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-   -   1st Savannah questions (https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=695213)

magrima 07-15-2019 05:18 PM

1st Savannah questions
 
Hi all. I have/had many kinds of smaller lizards over the years. Armadillo lizards, plated lizards, croc and berber skinks, and ackies. I'm looking to move up to a savannah monitor as I've wanted one forever. I have a T25 AP Plastic tank with dimensions 72"L x 30"D x 18"T currently vacant and ready to be occupied. My question is how long before the savannah would outgrow that size tank assuming I get a fairly young one to start? I will be moving into a house I currently rent out when their lease is up which will have a room I will dedicate to the Sav, but that won't be for about 1.5 years. For you experienced Sav owners, will this be adequate until that time or will he grow enough that it would be too cramped given substrate, hides and such. I try to give as much room to all my pets and the last thing i want is for him to be stuffed in something too small.

On a side note I have been doing tons of research on the care of these guys but if you feel there is any specific things worth mentioning or any off hand advice I'd love to hear it. Thanks!

Varanexan 07-26-2019 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magrima (Post 2151787)
assuming I get a fairly young one to start

V. exanthematicus is a highly seasonal species, and neonates are only hatched in the spring. The hatchlings are then caught from their nests and imported en masse annually from the coastal plain of West Africa. The problem is that you will not find fairly young (or healthy) V. exanthematicus this time of year. All there is left is either adults from the previous years, or the "left overs" from this last season that did not sell and are now lingering in barren, screen-topped aquaria for months; thus taking a heavy toll on them physiologically. A common by-product of poor "temporary" enclosures is that the animals face is chronic dehydration and underheating. This is stressful to internal organs and the animals suffer years later (if they survive that long.)

It is important to note that, despite what you'll hear often on the internet, the savannah monitor isn't a very good varanid for captivity. There are a lot of monitor lizards that perform very well in captivity, and multi-generational reproduction has been established for those species; but the savannah monitor isn't one of them. Its a species that is very common in the trade and easy to buy, but no one has had long-term success keeping or breeding the savannah monitor. It lives a short life and is temporary entertainment for the thousands of people that buy them every year. The specimens that do manage to survive a few years are usually massively obese, under-heated and non-reproductive males. Your enclosure sounds better than most. If I were you, I'd save for a species that is far less of a challenge to keep and is much more rewarding. Take it from a person that currently keeps seven of them....

http://savmon.org is the only website worth reading in my humble opinion. It is authored by a biologist that has studied the species in-situ since the early 90's.

kwysocki 04-19-2020 01:49 AM

If you still get one. Please make sure you feed it mostly insects! IF you feed a lot of whole prey items it well be dead within 5 years. Mine is 8 years old and only feet whole prey items 1 time a month the rest is insects. most die of obesity and tumors from over saturation of fat from rats and mice.


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