Savannah Monitor

Savannah Monitor Latin name: Varanus exanthematicus

Sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Sudan. Found north of the Congo river. Lives in

tropical savannahs with seasonal drenching monsoons punctuating extended periods of

parched weather.

Typically 2.5 to 4 feet, although rare 5 foot specimens are known.

10 to 15 years if given proper care.

This is a stocky monitor with a blocky head, equipped with large,

powerful limbs and large talons. The neck and tail are short for a monitor, but still long

compared to many lizards. It is colored shades of brown and grey, typically with faint

pale spots on its back, darker bands across its tail, and a white underside. Enlarged scales

on its neck give it a pebbly appearance. A long, forked, purple tongue is used by the

lizard to smell its environment.

Adults will need a set-up about the size of a dinner table or large sofa. Plan

on 4 feet by 8 feet of floor space. A design that works well uses a galvanized

steel stock watering tank as the base with a plywood box of 8 feet long by 4 feet

deep by 4 feet tall set on top. The stock tank holds the deep substrate, the box

allows room to move around above the ground. Limit ventilation, especially on

the hot side of the cage, to prevent turning your enclosure into a dehydration

machine. Avoid using wire mesh of any kind, instead use glass or plexiglass to

maintain adequate humidity. Young animals can be maintained in aquaria of

appropriate sizes with a basking light set overhead and a sheet of plexiglass over

the top to limit moisture loss.

The cool side of the cage should be between 75 and 80 degrees F, with

temperatures increasing to 90º to 100 º F on the hot end with basking spots as

large as the lizard's body that reach 110 º to 130 º F. Night time temperatures can

fall to normal room temperature.

A warm basking spot should be provided by radiant light. Racks of flood

lamps work well for this, plan on 3 to 4 lamps at 60 to 120 watts each. Adjust the

height above the basking spot to reach the ideal temperature. Supplemental heat

can be supplied by large, robust heat mats such as "pig blankets." The lizard

should be able to rest its entire body on the mat. Ultraviolet light is not necessary.

Dirt provides the best substrate. It needs to be deep enough to allow the lizard

to construct tunnels and burrows naturally. This provides not only security, but

helps with regulating humidity and temperature. Beware, not all dirt is created

equal. Go to a nursery or landscape supply business and choose a dirt that holds a

burrow and humidity, drains well, is not too dusty, and does not turn to slime

when wet. Fill the monitor's cage to a depth of two feet.

: Be careful not to let your savannah monitor get too dry. Aim for humidtropical

air without making the cage wet. Savannah monitors become inactive in

the dry season; a dry cage coupled with readily available food will lead to obesity

and health problems. Logs and sticks, particularly hollow logs, provide exercise

and entertainment. A large cat litter pan can be used for providing water. Live

plants will quickly be destroyed by a curious and active monitor.

Insects can make up the bulk of the monitor's diet, supplemented by an occasional rodent.

Lightly dust insects with a reptile vitamin and mineral powder. Large cockroaches, such

as Madagascar hissing roaches, are especially relished. If you can collect snails and

earthworms from pesticide free areas, add these to your lizard's diet to round it out. A diet

based largely on rodents may also be used, but it is unknown if this will cause health

problems in the long term (wild savannah monitors eat almost entirely invertebrates).

Feed whole food items whenever possible, avoid canned foods, cuts of meat, and cat or

dog foods. Multiple small food items are preferable to one large meal. Feed daily.

Savannah monitors are prone to obesity, feed juveniles as much as they will eat but adjust

the diet of adults as needed. Fasts, possibly lasting several months, may be useful for

controlling weight.

Clean up feces and urates as soon as you notice them, inspect the cage at least

once daily for cleanliness. Replace the water when it becomes soiled or dirty and scrub

out the dish. The top substrate can dry out, but make sure it remains moist (not wet)

underneath. Add a few buckets of water to the cage as necessary to keep the substrate

slightly damp.