Alright, this little sav was dumped a couple days ago at the petsmart I work at. I took him/her home as our store would not be able to provide the right husbandry for a savannah.

I've set up a temporary enclosure and want to see how I'm doing-

So far I have him in a 40gal (covered as much as possible to keep the heat and humidity) with about 7" of substrate (50/50 fertilizer free garden soil and playsand).

I know a glass tank is not ideal for humidity but if I do make the decision to keep him/her I'll be custom building a huge wooden enclosure (however that is going to be a huge decision!).

Hot spot is 135*F (under the light is a large rounded rock to absorb the heat, I need to find a nice flat slate rock), ambient temps are staying 80-85*F.
I also have a 10.0 UVB bulb on the hot side also covering the basking spot.

There's a good size water bowl on the cold side. And a wooden hide in the middle of the tank.

The monitor has a good appetite and has taken crickets, meal worms, red wigglers, and small river shrimp(canned). He/she is alert, active and has been basking and foraging about. He is surprisingly inquisitive compared to any other reptile I've worked with.

He was lethargic when I got him, but he was pretty cold and has since perked up a lot. He does have a bump on one of his fore arms and some constriction marks on his tail where you can see he has had some badly stuck sheds in the past. He is also missing a toenail. I gave him a short soak to ensure he wasn't dehydrated

To my eyes he appears remarkably healthy for the circumstances but I'd like a second opinion. Here he is basking today:


Any advice at this point is appreciated. If I don't keep him I'll definitely ensure that the animal is well started and he goes to an experienced keeper.

One thing I'd love to hear about from experienced keepers is preferred feeding frequency and amount.

Thanks