Considering a savannah

[ispitroseas]

I'm considering getting a savannah monitor in about a years or two. What enclosure should I build and out of what? I saw some things with plexi but wouldn't that over Heat?

[Daniel.michelle]

Hey, your from mi too! Do you go to the monthly expo in Taylor? If not you should check it out!

Ok, first off, go to varanustalk.com and savannahmonitor.net they are the two sites with the best info on savs.

Heres a quick rundown of a GOOD enclosure at bare absolute minimums. (Don't trust really anything on YouTube or anything at all that says dog/puppy tame).

Heat: 125 degree farenheit basking spot at the bare minimum. (Mine are at 152-155.
humidity: 60% above ground 90-100% underground.
substrate: this is UBER important. 2 feet at LEAST of deep sandy bio-active dirt. Top soil and sand mixed at about 8:2 mostly topsoil.

tank size: 8x4x4 foot bare minimum for 1 adult(just put the baby in an adult tank, don't worry about it getting lost etc.) made out of plywood and sealed very well on the inside. You can also make a "box" to sit on top of a stock tank filled with dirt. The more room, the better.

Also, regardless of what anyone says, these guys are jerks. Anyone who says they "fall asleep on me" etc, keep them too cold. They can get used to you, but they should always have a jerk attitude.

[ispitroseas]

Hey, your from mi too! Do you go to the monthly expo in Taylor? If not you should check it out!

Ok, first off, go to varanustalk.com and savannahmonitor.net they are the two sites with the best info on savs.

Heres a quick rundown of a GOOD enclosure at bare absolute minimums. (Don't trust really anything on YouTube or anything at all that says dog/puppy tame).

Heat: 125 degree farenheit basking spot at the bare minimum. (Mine are at 152-155.
humidity: 60% above ground 90-100% underground.
substrate: this is UBER important. 2 feet at LEAST of deep sandy bio-active dirt. Top soil and sand mixed at about 8:2 mostly topsoil.

tank size: 8x4x4 foot bare minimum for 1 adult(just put the baby in an adult tank, don't worry about it getting lost etc.) made out of plywood and sealed very well on the inside. You can also make a "box" to sit on top of a stock tank filled with dirt. The more room, the better.

Also, regardless of what anyone says, these guys are jerks. Anyone who says they "fall asleep on me" etc, keep them too cold. They can get used to you, but they should always have a jerk attitude.

Good! I like the attitude a lot. I enjoy animals that demand respect. I was told to get one of these guys after discussing whether I wanted a tegu or monitor.
So would a build out of all Plexiglas be unideal?

[ispitroseas]

Also I'm going to the expo next month. Hopefully to pick up a bumblebee ball.

[Skiploder]

Good! I like the attitude a lot. I enjoy animals that demand respect. I was told to get one of these guys after discussing whether I wanted a tegu or monitor.
So would a build out of all Plexiglas be unideal?

Read through the link you were given.

[ispitroseas]

Read through the link you were given.

Yeah I printed out a lot of info from both sites. Now I'm just kind of seeing personal experiences

[Darkbird]

Plexiglass, acrylic, glass, or any other see thorugh material just is not going to work. First off, you talking in the neighborhood of close to a ton of substrate. To get any of those materials to even kind of work would require a ridiculous thickness, and you'll end up spending thousands. Also none of those hold heat worth a darn, somheating becomes excessively expensive. Also, anything but glass get scratched easily, and will be ruined by their claws. So the best option is plywood with tempered glass doors in the front. At least that how I build mine, and you will find most others do too. So yes, read that material, go through the sites, lots of cage shots there, and thatshould answer most of your questions. And good for you for starting to figure this stuff out now, well before you want to bring the animal home. Most of the time we are trying to explain all this to someone who already has the sav but no proper caging.
And I will be at the Taylor show, I vend there with a buddy of mine, so if anyone wants to chat I'd love to say hi.

[Daniel.michelle]

Db- didn't know you were a vendor, that's cool! If I get a chance to go I'll say hi!

[Darkbird]

I mostly just set up with a buddy of mine whomalready has a table, as I don't ha e enough to justify the cost of a table myself. But it works out, I get to have a spot to sell, and my buddy gets someone to help keep an eye on his stuff. He's had some pretty valuable snakes stolen off his table before, so it makes it easer for him.

[ispitroseas]

I mostly just set up with a buddy of mine whomalready has a table, as I don't ha e enough to justify the cost of a table myself. But it works out, I get to have a spot to sell, and my buddy gets someone to help keep an eye on his stuff. He's had some pretty valuable snakes stolen off his table before, so it makes it easer for him.

That's horrible. What an awful thing to do.
But, I'm going to this months show so maybe I'll see some faces!