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 Savannah monitor lizards are one of the most abused animals in the reptile pet trade. Toted as an easy to care for species it is actually a highly specialised animal that takes a long time to die in unsuitable conditions. Thousands are imported from Africa each year, almost none are bred in captivity and they are one of the most common lizard species encountered by animal rescue organisations. Demand for the animals has been fuelled by a series of books and articles that have completely ignored the animals' specialised ecology and given the wholly incorrect impression that the animals are "easy to keep", "ideal for beginners" "will eat almost anything" etc. These publications are sold almost exclusively in pet shops simply to increase sales, and with utter disregard for the welfare of the animals.
Over half a million savannah monitors (Varanus exanthematicus) have been
imported into the USA alone since CITES records began in the 1970s. A
tiny proportion survive longer than a year in captivity and far fewer
than 50 reports of captive breeding worldwide have been recorded.
Virtually everything that has been written about the savannah monitor
has been published in books produced by the pet industry to promote the
trade. They suggest, without any evidence whatsoever, that Varanus
exanthematicus is a generalist, or even a highly opportunistic
scavenger, and that it is an easy and undemanding animal to keep in
captivity. The truth is that the savannah monitors are very specialised
animals that require much more care than most people are able or
willing to provide.
For the last 16 years I have taken an active interest in the captive
welfare and natural history of this animal and have found myself in
direct opposition to the publishers and authors of these fictitious and
harmful books. In 2000 a book about savannah monitors was published that was so bad
I felt I had no choice but to publish one myself.
Our pet-owners' guide to savannah monitor lizard is the first ever
written by people who have studied the animals in the wild and bred them
in captivity. There are at least seven books in print about the savannah
monitor, but we think this is the only one worth reading! Last few
available
U.K. Customers
Customers outside U.K.
To mark the export of half a million savannah monitors from Africa for
the pet trade in the 21st century “The Truth about Varanus
exanthematicus has been released as an ebook.
This is the coastal plain of Ghana where most savannah monitor lizards
are collected for the pet trade. Hunters either target juvenile animals
that are found in farmland or gravid females that are found in the
surrounding grasslands
Hatchling savannah monitors are closely associated with the burrows of the giant cricket Brachytrupes. Very high densities have been recorded in farmland areas. Densities of juveniles are much lower in uncultivated grasslands. Adults are not usually found in farmland.
Almost all the people who trap savannah monitors for the pet trade are economic immigrants from poorer countries like Burkina Faso. They get less than $1 for a juvenile and $3 for a gravid female. Animal trapper commonly encounter spitting cobras when excavating burrows and termite mounds.
Dietary studies of savannah monitor lizards have been carried out in Senegal and in Ghana. They suggest that Varanus exanthematicus feeds almost entirely on arthropods and snails. The savannah monitor is one of the few large monitor species that is not attracted to bait. Its ecology is therefore much more specialised than that of other African monitor lizards.
Adult savannah monitors live in uncultivated grasslands. During dry periods the animals are inactive and remain below ground. Their diets in both Ghana and Senegal consist of giant millipedes and other arthropods including orthopterans and scorpions, a much narrower diet than any other species of African monitor lizard.
 
Links and more info:
The Savannah Monitor Lizard "The Truth about Varanus exanthematicus"
The savannah monitor, Varanus exanthematicus. Excellent website
The monitor spot. Ravi Thakoordyal's website
Varanus exanthematicus from A Little Book of Monitor Lizards (1995)
Video of savannah monitors in the wild (poor quaity but unique)
Bennett, D. 2000. Preliminary data on the diet of Varanus exanthematicus in the coastal plain of Ghana. Herp. Journal 10.
Bennett, D. 2000 The abundance of Varanus exanthematicus in the coastal plain of Ghana. Amphibia-Reptilia
Bennett, D. 2000. Observations of Bosc's monitor lizard (Varanus exathematicus) in the wild. Bull. Chicago Herp. Soc 25(8)
Mampam Conservation Library
Book Review - Savannah Monitors by Robert Sprackland
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