Care Sheet Bosc monitor

Scientific Name
Varanus exanthematicus
Other common names
Savannah Monitor
Range
Its range extends throughout sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Eritrea and northern Zaire.
Is primarily a ground-dwelling species that shelters in burrows, although they are sometimes found
in bushes or low trees. In the coastal plain of Ghana, V. exanthematicus juveniles are often
associated with the burrows of the giant cricket Brachytrupes.
Size
Maximum size is rarely more than 3.5 feet in length. The vast majority are usually 3 to 4 feet.
Life expectancy
Usually 10-15 years though some have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity.
Habitat
Arid semi-desert to desert
Housing
A baby monitor should be kept in a vivarium 4 x 2 x 2. This enclosure should last for around a
year. The Bosc will then need moving into an adult enclosure. This needs to be at least 6 x 3 x 3,
preferably 8 x 4x 4.
Large water bowl big enough for the Bosc to bath in. The water should be changed daily as they
will often defecate in it.
Large hides, cork bark tubes and stout branches for climbing should be available in your
enclosure.

Lights
12%UVB strip light the animal must be able to get within ten to twelve inches of the tube in order
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to utilise the benefits of the UV. Provide a rock or stout branch for the Bosc to get to the UVB. With
the limited range of the UV it is advisable to use a reflector. They will still be producing light after a
year, but the UV output will have dropped to zero. UV tubes must be replaced every six - nine
months in order to remain effective.
A better alternative for an adult enclosure is to use a mercury vapour flood lamp (such as
Zoomeds PowerSun UV).
Set the thermostat to 26c. This estimate should get the tank close to the desired temperatures.
The thermostat will heat the point in the tank where the sensor is to 26c, the temperature at the
cool end should be a couple of degrees cooler than this (around 22c 24c), while at the opposite
end of the tank at the basking area the temperatures should be around 40 42c. If you are having
trouble getting the basking temperature high enough, place an elevated platform or large rock
under the lamp.
Raising the height of the basking area will increase the basking temperature. A pile of logs or rocks
make a very good basking platform, however as these lizards are very powerful animals ensure that
any heavy decoration is securely fastened in place to prevent the monitor from dislodging it,
breaking the glass of the tank, or becoming trapped underneath it. When checking the temperatures
in the tank always place the thermometer where the animals are going to be. The most important
temperatures are the basking point, and the cool end. Check the temperatures in the tank after two
hours. If they are correct leave a further two hours to check they are stable. If the temperatures are
not quite right tweak the thermostat and leave for a further two hours and then recheck them. Do
not adjust the thermostat too much as a small tweak can make a large difference to the tank
temperature. Always leave at least two hours between adjusting the thermostat and checking the
temperatures to allow everything to settle down
Substrate
Mixture of coir, forest bark and river or desert sand works well.
Temperature/Humidity
For a night temperature of 20C 24C. Using a ceramic heater on a night drop thermostat will
provide a gentle back ground heat.
In an enclosure for a young animal a single ceramic heater plugged into a thermostat will provide
plenty of heat. In a larger adult enclosure several heaters will be required to provide a large enough
basking area for the lizard to reach its optimum temperature at a natural speed. Set the thermostat to
26C. This estimate should get the tank close to the desired temperatures. The thermostat will heat
the point in the tank where the sensor is to 26C, the temperature at the cool end should be a couple
of degrees cooler than this (around 22C 24C), while at the opposite end of the tank at the
basking area the temperatures should be around 40 42Cc.
If using a mercury vapour lamp raise or lower the lamp above the basking area to get the required
temperature as these lamps do not work on a thermostat.
Feeding
Bosc monitors are predominately insectivorous. In the wild their juvenile diet is almost entirely
composed of invertebrate prey (crickets, slugs, millipedes, termites and beetles). As they get older
the lizards diet expands to include hard shelled prey items like giant land snails. The monitors are
opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can over power. However vertebrate prey (such as
rodents), still make up less than 1% of their diet.
In captivity savannah monitors are highly prone to obesity. The main factor for this is the animals
diet. They should be fed as close to their natural diet as possible, a wide variety of live insect prey
such as crickets, locusts, mealworms, cockroaches, slugs, snails, and earthworms should be
offered. Any high fat, high protein food such as rodents should be offered only occasionally, once
every three weeks or so. Failure to provide the correct diet will quickly result in an overweight
monitor. Bosc monitors can also become lazy, feeding only large prey items means they have to
work less for the food. This inactivity can also result in an unhealthy over weight animal. It is
better for the lizard to be offered a large number of small prey items that take it a long time to
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catch. Do not allow the lizard to dictate what it wants to eat, a hungry lizard will catch what you
offer it, a lazy over fed one will only go for its favourite food items.
While young the monitor should be offered food daily. It can be worth feeding several small meals
to keep the animals activity levels up. As the lizard gets older it will no longer require feeding
every day. An adult Bosc can be fed three or four times per week. Because the lizard requires
access to a high basking temperature to digest its food properly, they should not be fed within four
hours of the lights being turned off. It is worth working out when you want to feed your pet when
setting the time switch for the lamps.
It is also important to look after the live food you are feeding to your lizard, as you are what you
eat. The better quality food you can offer the healthier your monitor will be. Keeping crickets in
a well ventilated container such as a cricket keeper will increase their health and lifespan. A range
of propriety insect foods are available these are normally fortified with calcium. These are an
excellent way to gut load the food.
A full spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement (such as Nutrobal) should be added to the food
twice per week, and a pure calcium supplement should be added a further three times per week.
As the monitor grows and starts to eat bugs less frequently adjust the number of supplemented
feeds so that the ratio remains the same. An adult lizard should be getting the full spectrum
supplement once per week, and the pure calcium once or twice per week.
To dust the crickets place 8 10 appropriate sized insects in a large jug or clear plastic bag. Add a
pinch of powder and shake to coat the insects. Feed these to the monitor. If these are all eaten and
the lizard is still hunting, feed another 2 3 insects; keep adding more bugs until the animal is
full. This extra food does not need to be dusted.
Comments
Keep lights on a timer for 12 hours a day
Sexing most monitors can be tricky until they are sexually mature. With the Bosc monitors, located
at the base of the tail in a male you will begin to notice two hemipenial bulges as it matures. The
females will have lumps also but the bulge will generally dip in on the sides of the tail were as the
males protrude. The most accurate and safe way would be in my opinion to observe the animal
when it defecates or urinates. Usually this will be accompanied by an enversion.
Taming a Bosc.
Bosc monitors are known to be a first monitor, but shouldn't be seen as an ideal first

reptile. Handling them can be complicated and taming them can be even harder.
They require a calm hand and regular handling. There are many methods for taming a
Bosc. This is mine:
Firstly, introduce your Bosc to your hands. When he is awake in the enclosure, put your
hand into the enclosure and give him clean water. Show him you are giving him some
food and not there to harm him. He may go and hide during your first several tries at
this but don't try to force him out of hiding
When he eventually stops running to hide, move your hand to gently pat his back,
remove your hand from the enclosure before he gets agitated.
Repeat this until he is no longer showing any annoyance and gently pat his head. If you
are still nervous, don't attempt this as he will sense you're nerves and become nervous
as well.
When you eventually handle your Bosc from out of the enclosure, do not hold him too
tight as he will not stop trying to escape. Hold him firm but gently. I found it helps to sit
with my Bosc and rest him on a cushion for this task.
If you struggle to calm him on your lap, try him in a box, gentle patting him again like
you did in his enclosure.
If you have got this far you are doing really well!
Eventually you should be able to loosen your grip on your Bosc and feel safe around
him. Try gently scratching him in different places and find where his favourite spots are,
he should close his eyes and relax. My Bosc enjoys being stroked near his ears best!
There you have it, a relatively tame Bosc. Like any animal he can turn against you at

any time but do be cautious to avoid attacks and aggression.

If your Bosc bites, have a bottle of alcohol/vinegar at hand to drip some into
his mouth to make him release. Boscs have lockable jaw and can and will hold
onto you for hours if they feel threatened. If your Bosc does happen to bite,
allow him to calm down the next couple of days with minimal handling.

John Gamesby