she was female and holding eggs I could have tried some changes but never got the chance. She went in the hole in the wall looking for mice which run around there.

[@Liksterr97]

Oh! I see. She was very lively. I'm sorry for your loss, dear.

[@fiftycent2709]

What was her cage size when she was adult

[@ChromatophoneNature]

+True50Fan 6' wide x 3 1/2' deep x 5' tall.

[@fiftycent2709]

+Chromatophone Productions thank you

[@karimsp2595]

słodek :)

[@koziolsreps5870]

Where is Martha today? thanks

[@ChromatophoneNature]

***** As mentioned in the video she passed away due to cancer. My theory is that the soil in her cage was not warm enough so she would not lay her eggs and being egg bound brought on the cancer. I could be wrong though.

[@michaelcouture5282]

She may have become egg-bound from being unable to lay? Sorry for your loss. Nice video!

[@CaveRealms]

The bugs she ate outside could have been full or covered with insecticides causing a build up of chemicals leading to cancer

[@lizardinadress]

Don't be a party pooper.

[@CaveRealms]

Im srry

[@saladv3028]

yeah but it's true tho, reason why reptile keepers feed their pets captive bred insects

[@ChromatophoneNature]

I really don't think she ate enough outside bugs to cause her cancer.

[@scottbrown6505]

Yep

[@mampam7020]

This happens to all female Savannah monitor lizards, nobody really knows why.

[@shannonsechrist3751]

Glad you gave Martha/Martin/Martha a great life I have one yet to be sexed can't wait untill I can tell the sex great vid

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Just found more footage of "him" that I had lost: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZ7aiIqsi7x2mLs

[@Collins22bobcats]

/girl lol

[@monsterfiles8649]

over weight

[@ChromatophoneNature]

+monster files nope.

[@monsterfiles8649]

+Chromatophone Productions not really but keep an eye on her she is fine

[@monsterfiles8649]

+Chromatophone Productions finally got a Savannah Monitor for Christmas today by Santa she is mean but I still love her. Her name is Sheila and is 10 inches long.