Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, I'm at my wits end with my Savannah Monitor. Talk about a bad attitude, he's got one!

I've been using the "slow approach" method for some time. I spend a lot of time talking to him without touching him, trying to build a bond between us, and he still has a bad attitude.

This morning, during our usual morning talk session, I took a picutre of his display of attitude towards me. See what you think about it.

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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

No, he's not dead, injured, or being abused. That pic was taken about a week after I acquired the Sav. from a pet shop. There's an interesting story behind that photo that tells of how Savs deal with stress and/or threats in new environments.

Well, since this is my first and only Sav, I should say, "at least this is how this particular Sav reacted to stress and/or perceived threats." But based on what I've read and heard, I'd say that it's probably a pretty common reaction.

That pic is over two months old and he's settled in and doing good now. Since it was W/C when it was 2-ft long, he does still have a bit of an attitude but we're making good progress.

I'll share the interesting details of the original photos a little later, when I have time.

Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

HappyBilly,
The behavior that your savannah is displaying is what should be predicted from a wild animal. Concentrate on improving your caging (enclosure would be better) and meeting the needs of your animal(post some caging pics here, we will appreciate it, help, and your lizard will appreciate the upgrades too)- It is depending on you. By the way, get that animal in for a vet check up(int/ext parasites), that is a tick just south of the vent on the tail in the photo...

Thanks, Mike!
That was an old pic (see my second post).

That was a tick, btw. It was one that escaped my initial pruning somehow. I know it wasn't in that location when I removed 2 other ticks the day I got him. The Sav's good & healthy, now, and is growing.

That was a 30-gal. tank I picked up for $5 to hold him for a few days until I could get the 75-gal. tank set up. I'm working on a larger "enclosure" now & should have it finished by the end of the week.

I do appreciate your concern and willingness to help! Thanks!
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Let me start out by saying that I was only trying to share a laugh with my opening post & photo. It was not a dig at anyone, except for maybe me, in joking that my Sav doesn't like me.

The story behind the photo is this: I had a limb, on an incline, in the Sav's tank so he could get regulate his own basking temp. When I checked on the Sav one morning I found it laying in an odd position, with its hind legs on part of the limb and its head on the cage floor. It looked as if it had fallen and I was concerned at first.

I tapped on the cage to get it to move but it didn't. It did, however, at least open its eyes, assuring me it wasn't dead from a fall.

My wife said, "It's hurt or paralyzed."

"No," I said, "It's just too scared to move or is playing dead. Watch this."

I reached in an gently pulled the limb out and the Sav used its tail to hold its body in the same position, moving as little as it needed to.

I'm used to dealing with aggressive-defensive behavior like my nile and snakes display. This was my first encounter with passive-defensive behavior and it intrigued me. My nile would tail-whip & bite from day one. It didn't take it a few weeks to get settled into its enviro, like it did this Sav.

There's a thread in this section that I started about this and the information I got from it was good and very helpful. Thanks to everyone that contributed to that thread! I mostly remember some points that FR made that got me to thinking in the right direction.

The cage was spotless the night before the photos. The cage/setup was only temporary.

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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.