Savannah monitors (Varanus exanthematicus) are medium-sized monitor lizards that are usually readily available in most reptile specialty stores and from breeders. They are intelligent (for lizards), beautiful, usually tame pretty easily, and do not grow huge(for monitors!). Savannahs usually are less expensive to purchase than some of the other monitor species. Savannah monitors hail from Africa, and they are also listed as a "threatened" species in their natural habitat, due to the pet trade, trade in reptile skins, and the fact that they are used in their native countries as a source of food.

Savannah monitors are usually first purchased as hatchlings or juveniles. Remember that although they look small and cute when they are this age, they will grow to three feet or beyond and weigh around 11-12+ pounds when they are fully grown. They also require a large amount of space and a fairly large amount of food to be maintained properly. Any monitor, including Savannah monitors, should be treated with respect, because they are extremely strong for their size, and have very sharp teeth. We have never been bitten by ours, and wouldn't want to be. A bite from one of these lizards can even require stitches. Not trying to scare anyone off, just giving you information that you should know before purchasing a monitor lizard. We also believe that a Savannah monitor is one of the best monitor lizards to start with. They are well-known for becoming tame in captivity, especially if you are willing to invest time into taming them. Some Savannahs almost seem to be affectionate towards their owners.

The best choice for a pet savannah monitor is a young animal (hatchling or juvenile, under 2 feet long). Captive raised animals are the best choice, but since monitors don't breed easily in captivity, it is likely that you will end up purchasing an imported lizard. The lizard you choose should be active and alert, free from sores and abrasions, fairly plump(not skin and bones, but not overly fat either) outgoing but not aggressive, and reasonably calm when handled. Usually young monitors will squirm around alot when first handled, and sometimes they will defecate. This is normal, and it should pass with frequent handling. A hint: might not want to wear your best clothes when first handling your lizard! The monitor you purchase should also be fairly clean around the vent and belly, not caked with feces.

Your monitor should be allowed to become accustomed to its surroundings(acclimated) before starting the taming process. This may take a couple of weeks or so, depending on the lizard that you have selected. It should be feeding on a regular basis, and appear to not be too "stressed out". With young lizards, it's a good idea to start by handling them and petting them on the neck and sides. This should be done for brief periods every day, a few times a day. How tame your lizard will become will depend on how much time you spend handling them, and the general personality of the lizard you have selected. In our experience, Savannahs tend to be very sweet and docile if handled frequently when they are young, and they can become almost like a dog. Young animals are usually tamed much easier. Some monitors, no matter how much they are handled, will remain wary and aggressive. This is why you really need to carefully choose a good "pet" candidate, when first purchasing a lizard.

When selecting an enclosure for your monitor, you will want to buy one as large as possible to start. A 30 gallon to 55 gallon tank is a good size to start for a young Savannah monitor. The general rule for sizing a cage is one and a half to two or more times the lizard from nose to base of tail in length, two thirds to one times the lizard in width, and one to one and a half times the lizard in height. When your monitor reaches adult size, it will be necessary to either purchase or build a custom cage. The bigger the better as far as cage size goes. These lizards tend to become overweight and lazy if not given the opportunity to move around and get enough exercise. If you're lucky enough to have an extra room you can "lizard proof", this is another option. We built custom cages for our two monitors. They were built out of plywood with plexiglass in the front, vents on the top and sides, lighting and heating fixtures, and a hinged locking door on the top. Whether you decide to build your own or have someone else build it for you, remember to make sure the cage is secure and has a locking door of some sort. Savannahs are very smart, very strong, and very good at escaping. Once they figure out how to get out, they will continue to do it over and over until the problem is fixed.

A simple and easy-to-clean cage is the best thing, especially for adult Savannah Monitors. Unless you have the room and the time, overly decorated cages can be a pain to keep clean and maintain. These lizards "poop" often and in large amounts. They will also probably dig up, trample, or shred any plants or decorations that you put in their cage. Again, this is something that we learned the hard way!

There are several types of ground cover that you can use for Savannah Monitor cages. We use artificial turf, and have had good success with it. It can be cut to fit, taken out and washed when dirty, and inexpensively replaced when worn out. Other types of ground cover that we have used are wood chips and newspaper. If using wood chips, avoid using cedar since it is toxic. Newspaper is definitely the easiest, and probably the cleanest option if changed frequently when dirty.

We recommend that your Savannah be provided with some type of shelter. They enjoy having a place to go where they can feel safe and enjoy some privacy. We have used both cork bark shelters and cardboard box shelters. You can also build them a shelter out of wood, or use an enclosed kitty litter box or something similar.

Savannah monitors come from a hot, fairly dry climate. They need to be kept pretty warm in captivity also. The daytime temperature should reach 85-95 degrees fahrenheit during the day, and about 10 to 15 degrees cooler at night. You will need a thermometer in the cage to keep track of the temperature. Heat during the day can be provided with basking lights. You can also use heat tape, reptile heating pads, and hot rocks to supplement the light heat. Heating pads and hot rocks should be checked often to make sure they are not getting hot enough to burn your lizard(105 degrees and above can cause burns). Savannah monitors are active during the day, so they should be provided with between 12 and 14 hours of daylight. At night, your monitor can be kept warm with infrared lights, ceramic heat emitters, heat tape, or some sort of reptile-safe heating pad. It's really up to you what you prefer. Be sure to follow all directions on heating and lighting equipment to avoid a fire hazard.

Your lizard's cage should be kept clean for the sake of their health and well-being. Feces should be cleaned up as soon as possible after your lizard defecates, and the cage should be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly at least once a week. It is best to use a disinfectant solution made specifically for animals, preferably reptiles. We have started using a solution called "Wipe Out" made by Zoo Med. It seems to work well, and has a pleasant odor. It should be available in many pet stores that cater to reptiles and their owners.

Savannah monitors are usually pretty eager feeders, unless they are sick or in breeding season. Very young lizards(1 foot and under) can be fed baby mice (pinkies, fuzzies, hoppers), crickets, and earthworms. They should be fed one to four rodents every two to three days, supplementing their diet with crickets, earthworms, etc. You can judge what size rodent you should be feeding them by the size of their head and mouth when fully open. Sometimes feeding them prey that is too large will cause them to vomit up the meal a couple of days later. This is probably the worst smell in the world, so you will definitely want to avoid this if at all possible! Juvenile monitors(1 foot to adult size) can be fed one to four adult mice twice a week. Adult monitors(3 feet and up) should be fed twice a week. You will have to use your judgment to determine how much to feed them. They tend to eat more than is good for them if given the chance. We feed ours small to medium-sized rats, one or two per feeding depending on the size of the rodent. We use canned cat food occasionally, but we don't offer it as a staple diet. Cat food is very rich and fattening and can cause diarrhea. Our monitors seem to also like ZuPreem Tegu and Monitor food. We feed this to them only on occasion, and it doesn't seem to cause the runny stools like cat food. Our monitors diet is also supplemented with crickets. They seem to enjoy them, and chasing the crickets around also encourages them to exercise.

If Savannah monitors are not allowed to exercise enough and fed too much, they will get VERY fat. This is not good for them, in fact it can shorten their life span. On the other hand, if young Savannahs are fed only small amounts of food while they are growing, they can become stunted. Most healthy Savannahs will eat at any opportunity, and like many of us humans, they will eat more than is good for them if given the chance! Again, you will have to use your judgment to decide what feeding regimen is best for your lizard.

Savannah monitors also drink water regularly, and enjoy soaking if provided with a large enough container of water. Your lizard should have water available at all times, and the water bowl should be cleaned and disinfected frequently.

Monitor lizards have sharp claws that will need to be trimmed on a regular basis, if you value your skin and clothing! This takes two people and adequate lighting to do a good job. One person should hold the lizard in the area around the neck and foreleg area with one hand, and in front of the hindlegs with the other hand. They should also try to tuck the tail underneath their arm. The other person should clip off only the sharp tip at the end of each claw. This can be done with reptile claw clippers that are available in most pet stores. If you accidentally cut through a blood vessel, wipe the claw with disinfectant and dip the bleeding tip in corn starch.

There are several diseases and disorders that Savannah monitors can get if not taken care of properly, or if the lizard that is purchased was sick to begin with. You should check your lizard often for signs of illness. We won't be going into all the diseases and disorders that they can get on this page. We have had some experience with respiratory infections. One of our lizards had a respiratory infection at one point, and she was taken to a vet and treated with injectable antibiotics. The vet we took her to used Baytril, and it worked very well. We kept the heat at the high end (90-95 degrees fahrenheit) 24 hours a day during this time. We also used a vaporizer in her tank for short periods of time, 3 or 4 times a day while she was sick to add moisture to the air to help her to breathe easier. This also worked very well. The respiratory infection that she developed was either caused by not keeping her warm enough at night, or by a forced air heater that was located near her tank. When a Savannah gets a respiratory infection, they will usually not eat, spend alot of time with their head help up or elevated, and if you press on their throat, mucus may bubble out of their mouth and nostrils. They may also cough. Sometimes an infection can be warded off by keeping your lizard at elevated temperatures, day and night for a few days, but in our experience, usually a trip to the vet is necessary to get rid of the infection. Try to find a vet that is experienced with reptiles. You will have to do some shopping around, but it is well worth it. A vet that knows nothing about reptiles can do more harm than good, and can cost you a small fortune in the process. Antibiotics can also be expensive, so if you can prevent your lizard from getting sick in the first place, it will be much easier on your pet and easier on your wallet!

You should definitely purchase a book along with your Savannah purchase. A book that we recommend is "The General Care and Maintenance of Savannah Monitors" by Michael Balsai. Much of the information on this page was learned by us from this book. It included diseases and disorders, and also some information on other monitor species kept as pets. Another good book with some great monitor pictures is "Savannah Monitors" by John Coburn. This book also includes some useful information. In closing, we'd just like to say that our monitors have been great pets for us the last few years. It hasn't always been easy to care for them, but it has been mostly an enjoyable experience. It is very cool to raise a beautiful and tame Savannah monitor from a baby. They are probably not a good choice for a someone that is just beginning in taking care of reptiles, but they are a great choice for a person's first monitor lizard. Hope you enjoyed the page and feel free to leave any comments or suggestions you may have. We will try to answer them as soon and as best as we can.

We have also included some monitor links. Check them out!!

Be sure to visit our other pages listed below.