Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got my sav 3 days ago.I was wondering on ways of taming and a growth rate chart?I made him a very nice melamine cage(4ft wide by 3ft deep by 2ft tall)and he is adjusting very well.Also I have heard humidity is bad for savs,is this true?Also should I feed him his live food in a box or just in his cage? THANKS for the replys Ryan

Hello Ryan,

First off your enclosure sounds like it will be good for a while, depending on your monitor's current size and growth rate. There is no set rate of growth' it's usually pretty fat because in the wild they have to get big quick or they are a meal quick. I assume that you have the proper set up in the enclosure including heating, lighting, hiding areas, basking areas and a water dish. Savannah's are from Africa and it's pretty arid there so humidity wouldn't be natural for them.

As far as taming goes, handling is best, not lengthy amounts of time, just daily. Get your monitor used to the sight of you and that you don't present a threat. Don't always take him out, sometimes just talk to him in a soothing tone from outside the enclosure and let him observe you and become accustomed to you. My Savannah is pretty mellow and only somewhat squirmy. Give yours some time to adjust to a new home before attempting to much and don't expect great leaps in progress.

Your monitor will probably squirm and try to get away and even poop or pee on you. That's all normal and will pass with time, trust and growth. Savannah's can be tempermental and some will bite or just be complete a$$holes. They are like people, they have certain dispositions and things they are prone to; however, they have their own personalities too. Hopefully, with time and care, yours will be a rewarding experience.

So all of Africa is arid all year long? How about the areas savs are from?

--Robert

Savs tend to grow VERY quickly, a yearling can exceed two feet in total length. After the first year their growth slows down, like many other reptiles. That cage should be fine until your sav is about two feet long, but then I'd go with something along the lines of 8'Lx4'Dx4'T, with 2' of moist dirt to dig in. The dirt should clump in your hand, but not leak excess water when you squeeze it. I'm not sure of the exact ratio, I'm still playing with it myself. If humidity were bad for savs, they would live in the Sahara--since they don't, it is safe to assume it is beneficial to them. I have a personal experience with my savannah being dehydrated when I was younger and naive. She soaked in her water bowl every day, and I thought that was normal. WRONG. Savs don't like the water as much as some other monitors, they would rather hide in their burrows or hide boxes. She soaked every day because she did not get the needed humidity from the substrate (I had her on that walnut shell BS). Savs DO need moderate humidity, it helps keep them hydrated and to keep their skin healthy. The best way to achieve this is by using plain old (pesticide-free) dirt, as it also affords other benefits to your monitor (security, ability to hold a burrow, more natural "feel". As for feeding, you should NEVER feed live animals to any herps (except for feeder insects). All rodents should be prekilled, preferably frozen/thawed. The reasons for this are (a) live animals can fight back and inflict serious injury on your pet, (b) live animals carry internal parasites which are then passed on to your pet (freezing for 60 days usually takes care of this), (c) live animals are generally more expensive and harder to find, (d) it's just not humane... how would you like to have your skull crushed while you were still alive? Regardless of whether you choose to feed live or f/t, the location you feed your sav in can make a difference. I have never tried this personally, but I've heard many monitor keepers comment that feeding the animal outside of the enclosure makes it less aggressive towards the owner. Just make sure you watch your fingers when they know it's feeding time (ALWAYS wash your hands between handling a food item and putting your hands in the animal's cage). Well, that's my sage advice for the night, it's bedtime for me. I'll include a pic of my baby girl, Riley, who is gravid (I think) and due to drop any day now. Good luck and congratulations on your new family member!
Heather

(**Note for picture: She is NOT usually this calm around me, and she's not that fat either, just full of air to make herself look bigger.)