Varanus exanthematicus
Savannah monitor
A large, hot enclosure with a burrow. Hatchlings hide how large the adult is.
Legal status
- CITES II
Varanus exanthematicus is recorded as CITES Appendix II under Varanus spp. in Appendix II, except Appendix I species. Confirm the current appendices.. No EU annex letter was verified for this exact species in this record, so the annex field is empty. Confirm Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/966 before you import, sell, or rely on an annex. Not marked as an EU invasive alien species. Not marked venomous. Not named in 50 CFR 16.15. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 26–32°C
- Basking
- 45–55°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 3. About 1.0–2.6
- Humidity
- 40–60%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 180 × 90 × 90 cm for one adult
- Adult size
- Often 90–130 cm.
- Lifespan
- Often 10–15 years, and longer when the animal stays lean.
- Difficulty
- advanced
Diet and feeding
Mostly insects and other invertebrates. A rodent-heavy diet is a known path to obesity in this species. Juveniles most days. Adults several times a week, not a large rodent on a schedule copied from a snake.
Substrate
Deep packed soil for burrows.
Health
Obesity, fatty liver disease, and metabolic bone disease are the common captive problems.
Handling
Possible with a calm adult. Claws and a bite are both serious. Do not free-handle a defensive animal.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.