King George I

A Savannah Monitor lizard rests atop a textured log, blending seamlessly with its surroundings.

When I was kid growing up in the 90s, Steve Irwin was becoming a household name; with charisma and spectacle, Steve showed the world a different side to creatures that had been vilified and persecuted for millennia.

I had alot of reptiles growing up and upon reflection - I had too many. And while I often regrettably reflect on what was poor reptile husbandry back then (by today's standards), I sometimes reflect on the joy that I had with those reptiles, especially King George I.

The Savannah Monitor - also known as the Bosc's Monitor - is arguably the most prolific monitor species in the pet trade. Mostly farmed in Africa and then imported into the United States in outrageous numbers, the Savannah Monitor is so common that they can be purchased for as little as $25. And little baby Savannah Monitors are very tiny and they're very adorable. And because of all of this, these babies are purchased on a whim. And often by people ignorant of what these creatures require to thrive in captivity.

Savannah Monitors require hot basking temperatures, large enclosures with deep substrate for digging, and they are largely insectivorous. And even though back then I had alot wrong in regards to what these animals really required, George was healthy, alert, and gave my family and I years and years of enjoyment.

George was the real-life example to my family and friends of the message that Steve Irwin delivered to the world - reptiles are intelligent, personable, and capable of bonding with their keepers.

And this was truly demonstrated when George passed away. The emotion in a letter from my mother, detailing the last days of George was vivid and painful. I read about my stepfather administering shots prescribed by the veterinarian to help George manage through a severe viral infection; the letter detailed the tears from my mother and stepfather as George slowly slipped away while my stepfather was administering the final dose of medicine.

And while I read the letter - dusty and dirty and carrying a rifle in a far away land - tears flowed from my eyes as well.

I like to think that although we all could have done better with George - his diet, his enclosure, etc. - I do believe he lived a better life at the time than most Savannah Monitors in captivity.

Someday I will have a "big lizard" again. And while Water and Mangrove Monitors tend to be on the top of my list, I can't escape the fact that King George I was simply awesome, and I'm probably just going to go with what I know and love - a Savannah Monitor; A King George II.