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 Savannah Monitors
(Varanus exanthematicus)
Savannah monitors can be found through most
of eastern to western Africa, and are a
popular pet, especially among first-time
lizard owners. These lizards are dark to
dusty gray, with light dotting on their
backs. Their tongues are long and
surprisingly blue, and they use them
constantly to explore their environments.
With proper care, captive savannah monitors
can live between ten and fifteen years.
Hatchlings are often 4 - 5 inches in length,
and can reach up to 4 feet as adults.
Savannahs are generally ready eaters, and
will easily increase their weight five to
ten times during the course of the first
year, more than doubling their hatchling
size of 2½ to 4 inches during that time.
While monitors are quiet and do not demand
the time and attention that a dog does, they
do require a large enclosure and, as they
eat frequently, their enclosure needs to be
cleaned frequently. They are not naturally
tame, so significant time must be spent with
them the first year to tame them, and then
regular time must be spent interacting with
them to keep them tame. They prefer a
routine, with regular feeding and cleaning
times.
Savannahs are quite intelligent lizards and,
as with many reptiles (and other animals)
with lots of time on their hands, they spend
some time every day trying to escape. Once
out, they will cheerfully tear your house
apart climbing around, looking for that
perfect hiding place--someplace very dark,
very tight, and very difficult for you to
reach. Vents and other access into the walls
and major appliance are kid's play to these
monitors. Unfortunately, not only can this
drive you crazy, it can get expensive
repairing and replacing broken objects, and
repairing your monitor if it gets injured
while out and about.
On the other hand, many monitors will be
content with a savannah-safe area, and
things for them to climb on, contentedly
basking for some time before moving on. You
can thus let your savannah out into a
secured room for regular periods of exercise
and sunning through an open window. This
will benefit the savannah in many ways, not
the least of which will be some exercise to
offset their tendency towards obesity (and
liver disease).
Give your monitor some time to get
acclimated in its new home. Approach it
slowly; and avoid abrupt movements. Allow it
to hide for the first several days; do not
be too concerned if it does not eat during
this time. Within a few weeks, it should be
comfortable in its new surroundings, and
should be starting to feed well. Weight gain
and growth will be obvious.
In the long run, it is less expensive to buy
a large enclosure for your monitor to grow
into, rather than to buy a small enclosure
that will not last more than six months.
Start with a 30-gallon tank at the least. A
55- or 60-gallon is even better. Stay away
from open-mesh enclosures, as these monitors
must be kept warm and, unless you live in a
consistently warm environment yourself, it
will be costly and complicated to get such
an enclosure heated to the proper
temperature.
Stay away from screen-sided or topped
enclosures (hardware cloth tops are
acceptable). Savannahs have incredibly sharp
claws, and can easily shred a hole in
screen. Make sure that the walls, floor, and
ceiling are securely attached to each other.
If the savannah finds a weak spot, it will
work at it until it works a hole just big
enough for it to squeeze through. Along the
same lines, keep its enclosure away from
drapes, expensive lamps, computer equipment,
etc. When taken out of its enclosure, a
savannah will scrabble around trying to hook
its claws into anything it can.
If you live where it is very cold during the
winter, your savannah may go through a short
seasonal hibernation. This is not
encouraged, but sometimes is unavoidable.
Always have its enclosure set at the proper
temperatures. During the day, temperatures
should range from 85-90 F (29-32 C). At
night, it can drop about 10-15 degrees, to
75-85 F (24-29 C).
Heat should be provided in two ways: a
subtank or sub-substrate heating pad under
half the tank, and a basking area.
Eventually you may wish to purchase a
fiberglass pig blanket, and connect it to a
thermostat. Heat tapes, incandescent lights,
or ceramic heating elements are all suitable
for providing heat. Use whatever combination
is necessary to maintain the proper
temperature ranges day and night, and
without stressing the monitor at night by
burning a white light for heat. A slightly
more expensive way to heat the monitor is to
keep the entire room warm, usually by use of
a space heater.
Hot rocks may be used only for smaller
monitors, and only when guarded against
getting too hot. As with all lizards,
monitors have been known to lay on hot rocks
until they burn their stomachs, which are
more heat-sensitive than their scaly backs.
If using a hot rock, it should be connected
to a thermostat to keep the surface
temperature down to 85-95 F (29-32 C), not
the 105 F (40 C) that the hot rocks
typically reach.
Astroturf or indoor/outdoor carpeting are
excellent for bedding. Extra pieces may be
kept on hand, already cut to fit, and popped
in the tank while the soiled piece is
removed for cleaning and disinfecting. Wood
chips are more aesthetically appealing, but
may be fatal if your monitor accidentally
eats them.
Savannahs like their privacy. Provide
shelters at both ends of the gradient.
Commercially available "caves" and half-logs
work well for small monitors, but they
become prohibitively expensive or impossible
to find in a size suitable for full grown
savannahs. Recycle cardboard tissue boxes or
any other box into which your monitor will
fit. The advantage of using such boxes is
that they are easily and inexpensively
replaced with bigger ones as your monitor
grows. Larger monitors can be provided
wooden shelters; they can be decorated with
rock, mosses, bark, etc. to "dress" them up.
Keep in mind that, when designing a
naturalistic terrarium, monitors come from
rather hot, dry surroundings.
Monitors, like other lizards, do best with
ultraviolet B for calcium metabolism, and a
regular photo-period. Use a Vita-Lite or
other UVB-producing fluorescent tube (not a
plant or aquarium light) plugged into a
household appliance timer. Set the timer to
be on 10-12 hours a day, slightly less
during the winter. Blacklights and very
high-output ultraviolet bulbs eyes can
damage monitor eyes and cause immune
suppression, and so should be avoided. If
you can provide real sunlight, either coming
in through a window screen (not glass or
Plexiglas), or in a semi-shaded secured
outdoors area on a regular basis, you may be
able to do without as much artificial
supplementation.
A healthy savannah will feed just about any
time you offer food. If it does not
willingly eat (and is not in a seasonal
hibernation or breeding season), then it is
very likely ill. Healthy, well-fleshed
monitors can easily get through the
hibernation and breeding season without any
serious loss; sick monitors should not be
allowed to go that long without food.
Hatchlings can be started on crickets,
earthworms, Zoophoba ("king" worms) and pink
mice. Feed insects that are no bigger than
2/3 the length of the lizard's head, and
start on pinkies when the monitor is a
couple of months old and has grown large
enough for them.
As your hatchling grows bigger, switch to
fuzzy mice. Savannahs are secretive,
especially small ones who are prey for
other, larger, animals. The exercise they
get chasing the crickets is good for them,
so do feed them crickets during this period
as long as they will take them.
Savannahs will easily eat pre-killed prey.
If you are using frozen prey, be sure to
defrost it thoroughly and warm it slightly
before offering it to the monitor. For
safety's sake, offer monitors their prey by
dangling it from forceps or kitchen tongs.
Their jaws are strong, and accidents can
happen if your fingers are too close to that
tasty mouse-sized snack.
A monitor’s greatest period of growth is
within the first two-three years, and this
is the period when the greatest amount of
food will be required. Feed hatchlings (up
to one foot in length) one to four small
mice or fuzzies (depending upon the
monitor's size) every two-three days
Juvenile/Subadults (up to three feet in
length) should be fed one to four mice twice
a week. Adults (three or more feet in
length) can be fed twice a week, adjusted as
necessary based on weight gain and amount of
exercise. Obesity in savannahs, a serious
health condition caused by improper care, is
all too common in captivity. You will have
to use your judgment, observing how the
monitor looks, taking into consideration the
temperature and amount of activity. Start
with a couple of mice or weanling rats a
week.
Savannahs enjoy soaking in water. Provide
them with a water bowl or tub big enough for
them to submerge themselves (they can stay
under water for extended periods of time).
They will drink their water, and may
defecate in it, so the bowl must be checked
at least once a day to keep it clean and
filled. Savannahs are also handy at tipping
over water tubs, so make sure to use sturdy,
bottom-heavy crocks or tubs.
With proper care and handling, your savannah
monitor will be a pet you can enjoy for
years!
Sources:
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Balsai, Michael. The General Care and
Maintenance of Savannah Monitors.
1992. Advanced Vivarium Systems,
Lakeside CA.
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Bennett, Daniel. Monitor Lizards:
Natural History, Biology and Husbandry.
1998. Viper Press, UK.
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EMBL Reptile Database: Varanidae
-
Obst, F., et al. The Completely
Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and
Amphibians. 1988. TFH Publications,
Inc. Neptune City, NJ.
-
Reptile News Press. The Complete
Guide to Keeping Monitors. 1992.
Aurora, CO.
-
Sprackland, Robert G. Giant Lizards.
1992. TFH Publications, Inc. Neptune
City NJ.
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