A Final Word
The information contained on this site is markedly different than the majority of information on husbandry out there at the moment. As such, this style of husbandry has become a frequent topic of debate. This is a shame, one because the aim of this site is merely to be helpful and two, because nothing said here is in any way new or novel. It’s all been around since the early 2000s.
So why is information like this so fought about, or loudly condemned? Simply, because no one profits from keeping your monitor in this way except your monitor. It’s the best kept secret in the pet industry, that you can keep a medium sized exotic lizard with absolutely no help from the pet industry.
If you breed your own insects, buy the occasional chick or fish from a local supplier/farm/market, build an enclosure in the manner outlined on this site (right down to the light bulbs and substrate), who profits from that? At most, maybe a few hundred dollars at your local big box home improvement store for dirt and plywood? There are no pop culture reptile branded basking light bulbs to buy. There is no coconut husk jungle substrate packager to support. There are no aquarium manufacturers whose pockets are being lined. There are no rodent or feeder businessmen to constantly depend on.
Hopefully, in the future, when reading one of the standard caresheets for a monitor, you might simply ask yourself “Who created the information I am reading? If I listen to it, who is receiving a profit? And are those two entities one and the same?”
Ultimately, everyone is free to care for their monitor as they please. This website was created in response to the estimated less than 1% five-year survival rate of Savannah Monitors in captivity. If your monitor is slim, healthy, hydrated, active, alert and has a great food response, and is inquisitive and exhibits no violent defensive behavior, those are fantastic results and the status quo should be kept.
But if one were to find oneself with a monitor that is sluggish, a juvenile that’s not eating, a monitor that the owner or others have deemed “aggressive”, or a monitor that’s obese or having problem sheds, perhaps this site’s suggestions could be followed to the same success others have found by using these methods.