Description
Being native to Africa, savannah monitors were historically kept in dry, hot environments in captivity which were thought to correctly mimic their natural habitats. But more recently monitor owners are seeing better results by providing more humidity and areas to burrow, just like the native grasslands of Ghana offer.
They spend most of their time in the wild grasslands of Africa basking in the sun, burrowing in the soil, and eating a variety of small prey food; primarily these are insects, with smaller portions of vertebrate prey such as rodents and smaller lizards. They are carnivores and prone to obesity, therefore it is vital to monitor the weight of your savannah monitor to prevent excess weight gain. Feeding juveniles a few times a week is fine but adult savannahs may only need to eat once a week.
Savannah monitors will grow to be about 3 to 4 feet long. Regular handling will make them tamer but like all monitors, if they are not a captive bred baby or are not handled often savannah monitors can become aggressive.