Could anyone answer for me please why everything i read about savannah monitors claims that their basking spot is to be 130 degrees and up. How is this so if they come from an area that has an estimated climated of 85 degrees? A local reptile expert told me he keeps his basking spot at 95 degrees and breeds his monitors.

Surface temps of the basking spot are 130* that isnt air temps

The Savannah Monitor, Varanus exanthematicus

Here is a great care sheet for everything you will need to know about what to do and what not to do with boscs

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thank you for the post maybe i worded my question wrong. What in their natural habitat ever gets a surface temp of 130 degrees? I have one basking spot set up at 120 degrees and a second one set up at 110 degrees. How often should i change the substrate? 12" thick substrate 7 foot long by 4 foot wide and 4 foot tall enclosure. I worry about mold forming in the substrate. 75% topsoil, 25% playsand

I dont know maybe the surface temps are higher than the air temps as the air is circulated. As for cleaning i can only suggest regular cleaning, taking out moldy soil and replacing.

__________________
To the world you could be one person,
But to one person you could be the world.

Sometimes the bad things in your life
open your eyes to the good things
you wasn't paying attention to before.

i have a sav also, my substrate is wood chippings and some sand 9" thick but he has made his own hide, the topsoil was way to dirty for him, as for my temps, his baskingis 110 air temp between the rock and the lamp is 97 degree, air temp in the centre is 93 going to his cooler end of 88, @ night it all goes off and temp drops by 18 degree's throghout,i posted some pix if r interested

Lizard King,

One thing is enviment temperature. Another different thing is basking surface temperature.

Imagine central Africa. Now you imagine a rock surface under the sun. 130F is even cold if you check these temperatures.

You can even raise basking temps as high as 150-180F.

I keep Varanus prasinus and I have basking spots at 140-150F. And they use it.

You should get a temp gun.

This is a very good bit of advice. Temp guns are invaluable for keeping any reptile, but particularly so for monitors.
Most likely every rock or bit of open ground on a sunny day. I live in Australia and have taken my temp gun out in the field with me when looking at wild monitors. You'd be amazed at the temperatures the ground reaches on a hot, sunny day when monitors are out and about. Central Africa would be no different.

What species does your local reptile export breed (and have you ever seen his setup, eggs, hatchlings etc.)?

He is currently breeding a savannah and a blackthroat monitor. I have not seen their enclosures, he keeps them at his house but have seen the monitors when he had them in one day. He said that when he breeds the hatchlings will be available around august, so no i Have not seen them either. Does anyone use the 10lbs lean turkey, 90g bone meal, and 2 centrum tablets diet mixture? could you please share results if so.