What do savannah monitor lizards eat

Regular handling from an early age makes it a tame, docile creature. But like all monitors, if it is not a captive-bred baby or handled often, the savannah monitor can become aggressive and can bite.

Their teeth are small but sharp; their claws can also scratch; and it also uses its long, heavy tail as a whip to defend itself. This lizard requires a large cage setup and strict environmental control; its care is comprehensive and not recommended for beginners. Savannahs are strong and known for being escape artists. Make sure the cage is entirely enclosed and has a secure lock. A hatchling or juvenile savannah will live comfortably in a gallon aquarium for about six months, but they grow quickly.

Most owners have their adult setup ready when they bring home a baby. Its enclosure will need to be at least twice its length at adulthood. An adult lizard requires an 8-feet long by a 4-feet wide cage. It should be at least 3 feet high. The height of the enclosure should prevent them from escaping and allow a branch or other decoration in the cage on the off chance they want to climb.

Monitors can be destructive, so only provide rocks and hides; decorations aren't necessary. Their claws will shred screen-sided enclosures, so a glass or Plexiglas siding is best. Plan for a place to hang lights and heat sources above the cage. Make room for a large water dish you can also use a cat litter box that will allow the monitor to submerge its entire body.

Feces should be spot cleaned every day from their enclosure, especially if it is in their water. Thoroughly clean the entire cage every two weeks and find a safe place to hold your lizard while doing so.

Some owners use a hard plastic pet carrier or the bathtub. Provide an average enclosure temperature of 95 F to F and a basking spot between F and F. As cold-blooded creatures, all reptiles need to regulate their body temperature. The cage needs a temperature gradient down to 85 F in the day and as low as 75 F at night. Use ceramic heat emitters instead of lights for achieving nighttime temperature requirements.

UVB lighting is necessary for most lizards, including monitors. A high-percentage UVB output bulb 8 to 10 percent should be on for a to hour cycle daily to mimic the sun's output. Change the bulbs every six months, even if the light doesn't burn out. The invisible UVB rays stop emitting after that period. Some reptiles require a supplement with vitamin D but the Savannah Monitor does not need to have this due to having different UVB needs.

Offering them supplements is pretty simple, all you need to do is lightly dust one of their meals per week with the multivitamin supplement and two - three meals per week with the calcium supplement. As they get older you can reduce the calcium supplement somewhat, particularly if their stools show any sign of over-supplementation with the calcium powder such as the rates being hard and chalky.

See below for suggested products to supplement your feeders. Gut-loading is another essential part of any live insect eating reptile's diet. Separate to supplementation it is the process of passing important nutrients on to your reptile through feeding your live insects with food that is beneficial for your pet.

You can do this by feeding them salad items that are safe for your reptile to eat for a few days before you feed them off to your reptile. You can also use certain commercial products that have been formulated for gut-loading your feeders with everything that your reptile needs. See below for some high-quality suggested products for gut-loading your feeders prior to feeding them to your Savannah Monitor.

As previously mentioned they do not need to have plants as a main part of their diet, these should only be offered a couple of times per week at most. Some Savannah Monitors may have problems recognizing fruits and veggies as food, so if you want to feed them and you have your Monitor from a young enough age, then it is a good idea to start them from a young age.

Savannah Monitors need a large pool or tub type container that they are able to soak their entire body in. Ensure that the bowl is big and heavy enough so that it will not tip over when they lay in it and that you clean out the water daily, or whenever they have soiled the water.

Tap water is usually okay but to be safest you want to treat the water. The breeding season occurs during the wet season i. A male will follow a female and will periodically bite and scratch her neck until she allows copulation. Females need a nest box to lay eggs.

In the wild, she would usually make her own or lay them in a termite mound. For your monitor, a suitable nest box can be a plastic tub filled with soil. After she lays her eggs, they should be incubated in groups in a ten-gallon aquarium filled with vermiculite and water. There is a month incubation time , and the container should be opened occasionally to let oxygen in.

They will start eating insects and other invertebrates a week after hatching. They will need to be feed nearly every day at the start and then less often as they age see diet guide above. It is strongly recommended that you obtain your Lizard from a trusted breeder, rather than somewhere where they are wild-caught.

Wild-caught monitors are highly prone to having parasites and are often stressed when forced to adapt to a captive lifestyle. They do require a high temperature in a large habitat, but they also have an easy feeding routine and are tame. If you are looking for a smaller breed of Monitor, the Ackies is a very popular choice and is easier for some beginners to handle.

If you are looking for more of a challenge, the Black or White-Throated Monitor is a good idea. Are you a pet-owner looking for your first reptile, or perhaps you are already a herpetologist looking for another lizard?

The best Bearded Dragon substrate should be dry and not hold much humidity. The Crested Gecko is a colorful lizard famous for crests that run from head-to-tail. They have small spines above their eyes that look like eyelashes.

I inherited my monitor and he was poorly caref for. Hes deformed in the back hip. He seems ok and gets around fine. He tries to bite me and hisses when I approach him or try to put his food in his environment. Any suggestions? Hi Tracy, yes they can be food and territory aggressive. Was he wild-caught? If so, this behavior is natural for him. Using leather welding gloves is a good idea for feeding if he is biting. Out of interest how big is his enclosure and does he tail whip?

I need help setting up my reptile tank for my baby savannah monitor. Hi Ezekiel, a gallon tank is suitable for a baby, but you will soon need a much larger enclosure. You can read more about reptile terrariums here. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Everything Reptiles is the authoritative reptile magazine used by all reptile keepers and enthusiasts as a trusted source of information.

Because savannah monitors will eat anything in captivity, a huge array of items have been suggested as suitable foods, mostly geared towards convenience rather than suitability. To avoid obesity and premature death it is essential that fat accumulation is controlled. This website tells you how savannah monitors feed in the wild,and offers practical advice on feeding captive lizards.

Skip to content. From: Bennett, D. Thakoordyal The Savannah Monitor, the Truth about Varanus exanthematicus. UK: Viper Press.