Crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadorii)

Short answers

Crocodile monitor: How big does the enclosure need to be?

Care guides give around 550 x 300 x 365 cm (18 x 10 x 12 feet) for an adult animal — in other words a walk-in room, not a terrarium. Juveniles need correspondingly less, but the final setup must be planned for from the start.

Crocodile monitor: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 30–33 °C, basking spot 43–49 °C (110–120 °F), at night 21–24 °C.

Crocodile monitor: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Needed: UVB and UVA over the heat spot, permanently if kept indoors.

Crocodile monitor: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: approx. 10–20 years in captivity.

Crocodile monitor: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

30–33 °C

Night temperature

21–24 °C

Basking spot

43–49 °C (110–120 °F)

Humidity

70–95 % (ideally ~85 %)

UVB

Needed: UVB and UVA over the heat spot, permanently if kept indoors

Enclosure

Minimum size

Care guides give around 550 x 300 x 365 cm (18 x 10 x 12 feet) for an adult animal — in other words a walk-in room, not a terrarium. Juveniles need correspondingly less, but the final setup must be planned for from the start

Substrate

A deep soil, coco, bark and sand mix (at least 30 cm)

Feeding

Food

Carnivorous: rodents, chicks, fish, eggs, large insects

Feeding interval

Adults 2x per week; juveniles every other day to 3–4x per week.

Key facts

Adult size

up to ~255 cm (one of the longest lizards)

Life expectancy

approx. 10–20 years in captivity

Origin

New Guinea (mangroves, coastal rainforest)

Protection status

CITES Appendix II / EU Annex B, registration required

Brumation

None (an equatorial climate)

Cohabitation

Single housing (aggressive and unpredictable). The reason is territory: two animals will not voluntarily share a basking spot or a hiding place. They fight until one is seriously injured or permanently confined to a corner — and that second animal then eats worse, without showing any visible wound.

Notes

DANGER: an extremely large, aggressive monitor with powerful jaws and claws, not tame to the hand and potentially able to injure. Strictly for specialised expert keeping.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Argus monitor (Varanus panoptes) – Expert
• Bengal monitor (Varanus bengalensis) – Expert
• Blue tree monitor (Varanus macraei) – Expert
• Blue-tailed monitor (Varanus doreanus) – Intermediate to expert
• Finsch's monitor (Varanus doreanus finschi) – Expert
• Boatsi tree monitor (Varanus boatsi) – Expert
• Bogert's tree monitor (Varanus bogerti) – Expert
• Lace monitor (Varanus varius) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadorii) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (Care guides give around 550 x 300 x 365 cm (18 x 10 x 12 feet) for an adult animal — in other words a walk-in room, not a terrarium. Juveniles need correspondingly less, but the final setup must be planned for from the start), substrate (A deep soil, coco, bark and sand mix (at least 30 cm)), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.