Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was reading a forum and someone was asking about the vertical height for a Sav monitor cage. The general idea was that Sav monitors are not climbers, so they don't need branches and elevated basking spots, just proper temps, humidity and hides at ground level. And more over, it should be avoided because it can cause injury from falls.

I was interested in this since I have a 8'x4'x8' enclosure for my Sav, which has a elevated basking spot from a pine log, but hides at ground level. I have noticed that he is not that great climbing up or down and will sometimes fall when chasing prey.

I have adjusted the cage to allow for more gradual inclines and declines up to his basking spot, but am wondering if he will get the hang of scaling the pine logs and stumps.

Was there ever a good/bad climber distinction for monitors. I know tree monitors and the like are good climbers, but are some monitors destined for the substrate?

Thanks for your help

This is a pic of the main pine log. I have since added a large stump on ground on the left side and some more branches leading up to the basking spot. He normally takes the right side, through the water up to the lights.

Wild savanna monitors have been observing climbing a few meters up in low trees/shrubs. Of the several savanna monitors I have owned, one regularly climbed vertical objects and the rest stayed on the ground. I think the important thing is what your savanna does, not savannas in general. If it is having difficulty climbing, re-arrange its enclosure so that it does not need to climb to reach needed things.

Best of luck,

Luke

In the long ago bad old days I let mine free roam, back when I was a kid...I found him in the top of my closet more than once. And once, I had placed him in a wire cage to take outside and bask...he somehow got out of it and climbed a pine tree probably a good 10-12' up...I bled getting him down.

This was in the later 90s
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I think they are better at burrowing personally. I have a small one who crawls sideways in the gap between the glass and the wood stacks like a gecko, he likes to ambush crickets and roaches from this angle. They last thing the bugs ever see is a mouth coming at them.

I like the cage!, as for climbing i don't think most savs have the agility to climb as they would in the wild, tame ones are usually a bit over weight.

There good a climbing upwards but not so good coming down, i've seen them 6 foot high before, one escaped from her cage, the other thing i think stops them is the fear factor from predators, most don't like open ground high up, prefer to be behind a branch or something.