I don't want to come across the wrong way but don't want you to be misnformed by your thinking. You may think that you sav likes having it's head rubbed because it just sits there and/or closes it's eyes, but that's not the case. Believe it or not, it's petrified, terrified. Odds are it doesn't move for some time after you stop rubbing it, unless it's headed into hiding.

That is part of their defense mechanism. Some savannah & nile monitors will actually play dead. They won't all snap, bite and/or tailwhip, some will do both. Some may do one or the other & some may tailwhip one minute and play dead the next.

Here's some pics of a 2ft fresh wild-caught that I had purchased the day before these pics. I walk into the room the next morning and see it laying on it's side, looking as though it fell off a branch I had in the temporary tank and it looked dead. I stared at it for a few minutes and then saw it breathing so I grabbed my camera.

This is the first pic I took. Notice that it's eye is closed.




Here's the 2nd pic I took. Notice that it's eye is now open but it still hasn't moved.




I told my wife that it was scared to death & that it wouldn't move. She didn't believe me so I removed the branch without disturbing him anymore than I had to. Take a look for yourself.




I surely didn't train him to lay like that. Incidentally, the cage was clean the night before, and of course, after the photoshoot.

Have a good one!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American


www.natures-signature.com

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