Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi there im new 2 keepin monitors and could do with some advice if its not to much trouble please
in the cool spot in the tank its about 65faranhite is this ok?there is a heat light and heat mat on the other side of the tank
should i give him a missting of water daily if so should it be warm or cold?there is a pool but im not sure if its big enought
and finaly when the heat light goes off at nite he goes into his cave and is not seen again till the morning is this normal?
any more advice u can offer i would be very gratefull
many thanks dave

Im no pro on savs, but id think 65 is to low, id go to like 75 no lower then 70. Also is the if at all possible i would ditch the heat pad cept at night to keep temps up. The cave at night is fine they like sleeping in secure places. What type of subtrate are you using and how big is the cage. Also what is the basking temp?

hi thanks 4 all the help i dont konw what u mean by subtrate?i feed him on white mice crickets and locust im not sure on the temp him the hot spot of the tank 2 tell u the truth. the size of the tank is about 3ft x 1ft i know he will out grow this shortly but its what i got with the kit when i got him
tahnks 4 the info any more and i would be gratefull dave

by substrate, he means what are you keeping him on. like what are you useing for bedding/flooring. i used cypress mulch for mine. had it deep enough for him to dig around in.

oh rite i see now lol sorry its like small bits of wood chippins i got my lazer temp gauge from work 2 day and and the temp is about 70 faranhite and ive made a rased platform 4 him 2 bask on under the heat light andits about 95 there my anolog gauge must of been wrong

You will want to raise the temps still, cool side 75 ish warm side 90ish and the surface temp of the basking spot, is 130 or higher. Not exactly sure read up on some care sheets.

wish this site had edit, but heres a care sheet http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/642.html

also about the water, warmer temperature should be used, room temp is fine for just a spray.

Savs get big so get ready

when my blackthroat was little (also cared for a sav for a few months for a friend) i had it set up in a 40 breeder. i had a basking spot of 110-120 during the day. warm side of tank during the day was upper 80s low 90s. cool side of tank was in the low 80s during the day. at night i just let the whole tank drop to around 75. sometimes it got a couple degrees cooler but not below 70. if i needed to (during the winter) i added a infra red bulb to the warm side of the tank for night time heat. had a couple hides, one on the cool and one on the hot side of tank. i misted with water that was room temp or luke warm. i kept both on cypress muluch. ( no, they werent in the same tank) i fed both earthworms, mealworms, crickets, crayfish (sometimes), and rodents. i know some people dont use it, but used a uv bulb for both.

Buy The Savannah Monitor Lizard by Daniel Bennett and Ravi Thakoordyal. It is your best source for up to date monitor care. Australian Goannas, by Matt Vincent and Steve Wilson is also a good book that has some appicable information. Nile monitors by Rob Faust is also a good buy. Your temps are off, you will need to provide a basking spot that is 130f and it needs to be the same size as the lizards body otherwise it will burn itself. Begin researching adult sized caging now as they reach most of their adult length by the end of their first year. I would recomend a horse trough, they are the simplest enclosure to construct and hold up better than any thing else. So long as it is of proper size a horse trough will last as long as your monitor.

Proexotics has put together a great FAQ and some caresheets that can get you started. They sell all three of the titles I recomended and Daniel and Ravi's book is also availible at Mampam.com.

Steve

thanks 4 all your help and suport people i wil let u know how i get on again i cant thank u all enought
dave

Hey man

You need to get that 65 up to 75-80 minimum.. Savanahs are from hot arid regions of Africa... Make sure you have plenty of hiding spots ... yes ..it is normal for him to sleep at night in a safe spot ... They sleep at night and hunt by day ... Savannahs eat everyday in the wild ... meals vary ...
Make sure he has a basking area of about 120 degrees...
Savannahs can be the greatest pet monitors if you care for them correctly ..

Tom
The Adventures of Safari Tom