Savannah Monitor Quick Guide

Savannah Monitor Lizard

Land: Hailing from the Savannah grasslands of central Africa, generally found in Senegal, Northern Zaire, Ghana, Eritrea and Togo. Adult Size: The average length of the adult Savannah monitor lizard is between 3 to 5 feet in length. Appearance: It has a lot of small scales in the cranial region. The body varies from shades of gray to brown. This lizards head can turn in all directions and it has a blue snake like tongue. Although they both have yellow and brown rings on the tail, the males have shorter tails than the females. Diet: Its diet mainly consists of snails, beetles, millipedes, and other invertebrates in the wild. In captivity Vitamin dusted crickets, mice and small rats are the norm. Savannah monitors have a tendency to gain lots of weight so feeding them fatty foods like cat and dog food is discouraged. Ease of Care: Savannah Monitor lizards are very quiet and do not demand lots of attention. With proper care the Savannah monitor lizard can live up to 10 years. Unfortunately due to lack of proper care many Savannah monitors die within one year of captivity. Cleaning water dish and scrubbing tank often is heavily recommended. Habitat: Due to the large size of the Savannah monitor lizard, they require a large enclosure. Avoiding mesh screens is highly recommended as Savannah monitors have very sharp claws and can easily tear through them. Because they come from hot and dry environments, they like to be heat ranging from 85 to 90 degrees during the day and about 75 to 85 degrees at night. Drink: They drink lots of water and should have the water refreshed daily. A bowl large enough for the lizard to submerge most of its body is necessary. Sleeping Habits: Monitors are known to hibernate when their environments are not warm enough for them. Temperament: Savannah monitors are not likely tame. So time should be spent taming them or your experience with one could be very unpleasant. Savannah monitors are said to be highly intelligent and are known to spend a major part of each day trying to escape. Breeding: It is said to be very difficult to breed Savannah monitors in captivity. Follow us on twitter Click Here to Tweet!