Thinking about about getting a sav

[Imperial Geckos]

I have been looking up alot information on savs..i initially want a white throat monitor, but savs are not only cheaper, i think they look much more beautiful than a white throat. I was thinking about putting my baby sav in a 40-gallon. How long can it stay in the 40-gallon for before i build an enclosure for it?

 

[T&KBrouse]

About a week.
All kidding aside, savs grow CRAZY fast. The sooner you can get it in a big enclosure, the better.

Rock as a cute little baby

One year later

 

[Imperial Geckos]

Can you please post a picture of your adult sav's enclosure?

 

[latshki]

I do believe it is free roamed
you will want an 8x4x4 by the first year
I would put him in a 4x2x2 until he is 18" and that will give you some time to build a really nice cage
basking spot should be 140f
2ft of dirt at least just plain old dirt or a soil dirt mix
and a good layer of leaves and a wood stack on the basking spot
and get a good roach colony going and a lot of mice/rats
don't feed can stuff and try to stay away from round turkey and that kind of stuff
savs grow insanely fast and a healthy one should reach full size in 15 months easily usually a year

 

[T&KBrouse]

Layton is right. They do grow insanely fast. While Rock is a free roaming boy, he does have daily outings and an area in the house set up with PowerSun bulbs and climbing area to keep his metabolism on track.
Theres alot of very helpful varanid owners on here that can help you troubleshoot through getting your sav a good, healthy enclosure that will keep him or her healthy and keep their intense curiosity tempered.
My other male is in a 6'/3'/4' enclosure with 18" of substrate and it still isn't enough to keep him from trying to get out (and he's damaging the cage itself).
Follow Layton's guidelines and you'll have a great enclosure for your sav.

 

[Srt14292]

K helped me out alot when I got Ojo, he is not very old but boy he is just got to about 18" in the 5 months i've had him, I would say definately watch how much you feed and get him/her on a schedule, you don't want a pudgy sav they can get all type of organ failures, and Btw K..that picture I showed you? Not fat, he just hadn't pooped in a while I guess it was all stored up and my GOD DID IT STINK.

 

[T&KBrouse]

and Btw K..that picture I showed you? Not fat, he just hadn't pooped in a while I guess it was all stored up and my GOD DID IT STINK.

OH GOOD LORD!
Its amazing how much waste can be stored in those little bodies, isn't it?
The poor baby. I bet he looked deflated afterwards.

 

[slayer]

I have been looking up alot information on savs..i initially want a white throat monitor, but savs are not only cheaper, i think they look much more beautiful than a white throat. I was thinking about putting my baby sav in a 40-gallon. How long can it stay in the 40-gallon for before i build an enclosure for it?

..................... A 40gal might last a couple of months but id just skip the tank and go straight for building the adult enclosure.
Check out this link. It should answer most if not all of your housing questions.
http://www.savannahmonitor.org

And here is my guy and his setup

 

[latshki]

God Bless you Slayer
you have a perfect sav cage bravo
I am tired of seeing stinky newspaper filled enclosures with overweight savs
you have a true sav my friend

 

[Imperial Geckos]

Well, ill be getting my sav on Sunday

Ill post pictures once i get him

 

[Imperial Geckos]

Here is my little sav. I just got him this afternoon from a friend of mines.
**Sorry for the crappy iPhone pic.**

 

[Shera]

Aww, he's so cute and tiny (for now, lol)

 

[Gregg M]

I am tired of seeing stinky newspaper filled enclosures with overweight savs
you have a true sav my friend

Unfotunatly this is all too often the case... All monitors need lots of space and lots of natural substrate... They require much more than the average keeper is prepared to offer...

Basking temps of 130+ and ambients into the 80's are needed and this can not be done with an AGA with a UTH and screen lid...