Savannah Monitor
(Varanus exanthematicus)
Habitat: African Savanna    Diet: Carnivore    Adult Size: 2.5-6 feet   
Lifespan: 10+ years    Native To: Africa

Did You Know:

  • The Monitor species have forked tongues. This tongue shape helps reptiles locate the scent of their prey.
  • Savannah Monitors sometimes swallow their food whole or in large pieces, dislocating the thyroid bone in order to enlarge the throat.
  • When frightened, Savannah Monitors puff up their body and throat, turn sideways and lash their tail to appear larger. These lizards will also use their powerful tails as "rudders" to steer themselves when swimming.

The material below is a general guideline, and is not intended to serve as your sole source of pet care information. Visit a veterinarian trained in caring for reptiles and consult a broad range of literature to ensure that your pet receives adequate care.
 

What You Should Know About The Savannah Monitor

The Basics:

Savannah Monitor hatchlings rarely measure more than 4" at birth. By the time they reach maturity between three and five years, they've often increased in size to 4'. Some will even grow as large as 6'. Their tan or gray skin has pale or dark-ringed spots on the back and dark bands around the tail. The underbelly is white, and the skin on the back of the neck has enlarged “pebbly” scales. They use their long, forked purple or blue tongues to smell and explore their environment. The average lifespan for a captive Savannah Monitor is 6 to 10 years.

Enclosure:
They Need A Space And Seclusion:

Though one or two babies can be housed temporarily in a 20-gallon tank, a single adult will need a minimum of 70 square feet of floor space. The enclosure should also be at least 5 feet in height. Many keepers will devote an entire room to their Savannah Monitors. Since these lizards need seclusion, three sides of their enclosures should be covered with cloth, paper
or card, placed on the outside surface. Hiding spots, such as rocks and dense foliage, should be provided throughout the enclosure.

They Are Always On The Lookout For A Quick Getaway:

No matter how comfortable their enclosure, these wily creatures will spend hours each day searching for any possible means of escape. The enclosure should be as tall as possible to stop the animals climbing out, and sturdily built to withstand the might of these powerful creatures. Screens cannot be used as part of the enclosure, since they will quickly be shredded by the Savannah Monitor’s sharp talons.
Substrate:
Keep It Easy To Clean: 		Savannah Monitors tend to be messy, so their substrate
needs replacing on a frequent basis. A piece of Astroturf™ cut to size makes an ideal flooring – a spare piece can be kept on hand and switched out for washing and disinfecting. Some owners prefer to use brown butcher’s paper, simply replacing the entire substrate when it becomes soiled. Gravel or sand should never be used: gravel can be swallowed, risking a potentially fatal impaction, while sand can be drawn up inside the body when the animal defecates.

Lighting:
Soaking Up UVB Rays:

Savannah Monitors need exposure to direct Ultraviolet B
rays in order to synthesize vitamin D3 and absorb calcium. If not exposed to an adequate level of UVB lighting, they can develop Metabolic Bone Disease. UV lamps specifically
designed for reptiles should be used, and fluorescent tubes should be replaced every six months. Since glass, clear plastic and acrylic block UVB rays, overhead light sources
should be mounted inside the enclosure within 12 inches of the animal, behind a sturdy wire cover. To give the Savannah Monitor a natural day/night cycle, lights should be left
on for 10-12 hours during the day and turned off at night. Lighting should never be left on overnight – constant light will cause the animal severe stress. Important - see the Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating below.

Temperature:
Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!:

The Savannah Monitor’s African habitat is very hot all
year round, so the enclosure should be kept at a temperature of around 85-98ºF during the day and around 72-80ºF at night. The basking spot can be even hotter, 100º. A thermal gradient (warmer and cooler zones) allows the animal to regulate its body temperature by moving around the enclosure. Heat can be supplied by a combination of heat lamps and underfloor heating. Temperatures should be monitored by three thermometers: one in the warmer zone, one in the cooler zone and one in the basking spot. Important - see the Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating below.

Note About Day/Night Light Cycles and Heating:

All reptiles, including this pet, must have distinct day and night periods in their enclosure to maintain their biological rhythms. (See the lighting entry above for the specific length of this animal’s day/night cycle.) The day period must be light; and night must be dark. A timer should be used to set day/night periods. If a heat source is required to maintain correct nighttime temperatures, use heat mats or strips mounted below or on the side of the tank, infrared heat lamps, ceramic heat emitters, or a combination of these products. This will allow the enclosure to be heated while remaining dark. Follow directions carefully with all products. If ceramic heat emitters are used, always choose fixtures with porcelain or ceramic sockets and to protect against fires do not place them by dry wood or flammable fabrics. Ceramic heat emitters must be kept out of the reach of children and all pets, including dogs and cats.

Diet:
It Has A Huge Appetite: 		In the wild, the Savannah Monitor feeds voraciously during
the wet season and starves in the dry season, living off its fat reserves. In captivity, when provided with a constant supply of food all year round without having to lift a finger, it
can tend towards obesity. Savannah Monitor owners need to offer a healthful diet, and watch their animals carefully for signs of excessive weight gain. In general, Savannah
Monitors will gorge themselves on virtually anything placed in front of them, but a varied diet of insects, crayfish and canned monitor food offered in controlled portions, along
with an occasional pinkie or fuzzy mouse, will keep the animal healthy. Though they do eat mainly rodents and small mammals in the wild, the high fat content of this type of diet
can lead to weight gain and lethargy in some captive Savannahs. Adult Savannah Monitors over three feet long should be fed twice weekly, juveniles more often. Always wash the hands before feeding any reptile to remove the smell of other animals, and offer food with forceps or kitchen tongs. Important -- It is necessary to provide calcium and vitamin supplements as part of the diet. Please read the supplement section below:
Supplements: Rodents fed to this animal do not need to be dusted with any supplements. If this animal is given insects as any part of its diet, our veterinarian offers this advice. Dust insects with a plain calcium supplement every time they are given offered to the pet. (Avoid using a calcium supplement with added phosphorous, unless specifically directed by your veterinarian, since this can promote kidney disease.) Also dust insects with a D3 supplement once a week and a vitamin supplement two times a month.  As a rule, a growing juvenile's food should be dusted more often than an adult's. Follow product label directions when applying supplements, and avoid over-supplementing food. This is only one recommendation, consult your veterinarian for specific directions on supplementing your pet’s food, since there are many variables that go into determining the best supplementing regimen for a given animal.
A NOTE ABOUT WATER: All water given to this pet for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals. (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. If tap water is used, you should treat it with a dechlorinating treatment. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions
Water: A shallow bowl of chlorine-free water should be in the enclosure at all times. Besides drinking the water, the Savannah Monitor will likely soak and defecate in it, so it needs to be changed frequently. The bowl itself should be very stable, so that the animal cannot tip it over.


How to Handle A Savannah Monitor
The Savannah Monitor is one of the few lizard species that can eventually become accustomed to handling. However, they are large, powerful and relatively heavy creatures so handling is never easy, even with the tamest specimen. Their strong jaws, filled with sharp teeth designed to immobilize their prey, can inflict a painful bite. Rugged gloves that cover the forearms should be worn, and as with any lizard, hands should always be washed before handling to remove the scent of other animals, and afterwards to remove any bacteria.


Look Out For This:
The Savannah Monitor is not a good pet for anyone but a very experienced reptile keeper. An intelligent lizard, it sometimes appears to amuse itself by planning escape attempts. Be sure the enclosure is
securely fastened at all times. The stocky Savannah Monitor’s powerful limbs and sharp claws can damage most things in its path.


Recommended Savannah Monitor Supplies:

  • A tall, secure enclosure

  • UVB emitting light

  • Heat lamp for basking area

  • Three thermometers, so temperature can be monitored at both ends of the enclosure, and in basking area

  • Substrate

  • Shallow, sturdy water dish and food bowl

  • A means of covering three sides of the enclosure

  • Rocks and dense plants to offer hiding spots