I think "good captive" sort of depends on what you're looking for in a monitor. Poe will definately let you know if you've managed to offend him, he'll inflate and tail slap and before he was mine, when we were still trying to sell him, if you went about handling him the wrong way [which was really everyone but me and one other person], he'd try and take a nip at you. My Savannah's the same way. Someone else's Sav might be very adamant about refusing to interact with you [And yeah, I guess that's also most healthy Savannahs...]



But now that I think of it, Frank, the more outgoing Melinus I've come across or known have been male, save for one or two older females who were very, very comfortable in their surroundings.



Of course, one of my good friends has a blue tree monitor that will come up to us and accept crickets and pinkies from tongs or even fingers. But we're careful with how we introduce our Varanids to their surroundings and their enclosures and it took both Poe and Blue a long time to get to that point. An Indicus at the shop is getting to where he'll stay out for longer and longer stretches of the day versus hiding all day like he has for the past month since he came in.



I'm in my reptile room constantly, either doing something with the animals themselves, or at my desk either online or doing work for classes... My Melinus will sit out on his basking area and just watch me and everything going on around him. The Doreanus, I'd like to think, will likely come around, too. I didn't see her at all the first two weeks after I got her, and now she comes out about five times a day.



Moral of the rambling--I guess I agree with you, Frank, in that an individual may make a fine captive while the species as a whole tend to be far too shy for most, but I feel that how comfortable the monitor is with their enclosure is going to have a lot to do with how often you see them. I think Poe feels safe and knows nothing's going to try and eat him or snatch him up or anything, and if something DOES spook him, he knows there's a safe hiding spot nearby, and most monitors I've come across [though I've by no means interacted with even half of what you have, Frank] can eventually get to the same point...



...All that nonsense make any sense at all? :]
-----
1.1 Ornate Uromastyx [Re and Wadjet]

1.0 Eastern Kingsnake [Duke]

1.0 Savannah Monitor [Zephyrus]

1.0 Quince Monitor [Poe]

0.1 Eastern Box Turtle [Abel]

0.2 Leopard Geckos [Ghost and Ankh]

1.0 Green Iguana (Rescue Mission) [Achilles]

0.1 Blue-Tailed Monitor [Aamesa]

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