Savannah Monitors

[Beardedragon]

Now, before I start I want everyone to know that I know how much of a commitment these are. These will NOT be my first lizards ( if you can tell from my screen name, Ive mainly kept beardies, but also Iguanas) so I have a few questoins that are not being made clear in some of the caresheets ive been reading. Better yet, can someone direct me to the best caresheets for them?

Alright

1. can they be housed together? as far as I know with keeping fourlegged reptiles, it is a No but I want to make sure.
2. What kind of uvb is recommended for them? I have a few spare MVB bulbs but ive read they are too powerful.
3. whats a good diet for a hatchling
4. Where can I find healthy baby savs for sale?

Im sure all of these can be answered in a good care sheet, but with experience I know not to trust all of the random ones I find on the web.

Thanks! Im off the keep searching

[MonitorLove]

1) I wouldn't keep them together unless it's a female/female or male/male pair. Even then I would be carefully about housing them together.

3) Silkworms, Phoenix worms, crickets, leafy greens, mice pinks (if you can find some small enough for your hatchling) and the occasional boiled egg bits is what I try to feed.

I stopped feeding mealworms quite a while ago. Silkworms are softer and easier to eat, and have a much larger variety of sizes. Phoenix worms have an amazing calcium level, and have that softer-body-and-no-biting plus side as well.
Both can be found at http://www.mulberryfarms.com
I honestly never liked mealworms for as long as I fed them :/


Right now my own Savannah is on a strike and eating only Silkworms. Every time I offer her anything but she gives me a look like I'm nuts. Still, it's fun to watch her eat. She's just over hatchling size and likes to do the head shake when she chows on her silkworms.
Cutest thing ever
Savannahs are pretty much my number one favorite lizard of all time xD

[Beardedragon]

1) I wouldn't keep them together unless it's a female/female or male/male pair. Even then I would be carefully about housing them together.

3) Silkworms, Phoenix worms, crickets, leafy greens, mice pinks (if you can find some small enough for your hatchling) and the occasional boiled egg bits is what I try to feed.

I stopped feeding mealworms quite a while ago. Silkworms are softer and easier to eat, and have a much larger variety of sizes. Phoenix worms have an amazing calcium level, and have that softer-body-and-no-biting plus side as well.
Both can be found at http://www.mulberryfarms.com
I honestly never liked mealworms for as long as I fed them :/


Right now my own Savannah is on a strike and eating only Silkworms. Every time I offer her anything but she gives me a look like I'm nuts. Still, it's fun to watch her eat. She's just over hatchling size and likes to do the head shake when she chows on her silkworms.
Cutest thing ever
Savannahs are pretty much my number one favorite lizard of all time xD

Thanks Never thought of silkworms, and I used to breed them! I breed my own rodents so pinks will not be a problem either. So what would you say about a pair? As babys I could put a male/female pair into a custom made 4x2x2 vivarium. I do not want to stress them with size and I also need to know if its not usually recommended putting them together.

[MonitorLove]

Opinions on housing lizards (of all kinds) together varies from person to person.
Personally I do not see a problem with it, and do not recommend against it, so long as your careful that they do not breed at to young an age and have a properly sized setup. I have seen custom (massive) Savannah setups with 3-4 adult Savannah's living happily together.

I would be very careful if you want to house a young male/female pair together, you might accidentally end up with a clutch of eggs with no-where to go.

Otherwise, so long as your setup is large enough to comfortably house both lizards, and if they are raised together since they were small. I don't see a problem.


I actually wouldn't mind getting a tank mate for my young Savannah ^^
I'm currently keeping a strongly bonded pair of Ball Pythons, and used to keep a bonded pair of Chinese Water Dragons. I personally like seeing them snuggled up, sleeping together

[daniel1983]

If you are interested in reading about someone with actual success with Savannahs, I would suggest reading the article in this journal concerning the captive breeding of savs:
http://varanidae.org/Vol1_No1.pdf

Other than that.....my only advice is don't stick to a caresheet. Get the basic idea...then build upon it. I have never seen a monitor lizard caresheet worthy of praise....most of them are garbage.

[Sharkbait]

i house my foot long monitor with 5 ball pythons and he LOVES it. he doesn't care if they crawl over him. he even slepts on top of them or in their coils. mind you these are 1.5-3ft ball pythons...he's esp. bonded with my 3ft ball python Coco

[Skiploder]

i house my foot long monitor with 5 ball pythons and he LOVES it. he doesn't care if they crawl over him. he even slepts on top of them or in their coils. mind you these are 1.5-3ft ball pythons...he's esp. bonded with my 3ft ball python Coco

I take it you have a savannah monitor?

How do you account for the discrepancy in husbandry requirements - basking temps, hides, substrate, etc? What size is the enclosure you keep all six of these animals in?

I've never seen a monitor "bond" with anything - nor a ball python for that matter. You must be quite the gifted keeper.

[littleindiangirl]

I take it you have a savannah monitor?

How do you account for the discrepancy in husbandry requirements - basking temps, hides, substrate, etc? What size is the enclosure you keep all six of these animals in?

I've never seen a monitor "bond" with anything - nor a ball python for that matter. You must be quite the gifted keeper.

I'll just echo this, because what first came to my mind looked like this.


Sharkbait, I'm not sure if you're being serious or not.

[_Venom_]

i house my foot long monitor with 5 ball pythons and he LOVES it. he doesn't care if they crawl over him. he even slepts on top of them or in their coils. mind you these are 1.5-3ft ball pythons...he's esp. bonded with my 3ft ball python Coco

You srs?

[BSM]

First think of this what is the biggest cage you can provide?
You dont need uv bulbs, just a few 45 to 90W halgon flood bulbs from homedepot that will give you a 125+ F basking spot they need. As adults they will need at least a foot to 2 of dirt for digging/burrowing and around a 8x4x4 cage.
For feeding Savannahs are more insectivorous try and give a more insect diet then mice. You can start out with crickets,pinkie mice,super worms, silk worms, horned worms and lobster roaches while young. When they are near adult size it will be hard to feed them alone on insects so you can add adult mice,fish and quails or chicks to their diet. Also you may want to start buying a few species of roaches to breed as they will lower the cost to feed them as well as any other animals you may have. Madagascar hissers and dubia/dicoid roaches are good for adults.
heres some hissers my argus and crosses dont really take them that often but savannahs love them.


for bulbs these are 2 (45W or 90W) haglons bulbs that are about 12 inches away from basking spot


Also check your PM i sent you something

Bryan