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Care sheet

Savannah Monitor

Varanus exanthematicus

Also known as: Bosc's Monitor

Varanidae · Squamata

AdvancedCITES IIIUCN LC
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Temperament
Docile
Adult length
30–48 in
Lifespan (captivity)
10–15 yrs
Native range
Sub-Saharan Africa — open savanna and grassland

Care guide

Overview

Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) — a stocky African monitor that is powerful and can tame well but is very demanding: 8x4 ft minimum, deep burrowing substrate, and a 130-150F basking surface. Feed mainly insects, not rodents.

Environment

Climate

Cool side
80–85 °F
Warm side
88–95 °F
Basking spot
130–150 °F
Nighttime
72–80 °F
Humidity (ambient)
40–60%

Environment

UVB lighting

Required?
Yes — provide UVB
Fixture type
T5 HO
Replacement interval
Every 12 months

Housing

Enclosure

Orientation
Terrestrial
Bioactive setup
Suitable
Minimum size by life stage
  • HatchlingNot specified
  • JuvenileNot specified
  • Adult8x4x4 ft minimum with deep burrowing substrate + hot basking surface

Housing

Substrate

Depth
18–36 in
Safe options
topsoil/sand mix (holds burrows)excavator clay
Avoid
pure loose sandaspencoco fiber only

Nutrition

Diet & feeding

Dietary type
Insectivore
Feeding frequency by life stage
  • JuvenileDaily (insect-based)
  • Adult2-3x weekly; primarily insects (avoid obesity/fatty rodents)
Supplementation

Calcium+D3 on insects. Wild diet is largely invertebrates — over-feeding rodents causes obesity and fatty liver.

Care

Water & behavior

Water

Large basin for soaking; fresh water always available.

Legal & ecology

Conservation

CITES
Appendix II
IUCN Red List
LC · Least Concern
Wild populations

CITES Appendix II. Frequently sold cheaply as wild-caught hatchlings then underhoused/overfed. Needs a huge enclosure, deep digging substrate, and a very hot basking surface.

Citations

Sources

Every husbandry parameter on this page is backed by the references below. Click through to read the originals.

  1. Varanus exanthematicus — species account

    Animal Diversity Web, U. Michigan

    academic

    African savanna range, invertebrate-heavy wild diet.

    Published: 2020-01-01

  2. Varanus exanthematicus — IUCN Red List (LC)

    IUCN

    government

    Least Concern; CITES Appendix II.

    Published: 2019-01-01

  3. Savannah Monitor Care Sheet

    ReptiFiles (Mariah Healey)

    breeder community

    Enclosure scale, deep substrate, basking surface temp, insect-based diet.

    Published: 2022-01-01

Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) care sheet — Herpetoverse