ReptiCenter's Savannah Monitor Care Sheet

Enclosure: Adult savannah monitors 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 plexiglas to maintain adequate humidity. Young savannah monitors can be maintained in aquaria of appropriate sizes with a basking light set overhead and a sheet of plexiglas over the top to limit moisture loss. TEMPERATURE: The cool side of the cage should be between 75° and 80° F, with temperatures increasing to 90° to 100° F on the hot end with basking spots as large as the savannah monitor's body that reach 110° to 130° F. Night time temperatures can fall to normal room temperature. HEAT/LIGHT: A warm basking spot should be provided for this monitor 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 savannah monitor should be able to rest its entire body on the mat. Ultraviolet light is not necessary. SUBSTRATE: Dirt provides the best substrate. It needs to be deep enough to allow the savannah monitor 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 savannah monitor's cage to a depth of two feet.