Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need advice for the new enclosure I am going to build for my Savannah Monitor. Now he is a year old and he has finally hit his growth spurt (thank god) and he has grown about 6 1/2-7 inches over the summer alone! He is now currently 16 1/2 inches long (I'm pretty sure he is at least 16 and a half) but my father says that "You're pet alligator is 18 inches," but I am positive with the 16 1/2 inches long (11 inches body length). We are planning to build a new tank, this tank will be the tank he will live in for the rest of his life. After 10 months in a 20 gallon, about 3 months in the 40 gallon breeder, he is starting to shoot up and really grow. We are thinking of making this his enclosure, the length of it will be 72" L by 42" W by 30" H. We want to put two 2x4's on each corner of the tank with them formed in a 90 degree angle. We have a giant wooden sheet about an inch thick already available and we plan to put that as the bottom with a sheet of mica over it. On top of the 2x4's will be a a wooden frame. We plan to put a door on the top with a hatch to open it and a lock. The frame will have a mesh screen under the frame. We want to try something else besides plexi glass to put around the sides of the tank so we want to try a very tough screen around all 4 sides of the enclosure. I am probably going to put about 90-120 pounds of soil in the enclosure and still use the same rock dish he is using (till he grows about another 6-12 inches) and the same habba hide. I want to put bigger basking logs however and I am going to add one more light fixture (a larger one to put a flood with 150 watts in it) to coinside with the two fixtures I have with 75 watt floods. What do you guys think? Any suggestions? Can I put screen around the 4 sides of the tank instead of plexi glass? When should I start making this cage and is he big enough and ready for it? His 40 gallon is starting to look too small. Thanks for any help.

hello.
Yes, screen is crappy. The dirt will dry out way too fast, and become sand, or rock hard. Your monitor will be unhappy. And the sand will fly out everywhere. The noise of the monitor climbing around on screen is quite loud, and annoying. (especially when you are trying to sleep.) It is also an eyesore. You must concentrate to see the monitor through it.

Plexi for the walls isn't a great idea. It will scratch up pretty fast, and look 'cloudy', you won't be able to see through it in a year. Even if the monitor never claws it, just you wiping it clean, will cloud it up. Plus, it isn't good for the monitor to feel really open and exposed on three sides like that. You might have basking issues, leading to non-eating issues. I have a screen cage currently, and had to drape fabric over the three sides and top of my basking area because one of them would not come out and use it. Too exposed, is my guess. This just adds to the crappy look of their cage.

Have the viewing area in the front. Ironically, giving the monitor lots of cover, should make it come out into view more. But you shouldn't really expect to be able to see your monitor all the time, or even every day. They will learn your routine, and hide. Buggers. I see mine in the mornings, they don't hide from me now, it took a long time for that to happen. If a stranger visits though, *poof*, no monitors. I think its normal, don't worry if yours does this.
Cage building is kinda fun, expect to want to improve on it after you see what your lizard uses/does not use. And if the 40 looks too small, then it is. Give as much space as you can, this is the only life they get to have.
Hope I helped a little. D.

Well yes I do believe that the 40 is looking small. I have just measured him now, he is in the bathtub soaking. He is actually 19 inches long with his tail. His body is 11 inches (and a little bit more). Before putting him into the tub he defecated (a lot too) and I knew since he was "flatulating" and I looked and I do know that if you see genitals come out when deficating they are in fact a boy, and I saw genitals so I know he is a male. I have thought and thought more on the new tank. I am very excited about this. I figure I want to put wood panels on three sides (the back and both sides) and I want to put one piece of plexi glass for the front (but I will change it regularly if it gets dirty). I want to put 100 pounds of soil in and other basking spots. And like I said I want to add another fixture. I want to do this in the next few weeks but my father wants to wait a little while. Jango is really starting to get big, I dont know how I got 16 and a half inches, I think its because I was measuring him from outside the tank, now I actually measured him up close and hes 19"! Any comments?

and from some of the posts I have read, they can be packing genitals the same size as the boys, depending on species.
Also, they are capable of everting only partially, so seeing small parts, does not mean a female.

The only reliable way a beginner (I am one, too, nothing wrong with the word) can know if its female, is to see eggs. Not seeing eggs, does not mean a male, it could be a maladjusted female. Confusing? That's the allure of monitors.
Pick a non-gender specific name.
D.

I forgot to put the picture in the below post. Here is the pic and, yes, I have plexy glass around it and have yet to have a problem. I have lucite plexy which is 100X proven stronger than glass. It may get scrtached easily but I have yet to hear anyone say anything about scratched plexy. Most folks just look past the plexy and see the scenery inside and look for the lizard. The onlt light, very light, scratches are form me moving logs or rocks inside. Next, I feel it is better to have plexy break by any mistake than glass anyday by you by mistake or rarely lizard as tiny pieces of glass may go unseen and cause infection if it gets inbetween the skin/scales. I jumped on a trash bag as a kid (6yrs old) at the babysitter's and had glass stuck in my foot and had the most pain for the doctors trying to find it. Plexy, good luck on getting injured although I am sure it'll get you if you really try.

Here is the pic