Savannah Monitor
(Varanus exanthemanicus)

Range: Africa

Habitat: Savannah

Diet: Eggs, small rodents, birds, insects, invertebrates

Identification: Large, brown lizards with brown eyes

Notes: Savannah monitors are large, powerful lizards that can grow to be over four feet long. Savannah monitors are smaller than some other species in their family. The Komodo dragon, also a monitor lizard, can grow to be six feet long! Prehistoric monitors, such as Australia’s Megalania, were 20 feet long!  Even though they have the potential to seem “tame” they are capable of delivering a severe bite. Monitor mouths possess resilient bacterial strains that help them take down their prey by poisoning their blood. Their size, power, and specialized care needs make them terrible pets for most people. The hazards they present make them illegal to possess in many states. Additionally, many savannah monitors are caught in the wild, which not only threatens the wild populations, but also means that the animal may have parasites which could be transmitted to other captive animals. They, like many -monitors, are opportunistic in what they eat, and will happily eat eggs, birds, small rodents, and other lizards including other monitors. They will also eat excessively if allowed to do so, which can lead to health complications and obesity is serious problem for them in captivity. Savannah monitors are so named because they come from the African savannah. Reptiles are poikilothermic (possessing a body temperature variable relative to its surroundings) and draw their heat from the sun, often basking near rocks to maximize the heat they can get. Savannah monitors need high temperatures to stay healthy. Calcium is very important for reptiles.

At The Children’s Museum: The Children’s Museum has a Savannah Monitor in the UTC Wildlife Sanctuary.