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The Savannah Monitor, also known as Bosc's Monitor is one of four African varanids. This has to be the most popular and commonly available monitor lizard in the pet trade. Its relativly inexpensive cost and usually docile temperment along with its moderate size can be accredited to its popularity. The White-Throated Monitor was considered a subspecies of the Savannah up until 1989 when it was granted full species status. There is quite a size difference between the two with the Savannah being much smaller. The Savannah Monitor was given the Latin name Varanus exanthematicus. The specific name being derived from a Greek word meaning eruption. This name was picked because of the rough scales found found on the neck and back of the monitor. I also read that it may have been chosen because of the pattern of ocelli on the Savannah Monitor's back that may look to some like an exlosion or eruption.
Savannah Monitors found in the pet trade are usually taken from Kenya and Tanzania as well as Ghana and Togo (West Africa). Like their name suggests, they are found in grassland or savannah type areas and usually stay away from rainforests and deserts (Bennet, 1998).
Bosc Monitors have a somewhat different shape than the typical monitor lizard. They are not as slender and elegant looking as some of the Asian species but possess a beauty of their own. The body shape is as follows: The head is blunt and shorter than most. The nostrils are placed about halfway between the tip of the snout and the eyes. The neck is short and attached to a body that is very robust. If allowed, a Savannah Monitor can become very obese in captivity. The tail has a very thick, oval base that can store fat reserves for times of need. Atypically, the body to tail ratio of a Savannah Monitor is roughly 1:1.
The overall body coloration of a Savannah can vary from light brown or beige to dark brown or grey. Most Savannahs show some flavour of the grey coloration. On top of the grey base they can show well defined ocelli that form horizontal bands across the body to obscure markings that have no definition leaving an overall impression of a brown or grey lizard. Again, most Savannahs typically show a grey base with white to yellow ocelli forming bands across the back. The variations of pattern and coloration I assume are signs of locality.
An interesting feature of the Savannah Monitor is its ability to change color or tone. When these monitors are cold they take on a darker coloration that probably allows them to absorb heat more quickly when it becomes available. As they heat up and become active their color tends to become lighter.
Savannahs come from a climate that is typicaly hot and dry in the daytime throughout most of the year. You should provide your Savannah with a basking site that ranges from about 100-115°F and an ambient temperature of about 29-32°C (85-90°F). Don't forget to create a temperature gradient in the enclosure that allows your monitor to choose whether it wants to be cool or warm. Always give your Savannah an escape from the heat. The basking spot can be heated by any number of products from heat lamps to ceramic heaters. Warning: Make sure your Savannah can not come into direct contact with the heating element because it can severely injure itself. Their sense of touch is not the same as ours and the monitor may burn itself without knowing it. Use some sort of screening or make sure the heating device is far enough away that the monitor can't reach it. Some Savannahs that are local to the more southern parts of their distribution experience a drastic drop in temperature at night. They will usually try to spend the night in a burrow of some sort to avoid the full force of the cold. Also in the wild, it has been shown that these monitors are highly seasonal and are not active at all times of the year. Of course a captive Savannah may not demonstrate this seasonal activity as profoundly due partly to the constant food supply provided by the keeper and optimal conditions. Even though a Savannah in the wild may encounter cold night time temperatures it is good to prevent the temperature of your monitors enclosure from dipping below 23-28°C (~70-75°F)
Your Savannah Monitor is diurnal and will need about a 12 hour light : 12 hour dark photoperiod. You can play around with these numbers to see if more, less or no photoperiod makes any difference to your animal. I keep my monitors on a roughly 12:12 hour light/dark cycle but see no difference when I deviate from this schedule. They pretty much do what they want to do whether the lights are on or off. I won't get into the whole issue of whether or not monitors need UV lighting, except to say that there is no definitive proof to show that they need it in captivity or to show that they suffer from receiving it in. Many people have successfully kept monitors both ways. You can do some research and make your own informed decision on this one.
The standard formula for cage sizing can be applied with a Savannah (2 times as long as the animal and about 1.5 as wide). This is very general and is only a rough guide. Some people think that Savannahs are lazy monitors but I disagree. My Savs are active and explore their cages everday. They're definitly not as active as some other species but this doesn't mean they're lazy...lets just say they like to conserve their energy for better things like eating. I keep my Savannah in a 6 feet long X 3 feet high X 3 feet deep melamine tank and this works good for me. This is only a suggestion . Of course the more space you provide them with the better off they will be. As hatchlings to juveniles any appropriate sized glass aquarium with a locking lid will suffice. You can construct your own enclosure for a relatively cheap price out of melamine (coated particleboard) from your local building store. I use glass-sliding panels for the front because I find glass to be better than plexi, but use whatever works best for you. There are many different types of substrate to choose from and some of them work well with reptiles. You should however, stay away from bedding like pine or cedar because they are known to cause skin irritations in monitors. For Savannahs, I find that cypress mulch or aspen shavings or a mixture of the two work good. Sand seems to cake on the monitors skin. Soil mixtures are also a good choice because they allow for good burrowing. If you can provide a nice deep (1-2 feet) substrate you'll probable notice your Savannah digging in it and burrowing under. This is something that Bosc's Monitor does naturally and is enjoyable to watch (at least for me). Hiding spots are important for all monitors and should not be overlooked in your husbandry. Giving your Savannah a place to hide will add to its security and reduce stress on the animal. These hiding spots can be misted down every now and then to give the monitor a place to conserve moisture and aid in shedding.
Feeding a Savannah Monitor is an easy task because they'll eat pretty much everything you offer them. However, just because they will eat it doesn't mean that they should. Savs in captivity are usually fed on a staple diet of rodents. Many keepers try to avoid this monotonous diet and offer a variety of insects and seafood as well. This is a good idea and every effort should be made to make sure your monitor gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs. A varied diet does just this. Imagine yourself having to eat the same thing for your entire life. I know this is very anthropomorphic but thats just the way I look at. As hatchling to juveniles (up to 1 foot) you can feed your Savannah crickets, mealworms, and pinkies. As your monitor grows you can increase the size of prey offered. From pinkies you can move up to fuzzies and hoppers and eventually full grown mice. Juvenile monitors should be fed everyday because your monitor will do the majority of its growing in the first two to three years of its life if not less. Sub-adult to adult monitors (1.5-3 feet) can be fed less often. At this size Savannahs will start putting on weight and regulation of their food intake will be neccessary to manage or prevent obesity. The best advice is to use common sense and descretion when feeding them and regulate their diet accordingly. Other food items that you may want to offer are shrimps, crayfish, minnows, worms, small rats, boiled eggs, ground turkey and roaches. When feeding eggs it is a good idea to cook them first because salmonella is always a risk with raw eggs. Some people say that vitamin supplements are a mandatory part of husbandry because some monitors lack certain vitamins in their diet or they can't synthesise calcium properly without access to direct sunlight. On the other hand you have those people who say that if you feed your monitors well fed, whole prey items there is no need to supplements their diets with vitamins. Some also believe that these supplements can lead to hypervitaminosis and infertility. It is up to you to do some research and decide what you believe. Personally, I supplement my adult monitors on occasion and supplement juvelniles more frequently. Note: Fresh water should be available at all times
The majority of Savannahs in the pet trade are unfortunately wild caught hatchlings to juveniles. When aquired young (about 5 inches- 12 inches TL) there is a good chance that with regular handling your Savannah will calm down to the point that it will no longer see you as a threat and will stop trying to run from you or take up a defensive posture when you approach it. Most Savannahs calm down so much that their owners label them as "tame". I am guilty of this myself but compared to some other monitors out there I think this is a safe lable for Savs. I have no experience with wild caught adults so I can only say that from what I've read they are like any wild caught adult monitor; aggresive. But they too usually calm down with frequent, gentle interaction.
Most Savannah Monitors will reach around 3-3.5 feet TL. They may get bigger but are generally in this size range. Most juveniles seen on the pet trade arrive at about 4 inches and up.