casey15
08-05-12, 06:05 PM
Hello I'm new here and am 17, I've spent months researching and thinking about it and have decided to get a Savannah Monitor. I'm young, I'll admit that but I'm dedicated to this lizard. My question is this, I know a Savannah needs an 8x4x4 cage but that's the minimum size, to be honest I've seen pictures and an 8x4x4 still seems like it would be sort of small. What would be the ideal cage size all the sites just say that the 8x4x4 is the minimum.
I know as big as possible but what would be an ideal size where I could still get the proper temperature gradients? I've researched and have spoken to people who know monitors, I know theres a lot of incorrect information on the internet. I was thinking of having an 8x6x6, whatever cage size I'd want to put in at least 3 feet of substrate. I don't have my Savannah yet, he's currently staying with a friend. This friend is not a teenager, she and her husband breed reptiles, I met her at an expo. She's holding him for me, I'm going to get him after our vacation. Right now he's a baby and is about 3.5 maybe 4 inches long, he's not even as long as a hand, including the tail.
I'm going to house the baby in a 5x4x3. It's 5 feet in height, 3 in width, and is 4 feet long. The top is plywood, the whole cage is plywood but the doors are glass. I've already checked and double checked to make sure the cage can keep the right temperatures and humidity levels, I am not bringing the lizard home until I know the temps can be maintained.
The cage is made from plywood and holds humidity extremely well. I know it's to small for an adult, but I'm keeping the baby in there temporarily until his adult enclosure is built. The cage is deep enough to hold 2 feet of substrate. For the substrate I'm going to use a mix of topsoil (pesticide free)/playsand/ and a bit of cypress mulch to keep humidity this way he can dig but also the substrate can hold a burrow. He will have an elevated basking spot, I'm using a 50 watt halogen flood light bulb. I'm using a Retes stack underneath, the temps of the basking spot range from 150 at the top, and gets 10 degrees cooler per level of the stack, the lowest level gets 110. Since he's a baby the basking spot light is enough to cover his whole body. For the adult I'm going to use 3 halogen bulbs. All of the lighting fixtures have a ceramic socket to take the heat. I'm going to put on ceramic light guards to cover the bulbs. Over the basking spot is an 18 inch fluroscent light fixture with a 10.0 UVA/UVA Repti- Sun light. On the top level I also have a slate rock near the basking spot, the rock is a bit father from the bulb but is still warmed, I put no substrate on the basking shelf/level since I didn't want him to dig under the rock and be crushed.
For Night time heat, I'm using a ceramic heat emitter which doesn't emit any light so his sleep cycle isn't disrupted. At night the basking light and the UVA/UVB lights are turned off, there is no light in the cage at night, only heat bulbs are on. I set up the lights to turn on and off automatically and for the temperatures to be adjusted.
The day temps are 80-85, night temps are 72-80 (temp varies depending on place in cage, he can thermoregulate and chose his temps)
the hot side of the cage ranges from 90-100, I limited ventilation holes to avoid making a dehyrdration machine
the cool side ranges from 73-80
The humidity levels range from 65%-70%, the basking spot area has low humidity.
I have a metal tub large enough for him to fit his whole body in, that's used as the soak tub. I have multiple hide boxes for him, one is a piece of cork bark small enough so it touches all sides of his body. The Retes Stack is another hidespot, I have a clay plant base as another which touches all sides of his body/back.
To monitor temps I have a digital thermometer on hot side, a digital thermometer on the cool side, I use another digital thermometer/hygrometer that has a probe, I also have a temp gun which can get surface not just air temps.
I am going to feed him mostly insects, I'm going to set up a dubai roach colony, and a night crawler colony I will feed him other insects but mostly dubias. I'm gut loading the bugs and dusting them with a D3 free supplement prior to feeding him. I've made a feeding schedule, and have hemostats. I'm not feeding him inside his cage, or ever putting in bugs and leaving them in.
I have spray bottle to mist the enclosure regularly.
I'm not going to stress him by handling him, I'm going to leave him alone for weeks, I'll just be around his cage so he can get used to my visual presence, then go from there. I will not force handle him.
Does it sound like I have everything alright? I'd appreciate any feedback or constructive comments.
I know as big as possible but what would be an ideal size where I could still get the proper temperature gradients? I've researched and have spoken to people who know monitors, I know theres a lot of incorrect information on the internet. I was thinking of having an 8x6x6, whatever cage size I'd want to put in at least 3 feet of substrate. I don't have my Savannah yet, he's currently staying with a friend. This friend is not a teenager, she and her husband breed reptiles, I met her at an expo. She's holding him for me, I'm going to get him after our vacation. Right now he's a baby and is about 3.5 maybe 4 inches long, he's not even as long as a hand, including the tail.
I'm going to house the baby in a 5x4x3. It's 5 feet in height, 3 in width, and is 4 feet long. The top is plywood, the whole cage is plywood but the doors are glass. I've already checked and double checked to make sure the cage can keep the right temperatures and humidity levels, I am not bringing the lizard home until I know the temps can be maintained.
The cage is made from plywood and holds humidity extremely well. I know it's to small for an adult, but I'm keeping the baby in there temporarily until his adult enclosure is built. The cage is deep enough to hold 2 feet of substrate. For the substrate I'm going to use a mix of topsoil (pesticide free)/playsand/ and a bit of cypress mulch to keep humidity this way he can dig but also the substrate can hold a burrow. He will have an elevated basking spot, I'm using a 50 watt halogen flood light bulb. I'm using a Retes stack underneath, the temps of the basking spot range from 150 at the top, and gets 10 degrees cooler per level of the stack, the lowest level gets 110. Since he's a baby the basking spot light is enough to cover his whole body. For the adult I'm going to use 3 halogen bulbs. All of the lighting fixtures have a ceramic socket to take the heat. I'm going to put on ceramic light guards to cover the bulbs. Over the basking spot is an 18 inch fluroscent light fixture with a 10.0 UVA/UVA Repti- Sun light. On the top level I also have a slate rock near the basking spot, the rock is a bit father from the bulb but is still warmed, I put no substrate on the basking shelf/level since I didn't want him to dig under the rock and be crushed.
For Night time heat, I'm using a ceramic heat emitter which doesn't emit any light so his sleep cycle isn't disrupted. At night the basking light and the UVA/UVB lights are turned off, there is no light in the cage at night, only heat bulbs are on. I set up the lights to turn on and off automatically and for the temperatures to be adjusted.
The day temps are 80-85, night temps are 72-80 (temp varies depending on place in cage, he can thermoregulate and chose his temps)
the hot side of the cage ranges from 90-100, I limited ventilation holes to avoid making a dehyrdration machine
the cool side ranges from 73-80
The humidity levels range from 65%-70%, the basking spot area has low humidity.
I have a metal tub large enough for him to fit his whole body in, that's used as the soak tub. I have multiple hide boxes for him, one is a piece of cork bark small enough so it touches all sides of his body. The Retes Stack is another hidespot, I have a clay plant base as another which touches all sides of his body/back.
To monitor temps I have a digital thermometer on hot side, a digital thermometer on the cool side, I use another digital thermometer/hygrometer that has a probe, I also have a temp gun which can get surface not just air temps.
I am going to feed him mostly insects, I'm going to set up a dubai roach colony, and a night crawler colony I will feed him other insects but mostly dubias. I'm gut loading the bugs and dusting them with a D3 free supplement prior to feeding him. I've made a feeding schedule, and have hemostats. I'm not feeding him inside his cage, or ever putting in bugs and leaving them in.
I have spray bottle to mist the enclosure regularly.
I'm not going to stress him by handling him, I'm going to leave him alone for weeks, I'll just be around his cage so he can get used to my visual presence, then go from there. I will not force handle him.
Does it sound like I have everything alright? I'd appreciate any feedback or constructive comments.