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No Shiv Anonymous
So, I got a Savannah Monitor and I've been reading call kinds of sites on how to take care of it...But, I also want other opinions. I've read the Animals & Nature for quite a while and respect most people's opinions here. Anyone have any suggestions?
>> Infidel !!qiClNei5oRk
You know it's going to get huge, right?
>> Anonymous
Yeah, four to five feet. I'm already working on plans to build its habitat.
>> Anonymous
Hi. Herpetology student specializing in the breeding and husbandry of Varanid lizards here.

I got my start with Savannahs a while back. And just so you know, if this is your first monitor, then you, sir, are a fucking moron.

Keep in mind that a HEALTHY Savannah is going to be mean as hell for the most part. No monitor, if in good condition, is ever going to be "tame". Once he/she hits the two-foot mark, or thereabouts, that little lizard that's happy sitting on your shoulder now is NOT going to be very happy with you fucking around with it.

Beyond that, make sure he has room. Lots of it. I keep a single male Sav in a 180 gallon modified livestock trough with about a foot and a half of good topsoil on the bottom for digging. Good sized water pan, big enough for him to soak in if he wants, though he usually just goes up to it, drinks, and moves on. Soaking usually means your Savannah is in need of hydration. I spray ALL my reptiles down daily with a good misting of lukewarm water. My monitors will usually lap water off the sides of the cage, the furniture, etc., even if they do have a water pan.
>> Anonymous
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Oh, and...

Feed him. A lot. And a variety of stuff. Crickets and small mealworms are fine, but in a couple months he'll have grown a lot. My male was three feet long before his first birthday. I started feeding Zephyrus mice when he was about five months old, and he got one small mouse every other day, with crickets offered every day. I offer all my big monitors, including my Sav, two adult mice every other day. They also get mealworms, a bit of boiled egg, and even the odd cocktail weenie, odd as that sounds. Put variety in their diet, but remember these guys are prone to obesity. But it's better to have a lizard that's a little too fat than one that's too thin.

Uhhh. Basking areas. HOT. Like around 120 degrees fahrenheit. Ambient temps can hover around the 80's during the day, but the basking temp NEEDS to be HOT.

...Picture related, as it's the same male Savannah I've been talking about, back when he was about six months old. He was "friendly" back then, though. Because he wasn't very healthy and I was inexperienced. He liked my hair.

In before "no girls on the internet".
>> Anonymous
You got the critter BEFORE you started to look into how to take care of it? LOL...
>> Anonymous
>>91350

damn that's big. my monitor is only 19". I can't even imagine what a 5 foot monitor would be like. must be awesome.
>> Anonymous
>>91385

Yeah, most species of monitors get around five feet. The female Asian Water Monitor I've got at the shop I work at is about five and a half now. Females tend to stay smaller in a lot of species. My new Argus female is about three and a half.

Oh, OP, this is the Herpetology student again. Kingsnake.com is your friend when it comes to monitor lizards. Go to the forums -> Lizards -> Monitors.

Good luck with the baby Sav.