Looking After Your Savannah Monitor - Learn The Basic About Your Savannah Monitor & How To Care

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[@KurNorock]

Savannah monitors should really not be fed rodents very often. They should be fed primarily invertebrates specifically to avoid fatty liver disease. They really don't eat a lot of vertebrates in the wild and their systems can't handle them. That's why most captive savannahs die within 5 years.

[@arachnodroid3742]

You make some of the best videos on monitor care, I thank you for the knowledge you're spreading!

[@paulholleo]

great advice as always kev, lots of love from the U.K

[@scash285]

Great video 😄 Can you do one about how you tame your savs? Along with maybe a cage build? Greatly appreciated

[@patrickselig2088]

I like that you added this video, I thought it was outrageous the flak you were getting based on the ~3 minute video you posted a week or so ago. It's nice to see how others are raising monitors rather than blindly following one persons "bible"

[@edenronald8991]

you prolly dont give a damn but does anyone know of a method to get back into an instagram account?? I was dumb lost my login password. I would love any tips you can offer me!

[@orionjaziel7342]

@Eden Ronald Instablaster =)

[@edenronald8991]

@Orion Jaziel i really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now. Takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@edenronald8991]

@Orion Jaziel it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thanks so much you saved my account!

[@orionjaziel7342]

@Eden Ronald Happy to help =)

[@M.Kabane]

It's too fat. The Savannahs should be kept in a diet 95% bugs 5% meat feeding them 3 times a week.

[@Lizardman-ho5yt]

I promise you there is no one better at raising monitors than him

[@WaldoGuapo]

I feed mine quail eggs turkey meat mice hissing roaches super worms crickets. It’s all good stuff n put it in the bathtub twice a week for shedding

[@UnderDogGamingUK]

Got to love sav's just saved a 2 n half from a very bad pet shop there was no sand or soil and no hides. Not even the right heat and she is very fat wish more people would lean how to care for these amazing reptiles. Had just under 2 week and now she is like a proper monitor digger and having fun. I'm in the uk and we don't have meany good reptile shops.

[@JohnDoe-dq7kn]

Gotta respect you more than anyone out there. To me your word is law lol.

[@longlive1488]

You should write and publish a book about Monitors " Evil morph god on Monitors for Dummies " And break it down for the world right down to what is a health feeding schedule for Monitors . You can have that book name for Free , for getting me hooked on Monitors !

[@bryaned4149]

Not even lol

[@riquesreviews5229]

"I can cook and egg on here" 😂😂

[@bryaned4149]

Enrique Sanchez and the monitors would love that lol

[@cynp3564]

please make more videos

[@runningbear8088]

Hey Kevin when you're done with that mulch can I get it to plant some plants in lot of beneficial microbes in that soil that plants love

[@WaldoGuapo]

Bought a savannah from you guys a year ago things a baby Godzilla ❤️

[@CronusandRhea]

I never heard of Greg Fry, the UV debate is still sitting at an impasse due to Pianka, Retes, and various Zoos showing the same results, even breeding, with out the use of UV bulbs. Not to mention UV bulbs are inconsistently putting out low amounts of UV compared to natural sun light. Colors come out richer with Powersun bulbs, but the lizards health remains the same in the absence of the $80 bulb.

[@lobosalvaje8301]

I know this video is a little older but, I like your views on the Savys and the knowledge you have with reptiles all together. What is your opinion on housing 2 Savvys ( hopefully male and female or two females) in a custom enclosure that is 8' x 4' x 4'. I had a male and a female a while ago but due to the work schedule could not interact with them as much as they needed and the male got out of control and I had to separate them. eventually my living situation changed and I had to donate them to a rescue. I'm building a nice enclosure prior to getting another or possibly 2, and just want to know your opinion on the size I'm building and if you think that they will get along. I now have a lot more time to spend with them and give them human interaction. i know any savvy I acquire will be wild caught or hatched from a female that has been caught from the wild and her eggs incubated by humans. let me know your thoughts. thank you.

[@alfiemundy1936]

Savannahs can be kept successfully together you just want to provide hides for both Male and female to allow them to escape because the male is bound to show breeding behaviour which would show him biting or shoving the female around

[@EdLukacevic]

I love what you are doing!

[@bryaned4149]

i can tell you anything you need to know about this creature ive monitors since i was young i grew up raising all kinds of lizards. the reason adults savs in the wild only have roughly 2% body fat in the wild is because they are more active. my sav roams my house as a dog would. he has a cage that he can climb in and out of anytime he pleases. and ive never had an impaction sickness disease or any other issue with monitors and i live in a cooler climate i live in southeast pennsylvania so if my monitor can be healthy while roaming my house at 70 degrees being able to climb into his heat at anytime then anyone can make it work and make it healthy. this is a lizard that needs to roam give them room to run as you would a dog. to be honest most people that owns dogs shouldnt. considering the average persons yard in america is roughly an 1/2 an acre and a medium sized dog needs atleast an acre. so if your going by size standards then your monitor needs roughly a quarter acre for running around

[@pnwanglers5658]

What type of potting soil do you use?

[@hannahhopkinsmitchdavisgir7083]

Hi Kevin I have a question for you how do I stop my Savannah monitor from tail whipping me and hissing at me and biting me

[@jadenwhen]

You dont

[@danielfuentes2999]

@@jadenwhen yes you can🙄

[@danielfuentes2999]

Nerd has a great video on monitor socialization and taming

[@commercialelectrician133]

Great video

[@peaceful4you408]

How do you keep up with humidity with an enclosure like that?

[@WastedTalent-]

Deep substrate helps a lot.

[@hammytvshorts4549]

very cool

[@CronusandRhea]

You can reach the same temps with indoor/outdoor par 38 60 watt flood light light bulbs, like three domes in a row. Never purchase ZOO Med or any pet store uv bulbs. UV is not necessary for varanids, so save the $80 on the powersun 160w. FYI :0)

[@Dustflinger80]

+CronusandRhea ZeusandHera uv lighting in savs is for immune response and natural sterilization not for d3 synthesis, uv lighting prevents common bacterial and fungal infections and helps in mechanical injury healing.

[@CronusandRhea]

Well I'd lean towards lower wattage bulbs so not to dry out the relative humidity and save a lot of money. UV is a debatable and industry driven medium, not a necessity in husbandry. BIAWAK is a journal all about Varanids and has discussions about the importance of ultra violet rays in other reptiles but not in the family of varanidae. I'd just hate to see new keepers wasting loads of money on high wattage uv bulbs instead of whole foods, not ground turkey or cat food. Whole fish, mice, and chicks etc., provide all the nutrients to heal, even though they heal slower than mammals. I'm not arguing, just trying to help the clueless and naive.

[@Dustflinger80]

+CronusandRhea ZeusandHera but you are correct that a bank 2-3 of low wattage par 38 outdoor flood bulbs will produce high basking temps.

[@Dustflinger80]

bryan greg fry showed the bennefits of uv lighting in varanids, in his book he demonstrated that uv lighting increased the immune response exponentially as well as cut down on instances of external infections. if your enclosure is loosing humidity then it's not properly sealed, dozs of keepers including the handful of successful breeders maintain a basking surface temp of 150-160f and only have to water their enclosures every 6-8 weeks. a sav humidity should range 60% in the basking surface area, up to 80% in the cool area and around 100% in the burrows. i do agree that diet should be whole prey not bits and pieces nor ground anything. you should join the group Varanus Exanthematicus on face book, daniel bennet and many of the top keepers are in that group.

[@Dustflinger80]

any updates it's been 2 mos since there lockup

[@kevinwalker4124]

What's the temperature at the basking spot?

[@Tepadj]

About 40-42°C is fine.

[@stijndebaere5778]

Temperature to about 50/60° is also allowed so don't be afraid

[@danielfuentes2999]

The perfect basking heat should be around 120°f

[@foxyjess13]

What do you do for under heating if you do anything?

[@bryaned4149]

foxyjess13 I've never used it for a monitor of any kind. Question why do you ask about under tank heating? Is this for night when lights are out?

[@baileyholmes7717]

Is there any way to treat a enlarged liver on a baby shavanna monitor

[@hustle4mines]

Update on Savannah monitor

[@local_rels1153]

What's a Savannah monitors feeding scheduled

[@mambasneak3929]

Theres no food communist

[@stocourt3818]

I just noticed something amazing your channel acronym is " nerd " XD

[@PotatoOfDestruction]

I am really considering getting a savannah monitor and was wondering if I have to offer them meat? I have a very large dubia roach colony and was wondering if that can be a good base diet. Now i'm pretty sure I would have to offer other things on special occasions like shrimp, fish or some kinda meat. Could somebody help me pls?

[@bobsurewood7629]

A varied diet is going to better for a sav. As babies different insects such as roaches, crickets, superworms, locust, soldier fly larvae, hornworms, butterworms, silkworms and earthworms, as well as other non insect prey items (on occasion only) such as feeder guppies, small shrimps, pinky mice/ pinky mouse parts, raw or hard boiled egg, chicken gizzards, chicken hearts, chicken breast, ground turkey, etc. As a baby try to keep most of the diet insects. Once you start getting closer to adulthood some of the insects will become to small to reasonably use as feeders. Roaches, hornworms, silkworms, earthworms and locust should all work as feeders for an adult. As he gets bigger you can also start to add more variety such as large mice, small rats, baby guinea pigs, newborn rabbits, chicks, quail, ducklings, whole eggs, crayfish, freshwater shrimps, and other appropriately sized freshwater fish. You can still use ground turkey and chicken part etc on occasion but the bulk of the diet should be whole prey items. So like I said earlier, big variety is good. Try to stay away from beef, pork, lamb, and other commercially available red meats. Some people say wet cat food is "ok" if given as a rarity, but in my opinion there are much better options and this should not be used. MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT OVER FEED YOUR MONITOR. Big variety does not mean feed them more often or bigger meals. Also make sure to supplement calcium and a solid multivitamin as needed. I hope this helps. P.S. This is only the tip of the iceberg on Savannah Monitor nutrition.

[@bryaned4149]

rowan w you can feed meats as long as you look for low fat. Best thing to go with is organic low fat chicken breasts. Cook it in a pan with water don't add anything to it and if there is fat remove as much as you can cut off. I feed once every two days either chicken breasts meal worms crickets and I too have a dubia colony for my monitor and beardies. I've been keeping reptiles since I was like 6 I'm 26 now so for someone to tell you not to feed meats that's bull. Also another thing monitors are not insectivores in the wild they are scavengers. They will eat anything they can find if they can kill it and eat it they will. also monitors love eggs. Hardboiled and cut it up if you have a baby and he/ she will love it

[@mampam7020]

Hello Kevin your videos are very interesting. I think you are wrong about there being lots of good Savannah monitor breeders, I don't think there has ever been one. The females die. I also think that problems arise long before the fat bodies fill up, because wild animals need only 4% body fat to get them through many months of drought and starvation, but the fat bodies can actually hold about 20%, enough in theory to sustain them for 2.5 years. Wild adult animals are typically only 1 or 2% fat most of the time but captives are almost always much fatter. I call this animal Bok, and I am trying learn about it because it's one of my favourite animals. I phoned you last month, please check your email.

[@tjcoleman6818]

I had a sav for about 4 months It was wild caught though informed other wise. He passed due to miscellaneous intestinal parasites.

[@Tepadj]

Always look for captive born specimen with papers.

[@kenziekun7311]

So I have one of these Savannah monitors and it's a female but how can I go about training her she doesn't like to eat anything but crickets is that not healthy for her or is it ok I feed her only that

[@ollitube9414]

One thing you can try if you haven't already are hornworms. They are real good for hydration and high in calcium. Plus the bright teal color makes them very enticing! Also try scrambled eggs (plain of course). But variety is key I would try to mix it up. Also, I recently posted a taming video on my channel if interested. Hopefully this helps, good luck!

[@killerscreed21]

Mackenzie Pix hey I know it's 6 months late but it sounds bad. It withold food for a few days depending on the size and offer it a new type of food maybe wax or super worms and then it should want to eat the new food. But try two or three different foods each time you try and give it a few hours try again and if he or she doesn't eat try it again after you gave her a hearty amount of crickets and maybe stretch the time. In the wild they'll try and eat anything and they aren't picky at all when they're hungry

[@killerscreed21]

OlliTube raw eggs only for a lizard, cooking it removed majority of the protein

[@EastCoastCritters]

Cooking eggs changes the structure of their constituent proteins. Proteins in raw eggs are tightly packed together and held in place by weak chemical bonds. When you heat egg proteins during cooking, some of these bonds break and the proteins strands begin to separate from one another. This makes the egg proteins more easily digestible and absorbable. Although the protein content is the same in raw and cooked eggs, your body is better able to utilize the protein from a cooked egg compared to a raw egg.

[@2424usmc]

Some of the most unhealthy foods for savs are chicken parts and Turkey parts as the lack proper minerals Cooked eggs as it destroys the nutrients And most dog/cat food. Savs eat insects in the wild. Crickets, roaches, earth worms, snails and locusts. A well managed monitor can also handle mice in their diet as well

[@felixq1578]

Are those adults

[@Discoveryjamie]

They are insectivores so why all the rodents ?

[@Pr3datora]

I am taking care of savannah monitors for already 23 years. For most of the stuff u are saying and show and the enclosure I dont agree. For some stuff yes. But these lizards look stressed, a bit overfed and they are not relaxed while near them. That means the animals are stressed around you. You must spend more time with them and give them more freedom to do whatever they want. I let my savannah monitors to room free in my flat even while i am out. They still do have enclosure with heating mats and UV lamps which they spend most of the time in there. These animals CAN be trained not like a dog of course... Yours look lethargic and overfed. With such a small enclose they dont have room enough to move. Monitor lizards are getting bored easily when u keep them in this tiny enclosure they stop exploring and move enough and then that's why they get fat. Also never give to your reptiles tap water! Always change the water brand every 19 days. I have a lot to talk about this subject about Savannah Monitors of 23 years of experience.

[@onespeed414]

Post some videos bro

[@initialjeff2476]

how many times do i feed it? like 6 chunks of fish every 2 days when its 3 months old?

[@initialjeff2476]

and can i bring it out side to bask three times a day but keep bulbs just in case its not sunny?

[@shvlhed1975]

Can you tell male from female when they are babies.

[@davondh7]

Everyone wants to be a expert as long as your animals are healthy and you are giving them what they need those people can f themselves. I got my first snake last year and I handle him but if choices not to some so called experts would say if you are not going to handle it do get a snake. As long he is healthy and getting everything he needs I could do with him as I please I'll make sure he's well taken care of.

[@johnperrine4003]

No, not everyone wants to be an expert. A lot of people come here looking for advice and get the wrong advice . You say “as long as it’s healthy “ well how do you know it’s healthy? Just because it looks good doesn’t mean it’s healthy. It could look healthy today and tomorrow it could be gone. It’s a good idea to listen to people who have experience with a particular animal. And monitors should not have rodents more than once or twice a month. Monitors exist mostly on insects in the wild, not rodents .

[@bryaned4149]

Ok im getting tired of seeing this statement on every monitor video i watch ( monitors are insectivores in the wild) this statement makes me cringe every time.they do not eat just insects in the wild!!!!!!!! Monitors are scavengers they will eat dead animals they will steal eggs and eat them. They will eat their own species and eggs. They will eat a bird if they catch one. They will eat almost anything they see. Also I can't express this enough.... you can feed a monitor meat it has to have a high lean and low fat content. I feed my monitor chicken on the regular so it drives me crazy when people say don't feed meat they get obese. Yea maybe if you make em sit in an enclosure doing nothing but staring at you all day.shit I'd get fat that way too. You can't own a reptile larger than some dogs and expect it not to get fat while doing nothing. You gotta take them out and excersize them. Let them explore the house keep an eye on them of course. To feed your monitor just bugs is seriously lacking in minerals and eery thing else they need. Bugs only got so much. Also crickets are the worst thing to buy your reptile for food but only if you're the kinda person that leaves the live crickets in the enclosure, crickets will slowly eat away at the skin on your reptile and cause issues like infections. I've been raising monitors since I was 6 I have a Sav now. Had water monitors had a croc monitor had a black throat and my favorite of all time the poisonous green tree monitor. They all have one thing major in common. They will eat anything not just insects. I've been around monitors in the wild and best believe if one decided you were dinner that day, they'd make dinner out of you so once again for those that can't hear me in the back.... MONITORS ARE SCAVENGERS NOT INSECTIVORES ESPECIALLY IN THE WILD!!!!!!!!!!

[@jadenwhen]

savannah monitors r insectivores u nunce, they eat milipedes and crickets

[@ornatusvaranid]

You clearly have no idea about sexual maturity, age has absolutely nothing to do with it, it`s mainly down to SV length (snout to vent). Your substrate is too shallow, if the animal is female it will need at the very least an 18inch depth throughout for nesting.Ground turkey is not recommended, whole animals only. That animal is somewhat overweight.

[@Tepadj]

With ground turkey you can get your savannah monitor killed. Feeding vertebrates will cause obesity, fatty liver and heart failure.

[@bryaned4149]

wrong ground turkey is great for them you just gotta know how to read lean and fat precentages. as long as its low in fat its good for them. hell mine eats beef and crickets meal worms roaches turkey chicken and all types of eggs

[@xx_jamfellows4650]

my nine year old brother has a savannah monitor lizard, it is 3 foot long

[@ikeishaoliver2407]

That please is very small for all of them need to be out side also my man, plus have a lot of water where they can swim

[@ollitube9414]

Very nice enclosure! I recently picked up a baby, so far he/she is doing very well (videos on my channel). One question, at what age are you able to sex a savannah monitor?

[@envyism3746]

Still needs work you need to put more substrate in pushing it into a corner is not "deep" substrate and I would raise the humidity then your golden

[@eddieperez8432]

k

[@murrayexotics8413]

Let's see your Savannah Monitor Enclosure. I bet yours isn't even half as good as his. STFU

[@envyism3746]

+Murray Exotics my enclosure actually is better than this

[@murrayexotics8413]

Is it a 20 gallon with 2 inches of dirt with a 7 inch monitor in it with some cool hides and a Tupperware water bowl..? By chance?

[@envyism3746]

+Murray Exotics mine has more than "1ft of substrate" I have more than the min, 3ft deep at one half 4ft at other half and I have humidity good and high and the temp is 150° how it's supposed to b for adults. I'm not criticizing him I said it needs a little more to it

[@mybushcraftlife9778]

Good bye

[@zachmiller8568]

i got my baby sav a week ago( not from you, but can u guys ship to usa?) and he is really scared of me. Also he bites and hisses a lot. He is feeding good, and has a proper setup( check my channel) but how do i get him to be a really friendly adult. How do u get them that friendly so they can crawl up too you and love you? Thank you plz answer fast

[@zachmiller8568]

i meant my other channel VaranusLover2003

[@Dustflinger80]

+Zharkslayer07 that's normal behavior, they need time to settle in, they need a proper environment not a fish tank, babies can be started in a 4x2x2 but you can go directly to an 8x4x4, they need deep substrate from the start 8-10 inches and 2ft plus as adults, properly heated savs are active and grow 1 inch a week and 30 there first year,

[@zachmiller8568]

+Joshua Templeton yea, hes grown a good bit, and hes in like a four foot by 1.5 foot enclosure. Should i hold of the handling?

[@susanmartin3762]

Is she okay? She looks sad

[@mybushcraftlife9778]

Yeah.... Put a egg 🥚 there.

[@phishitaac]

what are your thoughts on wet dog/cat food for the majority of their diet?

[@Smallzoo42]

No. They need to be fed mainly insects and rodents.

[@JohnDoe-dq7kn]

+Cadens Pet Room Yeah dog and cat food will kill them. Should really only be whole foods.

[@Dustflinger80]

+PHISHIT processed foods and pure muscle proteins. organs etc are incomplete foods and are unhealthy, they lack essential vits, minerals, fats and moisture.

[@Tepadj]

As an insectivore, their diet should be 99 % invertebrates. Baby mice, fish and eggs only as special treat. Also remember that they live naturally in a harsh environment so food should not be a daily thing. I feed mine once a week with low fat insects (cockroaches, locusts etc).

[@JohnDoe-dq7kn]

Tepadj Thats not really true. Under proper heat and conditions they should be able to take a fair amount of rodents.

[@jamesrakestraw7125]

can I have one...?

[@rylanwalker442]

Fuck ppl that dont like the way you do it. I've seen ppl with savannahs, and other monitors going off about how "if you can't do what I'm doing do you can't handle the animal", also "if you can't totally replicate a wild environment you can't handle the animal". What a load of hotshit. You're breeding pets, and from what I can tell doing everything you can to not only give good husbandry, but not produce or sell flighty, wild acting pets to people. Elitists, and know it all amateur herpetologists talk big, but I can pick apart anybody's breeding operation

[@outdoorthings6917]

She is way to over weight don’t feed her as much, feed them just roaches and other insects

[@JsUnderWorld]

More b.s.. with a tiny bit of truth on top