Well I figured Id do some updates here and post further info cause there was a lot of garbage to go through online.. I had a got a lot of wrong info and have been on trial and error the last week. I had the wrong shape of enclosure, wrong substrate (or too little of it), wrong interior and then some. So I am posting three pictures to show what my enclosure was and went to and I will post new ones of the RIGHT one this weekend. I get it on friday I can't wait!
Heres the pictures, first one.
I figured he'd like to climb to keep active, did NOT figure out that he'd be too cold to manage that in the morning. Despite the info I found Savannah likes to climb its not as common and not like beardies at all. But before I found that out I figured to make the climb easier.
So here's version number 2. With a cute Savannah on top.
and here is the final version of the one I have now, the reason it's getting changed and that it FINALLY was someone who explained the physics about this is, 1. screen top lets out humidity (well that I knew I had mine covered and I am gonna have a wodden one custom made for this new one).
2. Height is enemy of humidity AND heat, it needs to be lower and wider/longer. 3. it still has to be high enough to have a good amount of digging dirt, cause dirt helps to hold the humidity level better and they like to burrow, and it gives them a way to hydrate as well as adjust temperature.
4. They kinda like getting cooked, the hotest spot in my viv is right now 135F and guess where Rex is at, I would estimate that the spot he is on which is an inch lower is at least 120 he's BAKING but he loves it. he runs around like a little maniac, been eating crickets and having fun trying to break out like a healthy monitor. 5. it helps to have the basking bulb inside for humidity levels as well as the heat level. in my new one I will do a netcage in the cover so I can have it about half an inch lower or so for the right temp modification. Not anywhere did I find this information accumulated in an EASY written way, I found parts of it but noone explained it properly and for me with english as a second language I was a bit thrown off and that together with the wrong info it could of been a disaster. Thank god some varanid owners smacked me in the head
not that fun looking but ah well it serves it's purpouse!
Here I will post about future issues, struggles, and conclusion so other varanid noobs can take use of MY mistakes.
Oh and a behavioral pointer. IF you baby Savannah seems tame when you approach the cage and don't run away, chances are you have it too cold for him/her. Mine has since I got everything right turned into the shy Savannah I read about. Only reason he tolerated handling when being in his viv was cause he was too cold to run away. That is one of the first give aways.
Heres the pictures, first one.
I figured he'd like to climb to keep active, did NOT figure out that he'd be too cold to manage that in the morning. Despite the info I found Savannah likes to climb its not as common and not like beardies at all. But before I found that out I figured to make the climb easier.
So here's version number 2. With a cute Savannah on top.
and here is the final version of the one I have now, the reason it's getting changed and that it FINALLY was someone who explained the physics about this is, 1. screen top lets out humidity (well that I knew I had mine covered and I am gonna have a wodden one custom made for this new one).
2. Height is enemy of humidity AND heat, it needs to be lower and wider/longer. 3. it still has to be high enough to have a good amount of digging dirt, cause dirt helps to hold the humidity level better and they like to burrow, and it gives them a way to hydrate as well as adjust temperature.
4. They kinda like getting cooked, the hotest spot in my viv is right now 135F and guess where Rex is at, I would estimate that the spot he is on which is an inch lower is at least 120 he's BAKING but he loves it. he runs around like a little maniac, been eating crickets and having fun trying to break out like a healthy monitor. 5. it helps to have the basking bulb inside for humidity levels as well as the heat level. in my new one I will do a netcage in the cover so I can have it about half an inch lower or so for the right temp modification. Not anywhere did I find this information accumulated in an EASY written way, I found parts of it but noone explained it properly and for me with english as a second language I was a bit thrown off and that together with the wrong info it could of been a disaster. Thank god some varanid owners smacked me in the head
not that fun looking but ah well it serves it's purpouse!
Here I will post about future issues, struggles, and conclusion so other varanid noobs can take use of MY mistakes.
Oh and a behavioral pointer. IF you baby Savannah seems tame when you approach the cage and don't run away, chances are you have it too cold for him/her. Mine has since I got everything right turned into the shy Savannah I read about. Only reason he tolerated handling when being in his viv was cause he was too cold to run away. That is one of the first give aways.