Trooper
The savannah monitor is a stocky monitor with a blocky head, equipped with large, powerful limbs and large talons. The neck and tail are short for a monitor, but still long compared too many lizards. It is colored shades of brown and gray, typically with faint pale spots on its back, darker bands across its tail, and a white underside. Some have been found to have varying shades of oranges, reds, and pinks. Enlarged scales on its neck give it a pebbly appearance. A long, forked, purple tongue is used by the lizard to smell its environment. Typical size of 2.5 to 4 feet, although 5 foot specimens are known but rare. Average life span 10 to 15 years if given proper care.
The savannah monitor can be found in Sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Sudan. Found north of the Congo River and in Lives in tropical savannahs with seasonal drenching monsoons punctuating extended periods of parched weather.
Temperature
The cool side of the cage should be between 75° - 80° F, with ambient temperatures 85° to 90° F on the hot end with basking spots that reach 110° to 130° F. Night time temperatures can fall to 70°.
Housing
The best rule of thumb for this is you want at least 2 sq. foot of space for every one foot of adult monitor. That’s inside open cage space. From the top of the enclosure to the top of the substrate. A hatchling /juvenile can easily be housed in a 3’ long x 3’ deep x 3’ tall enclosure but that will not last long with proper care. Adults can and will take at least a 6’ long x 4’ deep x 4’ tall if not larger. You can build or buy a large enclosure.
Bedding
Dirt provides the best substrate. It needs to be deep enough to allow the monitor to construct tunnels and burrows naturally. This provides not only security, but helps with regulating humidity and temperature. Go to places like Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick up non-chemically treated soil, sand, and peat moss. Mix the soil and peat moss (add water if needed) then add the sand slowly together until it clumps in your hand but doesn’t drip. Fill the monitor's cage to a depth of two or three feet. You can also get mulch (cypress) and use that instead of dirt but be sure to have humidity gages so that you can ensure proper humidity. You can buy a mister to spray if the cage with if it’s having a problem holding humidity. By using the mulch the cage will need to be sprayed everyday. You can also spray the top of the soil to ensure it doesn’t get to dry which can strip the cage of humidity and dry out the monitor.
Food
Adult monitors can be fed a staple diet of frozen-thawed mice, rats, and bunny kits every other day. Juvenile monitors can be raised on a diet of insects dusted with vitamin and mineral powder and appropriately sized rodents everyday. I prefer to feed my monitors a mixture of cooked ground turkey and beef heart. Be sure to add a calcium supplement if you follow this diet.
Cleaning and Handling
Clean up feces and urates as soon as you notice them, inspect the cage at least once daily for cleanliness. Replace the water when it becomes soiled or dirty and scrub out the dish. The top substrate can dry out, but make sure it remains moist (not wet) underneath. Add a few buckets of water to the cage as necessary to keep the substrate slightly damp.
