Artwork © Frontier Developments
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus · Sub-Saharan Africa and Nile Delta
Requirements at a glance
- Scientific name
- Varanus niloticus
- Status
- Least Concern
- Biomes
- Wetlands, Grassland
- Temperature
- 20–41 °C
- Land area
- 220 m²
- Aquatic area
- 30 m²
- Barrier
- Grade 2 · 0.5 m
- Group size
- 1–3 (3♂ / 3♀)
- Temperament
- Confident
- Food / period
- $125
Building the habitat
The land area is a hard floor: 220 m² for the enclosure itself, plus 0 m² of shelter on top. Barrier grade 2 at 0.5 m contains the animal without overspending on fencing you do not need.
Keep the habitat inside 20–41 °C. Temperature is one of the most common reasons a habitat quietly loses welfare, because it never triggers the alarm that hunger does.
Group limits matter more than most players expect: mixed groups run 1–3, capped at 3 male and 3 female. Exceeding the male cap is what causes fights — not total headcount.
Habitat temperature
Terrain mix
Land area vs. the roster
Compatible species
None listed — keep this species on its own or in a single-species group.
Budgeting this habitat
Food runs about $125 per period. See how that compares across the roster in our food cost ranking, or start from the best starter animals if this is a first zoo.
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Figures from the official Planet Zoo 2 Zoopedia, checked 2026-10-21; patches can change them — trust your in-game build menu if they differ. Official entry. Artwork © Frontier Developments; used here for identification.