I will add... That the water was changed.. :)  He had just tromped through it during his "hunt" and I have to wait until he is asleep to change it... I realized how awful that seemed. lol

He doesn't try to bite.. and has only even hissed once when I bothered him in his hide.  It's all the "hunting"... nose rubbing, digging at the glass... I worry that I'm not feeding him when I should.. or that he would be hostile in those moments. LOL.  Right now, he gets a mouse a week.. and has had an egg in between.  I've offered insects, too.  Which he's taken here and there.  He is about 14" ... so, just crickets is definitely not enough. 

Do you have any idea why the crickets don't appeal to him? Could it be the size factor? Just an idea, but maybe roaches would work? Sounds like he's still small enough that large Dubia nymphs/adults would get his attention, and there are larger species to be had, as well... Hissers come to mind (though I've heard they're slower to get started). Roaches are great feeders for your beardie and any other insectivores you plan on getting, too. :)

I've never kept a Sav, but I've skimmed their care here and there. It seems the Rodents vs Inverts thing is still heavily debated. One of those things where it seems the best you can do is read both sides of the arguments and decide on your own which seems to be the most sensible route. SavannahMonitor.co seems to be a highly regarded care site for monitors. Here's his article on mice VS inverts, in case it's any help. http://www.savannahmonitor.co/mice/

try some worms if he isnt going for the crickets, I used to have one and I fed him an adult mouse once a week and a few (10-15) crickets every few days that what he ate and he pooped on a regular basis 

Roaches are great for Savs. I'd suggest getting him some Dubias?  they're nowhere near as high in fat.

Girlfriend, you are going to give yourself an ulcer! - he seems fine! Savs are little babies, and want to eat all the time. People give into that, which is why SO many adult savs are morbidly obese and die early of fatty liver disease. He looks great, his body confirmation is great - the only thing I'd recommend is once he's a bit bigger, transitioning him to a habitat that has more ground space and less vertical space (I.E. a 40 breeder versus a 55 -- 55's are long, but they're not wide, whereas the 40 breeder isn't super tall, but has a good amount of ground space). When he's hungry, he will eat, I promise. DON'T be afraid to handle him, but be mindful when you're going to pick him up. They huff and puff all the time, that's just what they do, haha. And make sure your hands are free of mouse-stink :-)  ...one mouse a week isn't going to cut it. 

Keep in mind that he's a growing boy, and at 14", has a ton more space to fill out - thus, it's OK to feed him more than you would an adult. I give my sav F/T fuzzies as treats a couple times a week, but he mostly hunts crickets and roaches, or dives into a bowl of hornworms. He'll occasionally get half a hard-boiled egg as a treat as well (my tegu gets the other half, haha) - I'm of the school of thought that a varied diet is the best kind of diet. In the wild, they'll eat whatever they can find, and like I've said before, predator/prey relationships are not perfect science. It's opportunistic. If he "doesn't like crickets" - tough - he'll learn to. He's healthy, hydrated, warm, alert, and cranky - perfect little Savannah Monitor :-)

How are you approaching him to handle him? If he knows you're nervous, you bet your ass he's going to take advantage of that. Monitors are CRAZY smart, and pick up on nuances like that. Have you ever noticed that he ALWAYS makes eye contact with you? M-hmm...something going on in that little Varanid brain of his!

OMG.. the eye contact thing.. NUTS!! He watches me eat from across the room.. glaring.  I swear it!  I'm totally not scared to pick him up.  I do what I do with my non-legged babies.. stroke his side to see if he's up for it.  He generally IS.  He likes to be held and interacted with.  It's like he KNOWS we are gonna do something.. anything.  I totally agree with the varied diet school of thought!  I've tried mealworms.. from a bowl.. from tongs (he LOVES eating from tongs!).. he just does not love the worms.  He tried one.. and left the rest for like 5 days!  Crickets, like I said, will eat them here and there.  When he does, he goes after them like a crazy lil monster!  Which I know is great.  It's all the rest of the time I have to listen to them!!  Today when I go get everyone's mice, I plan to get him some slightly smaller crickets that do not yet have wings.  I am hypothesizing that this may be part of his issue... as he regerged winged crickets directly after swallowing.  Perhaps smaller mice, more often??

And, yes, and ulcer is eminent......  I made it through birthing and getting four kids into elementary school easier than this! LMAO

hello, i just got my first sav and im trying to find all the correct info i can. ive had him 4 days  he ate on the second day and i gave him a mouse today and he is sleeping next to it. can anyone help me ive had snakes before this is my first sav. I also notice his color is darker than the pics of the others i see on here. every morning i find him burried under the aspen bedding i have for substrate. as knowing nothing about savs im hopping im doing everything right with him