Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm planning on getting a savannah monitor soon (hopefully in the next month or so) and I have a question about the enclosure. Since they naturally live in dry grassy type areas it seems reasonable to put some hay in the enclosure. Is the lizard likely to be happy about this, unhappy or indifferent? Would it cause any problems that i haven't thought of? I've been researching for a while (keep getting in trouble at work cos i'm always on the internet looking at reptile sites) and haven't found any mention of hay. Any thoughts?
Thanks

buy Daniel Bennett's book, "The Truth About Varanus Exanthematicus". He coins this lizard as the "worlds unluckiest pet", and for very valid reason.

Boscs are not all that the pet trade cracks them up to be. They are highly exploited and not at all CBB. You should really reconsider your options and instead opt for something readily attained as CBB.

Best Regards,
Michelle

Thanks for the recomendation and advice. I spoke to the guy in the pet shop (specialises in exotics, not a petco or anything like that) and he'd just sold the last of this years babies. I don't intend to get a wild caught one so I'll have to wait til next breeding season. Plenty of time for more research.

He says that he's been breeding them? Have you actually seen eggs and pictures of eggs hatching? Savannah's are almost never bred in captivity. Somebody correct me if i'm wrong, but more than likely this guy is cheating you.

this is actually what they are talking about when they say that this species is exploited. Gravid females are taken out of the wild, then dumped after their eggs are laid (not re-released where they were caught, but dumped all in the same spot). Those eggs are then hatched and sold as 'CB'. That's probably what your mate in the pet shop (specialising in exotics or not) is about to sell you.

There are species that are truly CB (ie captive bred, not just captive hatched) available, you should get one of those.

I'll check into whether they're captive bred or captive hatched. I'm going to the shop tomorrow to pick up some crickets so I'll ask about it. If they're not captive bred I guess I'll have to look for a decent breeder or forget the idea. A captive bred one is likely to cost a lot more right?

if it were truly captive bred, yes it will cost more.

In the long run, though, if the cost of a monitor fuels your choice between captive bred vs wild caught (or 'captive hatched') you should re think getting a monitor at all. In no time, the cost of housing and feeding the animal will make that initial price difference seem like spare change.

I was thinking more along the lines of captive bred or no savannah. I have the time, space and money to look after one but I don't want to get a wild caught or captive hatched. When the shop had them in it was £50 for a baby. I think it works out at something like $80 but i'm not sure on the current exchange rate. I read in a post futher down that you could get a baby for $25 so maybe they were captive bred. I'll find out tomorrow when I buy crickets. I've been looking on line for breeders but the only one i found so far is in florida so not much good to me. Not looking too hopeful really.

sounds 'captive hatched' to me. I wouldn't do direct exchanges between the UK and the USA. When someone said they were available for $25 in the US it doesn't mean they'll be the same price equivalent in pounds in the UK. Even if it were, $80 would still be captive hatched.

You were right. They were captive hatched, not captive bred. I'll just have to continue my search for a uk breeder. Thanks everyone.