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ok is this a good setup for now for a savannah monitor? I have a 5 foot long 3 foot deep enclosure its 5feet high but there will be1-2 feet of substrate in there maybe just plain oldsoilwilwork ot? the temps are average about 89 degrees but the basking spot reaches 95 i also have alittle tub for soaking is this necessary? i have a basking spot and a tree limbforclimbing but its low off the ground becaue they are not that bigg of climbers i will be getting one november 16 so i still have olenty of timeto change every thing thanks tellme anything you want be brutal if you have to PS i am not that new to monitors my uncles nile stayed with us for 3 months when he was miving so i know savs area lilmore easier to care for then niles

Hahaha! Just kidding! You said be brutal! (bet you got mad for a split second!) We gotta keep it lively now!

Youre on the right track. Your temps need to be tweeked a little though, as you have no real gradient for you monitor to pick and choose from. Im curious how your basking temp is so low. What bulbs are you using? Many people use 50-75W outdoor floodlamps with much success. Theyre cheap too, and can be found at your local hardware/ building supply location.
Also make sure that his basking area isnt just out in the open. You dont wanna cause the little guy any unecessary stress.

Good luck to you!
Michelle

ok well i replaced the bulbes becaue they wereold ne ways noy the temp is up to 110 i think thatmihgt be ok for a baskming spot. any recomendationson substrate. i cant wiat to get him or her o herd they are hard to tame but once they are i herd theymake great pets......mymomstill dosntlike the fact that it will need to eatmice and rats buti would love to see him paint the eenclosure red hahaha.. o yeah how long will the enclosure i have now lasthim

To properly care for them. 130-180 degree basking spots are used by all of my monitors. If you have problems with temps you have one or more of several problems 1)way too much ventilation in the top (use a solid wood top with small vents along the sides and back. 2) wrong type of bulbs (I use 45 watt outdoor floods with fantastic results) 3) basking spot too far away (mine are between 10 inches and a foot or so away). Here is and idea of light bulbs and assemblies, (they run 24/7).

The reason Sobek is so big is the warmth you've supplied. A lot of rat has been digested there.

Roger

Proper heat is one of many reasons she is a big monster, as well as her diet that started as crickets, roaches, mice, quails, chicken peeps etc, and ended up still with mice, chicken peeps (the majority of her diet for over a year). I have just recently ordered large rats becuse of her size as monitors show a preference to smaller food items, although Sobek eats almost anything. She is the result of food,water, heat, space, moisture, hiding places, dirt, exercise, etc. But to say food and heat is all, not completely, I believe she has excellent genetics also.

i was reasearchingallllll day and i dfound sincemy gage is 6 ft high imis calculated last time and its about 4.5 -5 footlong and 3 feet deep would a mangrove monitor be a better choicefor this type of monitor. as far asmy under standing they like to climb and my higher enclosure is more suitable for him. thanks for neadvice remember always be brutal haha

KIDDING!!! O.K. I cant be mean anymore, it just doenst feel right! I must say though, sometimes I think my cat is a better speller than me!! KS needs to have a spell sheck/editor for the forums!

Now to the point!

So, if Im understanding correctly, you are still deciding on what kind of monitor you want to fill this empty cage you have? Even at 6' tall, your cage isnt too tall for a Bosc or better yet, a blackthroat, however its a bit too short. Have you thought about a group of Ackies? You could save up and buy a group of babies and raise them together. Your cage would work for their entire lives! In the long run these smaller monitors are going to cost you alot less in food expenses, making up for the initial investment. Not to mention, theyre more mom friendly!! Theyre cute, and social, and tolerate handeling much better than other varanids do. Just get a buch of hollow logs of various sizes that they can play in and on.

Good luck!
Michelle

yeah i am kind of on a budget and i will be getting themonitor which ever i choose from the reptile show in philadelphia. i cant spend more that 130$on the actual monitor. so I have it narrowed down to a few monitors tho if i could get an extra 70 buxi could get and ackie which would be awsome. buttt i cantso imstuck well not really stuck but what do you think of these 3monitirs... please give an opinion on each one
-timor monitor
-Savannah monitor
-nile monitor although im not interested.
-mangrove montior

Well, you definately don't want a nile, I think!

You could keep a group of Timors in that cage. WC ones tend to be completley unhandleable, CB ones can be better but are still wary. The opinion seems to be that ackies are better if you want to interact with them.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?