Desert sand monitor (Varanus gouldii flavirufus)

Short answers

Desert sand monitor: How big does the enclosure need to be?

250×120×100 cm.

Desert sand monitor: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 30–38 °C, basking spot 50 °C, at night 20–24 °C.

Desert sand monitor: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %).

Desert sand monitor: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–20 years.

Desert sand monitor: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

30–38 °C

Night temperature

20–24 °C

Basking spot

50 °C

Humidity

30–45 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

250×120×100 cm

Substrate

Sand-loam 30–40 cm for digging, stone slabs, a cave

Feeding

Food

Insects, roaches, rodents, eggs

Feeding interval

2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

90–120 cm total length

Life expectancy

15–20 years

Origin

Central Australia – sandy desert

Protection status

Export from Australia is prohibited

Brumation

A cooler dry spell of 8–10 weeks

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Monitors and tegus are territorial; grown animals defend their territory and injure each other with serious bites in the process. Even small size differences mean one animal claims the warm spot and the food for itself while the other falls behind — which is often only noticed once the weaker animal has already lost weight. For breeding, put them together only under supervision.

Notes

The sand-coloured desert form of the Gould's monitor. Extremely fond of digging and very active – the space requirement is regularly underestimated. Heat-loving; the spot may reach 50 °C.

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 Desert sand monitor (Varanus gouldii flavirufus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (250×120×100 cm), substrate (Sand-loam 30–40 cm for digging, stone slabs, a cave), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.