HI, I HAVE A SAVANA THAT GOT WILD WHEN I TOOK IT OUTSIDE. THANK GOODNESS I HAD HIS HARNES AND LEASH ON BECAUSE HE JUST BOLTED. BEFORE I EVEN TOOK HIM OUTSIDE I GOT HIM USE TO THE RESTRAINTS IN THE HOUSE, BUT WHEN I GOT HIM OUTSIDE HE GOT REALY DEFENSIVE, HE HISSED, AND EVEN TRIED TO BITE ME. ALL OF THIS HE NEVER DID BEFORE. EVER SINCE HIS TNATRUM HE HASN'T BEEN HIS LOVEABLE SELF. CAN SOMEBODY GIVE ME ADVICE PLEASE?
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WILD SAVANA
MARINE6
May 21, 2003 10:52 AM
Replies (3)
TN
May 21, 2003 02:05 PM
Sounds like your monitor started acting like a monitor. Save the leash and harness for your dog. If you insist upon taking your monitor outside. Build a secure pen or cage outdoors. Just one opinion among several. Good luck. PS check your caplock.
built4spd13
May 21, 2003 02:35 PM
You freaked your lizard out is what happened. How old is your monitor? How long? If you put it outside then make sure your lizard is over 2.5' long and even then you have to let it become used to going outdoors. You monitor is doing what comes natural. It was defending it's self from a predator! Yes that's right, to your monitor, you are a predator. Inside the house all the smells and sounds are familiar, outside is 100% new. Go slow. Put it in a outdoor enclosure for short amounts of time at first, like 15-20 minutes then increase the time. No need to stress you monitor to death.
Hope this helps,
Christine :>~
E&T
May 26, 2003 05:26 PM
Your monitor was reacting the dose of natural sunlight. Ditmars writes about this reaction in his book "Reptiles of the World". Old book but some pretty good info. In it he describes a similar reaction with some captive water monitors. The natural sunlight produces a rection that in all honesty is probably closer to true monitor behavior than his tolerant attitude inside away from sunlight. I had the same thing happen a few years ago with a long-time dog-tame savannah monitor. I took him outside and within mins he was latched onto my arm (The flabby part underneath! VERY painful) and would not let go for anything. When he finally did come off, he was hissing and tail slapping like a wild caught nile! I took him in and within the hour he was as tame as could be. I think monitors need ALOT more uv and uvb than most books suggest. I think natural sunlight allows them to "be themselves".
