Considering a savannah

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?

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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?

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

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Originally Posted by ispitroseas

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?

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Read through the link you were given. :sweeet:

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Read through the link you were given. :sweeet:

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

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.

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

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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

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Originally Posted by 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.

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Do you live close to the expo? I havent seen anyone post about the taylor expo on here before! I go every month

I live in Monroe(Bedford). I usually go each and every month, but I haven't been to the past 6 due to complications. I will most likely be at the March one next weekend. August-September I may have a booth selling baby savs! (Mine just laid 31 eggs over the past few days!)

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Originally Posted by Daniel.michelle

I live in Monroe(Bedford). I usually go each and every month, but I haven't been to the past 6 due to complications. I will most likely be at the March one next weekend. August-September I may have a booth selling baby savs! (Mine just laid 31 eggs over the past few days!)

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Oh yeah? I just bought one a couple months ago and im struggling to tame him down haha.

Time, patience, and a lot of food is the advice I give to you lol. (Tong feeding works wonders)

Mean monitors are healthy monitors (compared to fat blobs you see on YouTube etc.)

here, this should help you out: http://www.varanustalk.com/forum/ind...?pageid=taming

I made the mistake of keeping a bracelet with dangling string on the end and he was convinced it was a superworm and went to go eat it and nicked my knuckles and drew a little blood. He goes insaneee whenever i feed him and stays crazy all day

Should i be feeding him with plastic tongs? He usually gets the tongs in his bite as well and ive been using smaller metal tongs

In my opinion, a good pair of long metal tongs (like these: http://tinyurl.com/obd89f6 ) are essential in keeping monitor lizards.

(Your monitor will quickly learn how it works)

It doesnt hurt their mouths when they bite the end of them?

Nope, not at all. (Usually they learn not to bite the tongs anyway and go for what's at the end of them)

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Originally Posted by Daniel.michelle

Nope, not at all. (Usually they learn not to bite the tongs anyway and go for what's at the end of them)

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Great! I was worried that it was hurting him.

Tongs are your friend when dealing with feeding any monitor. You don't want loose fingers around to tempt them, and they often don't stop to figure out what's what, they just try and eat it. Food, tongs, fingers.....

Oh and that figures, this might be the first show I miss in 6 months due to me probably going to Tinley park, and now people I know from here are going to show up, lol. Anybody want to ride along to Tinley on Saturday?

Awe man!!! NARBC is next weekend!!! DANG IT!!! I would totally go if I didn't have stuff going on after the expo! (Lol I need to save my money for my savs anyway XD)

It's not set in stone that I'm going yet, turns out my wife has her first day of work for the season that day too, and I haven't decided if I want to go bad enough to go alone. Of course a solo trip also means I can wait until the last minute to decide, which will probably depend on available cash.