WELCOME TO THE SAV WORLD!
(Mediocre experience required)
I have owned reptiles since I was six years old and have had a deep fascination with monitors. I have had years of researching, reptile-common-sense, and experience to debunk the false care info and put together a care sheet to meet your reptile’s needs and add enrichment to their lives. We will go over the care of your savannah monitor this sheet!
What to consider before purchasing your new buddy.
Enclosure:
Varanus exanthematicus
Babies can live in a 50-gal enclosure. It would be economical to upgrade yearlings to a 6ftLx4ftWx3ftTall minimum then. This would be their final cage upgrade, but if you want to go bigger, you can. They are mainly terrestrial, so do not worry about adding climbing options unless it’s minimum and walking to the next terrestrial platform. Just add a lot of clutter to make a smaller monitor feel secure.
Substrate(Flooring):
Cypress mulch and eco earth would do great; they burrow, so add enough substrate for them to dig under. Give the monitor a heavy layer of substrate enough for them to mine; most importantly, until you prove that the monitor is a male, you can give it a good 3 inches of substrate. This is very important for females!! Females need to burrow if they are about to lay eggs, or they will be egg bound which can kill them. She will not require a male to lay eggs.
Décor:
Add a tile on an elevated space for basking. Have a water bowl on the cold side (reduces bacteria), and you can put a hide on the hot and cold side. Add a bunch of clutter. Refrain from cardboard. It molds super fast!
Cohabbing long-term isn’t a good idea.
Humidity & Temps:
Overheating a Sav. 65% or higher Humidity. 75-80° Cool side 90-100° Hot side. This leads to early death; only the basking spot should be 130-140. Always have a heating pad or basking light on a thermostat for accurate temp control.
Handling:
Always approach a monitor slow and low. They can be flighty initially, along with hissing, tail whips, and bites. If you force handles these monitors, they may lean towards biting you as they get bigger. Let your monitor walk up to you before you handle it, watch its behavior, and retreat whenever they start to show the defensive signs again.
Feeding:
((See the last page for the entire list of feeders))
Savannahs have a massive problem in captivity with obesity, so it’s essential to feed them mainly insects like well-fed crickets, waxworms, mealworms, earthworms, super worms, silkworms, grasshoppers, roaches, and canned insects. VARIETY IS KEY! Beetles are fantastic too! You can do it often, like once a month, some boiled egg or ground TURKEY (most lean), but it is in your pet’s best interest to eat bugs. A big belly is a no-no for this species; they would die of liver or kidney failure. I know this may go against many people’s views as you see it all the time on the internet as a savannah eating a rat or mouse. Research has grown since then, and it has been concluded that all those obese Savannahs don’t need rats and mice & that they primarily need insects as they eat those mainly in the wild too.
Vitamins:
A light dusting of calcium. Too much calcium is defiantly a thing, do not put calcium on prey items that already have enough, like Phoenix Worms.
Cleaning:
Please clean your monitor’s poops & pees once you see them; they can get sick if you don’t! Every six months, deep clean & replace the substrate.
ALL FEEDERS:
You can feed these vertebrates if the monitor has good weight and only feed these frogs/fish once every month or less. It’s a TREAT Bullfrog, Salmon, Sardines, Silversides, Smelt, & Tilapia
Now all below are insects to can feed your Sav.
Duba, Hisser, DuskyCave, Lobster, Headlamp, Ivoryhead, Peruvian Cave, RedHead, RedGoblin, and Red Runner ROACHES
Florida OWNERS: Discoid, Australian, Green Banana, Suriname, Horseshoe crab, Oriental, Palid, Death Head, Florida Skunk ROACHES
Locust, Crickets, Grasshoppers, Silkworms, Superworms, Mantis, Earthworm, European/African/Canadian Nightcrawlers, Alabama Jumper, Black Soldier Fly Larva/BSFL/Phoenix Worms/Calci Worm, Butter Worms, Wax Worms, Hornworms, Shrimp, Crabs, Crayfish, Mussels, Snails, Giant African land snails, Helix Aspersa, Helix Vermiculata, Otala Lactea, Theba Pisana LAND SNAILS, Apple/Mystery Snails, Nerites, Ramshorns, Trumpets, Japanese Trapdoor AQUATIC SNAILS. If your savannah monitor is obese, do not feed them quail eggs or F/T chickens or quail. This is a treat that healthy Savannahs get to eat only rarely, like once every two months or less.