Medium Sized Large Amount Essay - 1,149 words

Savannah monitors (Various exanthematicus) are medium-sized monitor lizards that are usually readily available in most reptile specialty stores and from breeders. They are intelligent (for lizards), beautiful, usually tame pretty easily, and do not grow as large as some monitors. Savannahs usually are less expensive to purchase than some of the other monitor species. Savannah monitors hail from Africa, and they are also listed as a "threatened" species in their natural habitat, due to the pet trade, trade in reptile skins, and the fact that they are used in their native countries as a source of food. Savannah monitors are usually first purchased as hatchlings or juveniles. Remember that although they look small and cute when they are this age, they will grow to three feet or beyond and weigh around 11 - 12 + pounds when they are fully grown.


They also require a large amount of space and a fairly large amount of food to be maintained properly. Any monitor, including Savannah monitors, should be treated with respect, because they are extremely strong for their size, and have very sharp teeth. I have never been bitten by mine, and wouldn't want to be. A bite from one of these lizards can even require stitches.


Not trying to scare anyone off, just giving you information that you should know before purchasing a monitor lizard. I also believe that the Savannah monitor is one of the best monitor lizards to start with. They are well known for becoming tame in captivity, especially if you are willing to invest time into taming them. Some Savannahs almost seem to be affectionate towards their owners. When selecting an enclosure for your monitor, you will want to buy one as large as possible to start. A 30 gallon to 55 gallon tank is a good size to start for a young Savannah monitor.


The general rule for sizing a cage is one and a half to two or more times the lizard from nose to base of tail in length, two thirds to one times the lizard in width, and one to one and a half times the lizard in height. When your monitor reaches adult size, it will be necessary to either purchase or build a custom cage. The bigger the better as far as cage size goes. These lizards tend to become overweight and lazy if not given the opportunity to move around and get enough exercise. If you " re lucky enough to have an extra room you can "lizard proof", this is another option. Whether you decide to build your own or have someone else build it for you, remember to make sure the cage is secure and has a locking door of some sort.


Savannahs are very smart, very strong, and very good at escaping. Once they figure out how to get out, they will continue to do it over and over until the problem is fixed. There are several types of ground cover that you can use for Savannah Monitor cages. I use artificial turf, and have had success with it. It can be cut to fit, taken out and washed when dirty, and inexpensively replaced when worn out. Other types of ground cover that we have used are wood chips and newspaper.


If using wood chips, avoid using cedar since it is toxic. Newspaper is definitely the easi ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: large amount, savannah, monitor, monitors, medium sized

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