Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For those who have adult monitors that allow some interactions, please sure with us newbies the amount of work it took. Please tell us that at the beginning the monitors tail whipped, hid, refused to eat at times, and bit if even approached. Tell us that it didn't take days, weeks, months or even years. Share with us that it might have taken years for them to begin any sort of interaction. If this information is shared, us newbies will have hope and continue to work with the monitors in hopes of one day being able to interact. Please also share that even after all that, there is a great chance that they will never want anything to do with us.....
Just share with us the enormous amount of work, time and patience monitors take, but also the incredible reward of having a monitor that allows interaction. Some pics would be nice too.....

Well...

Seems like you already know the answers to all your concerns. Monitors take time and patience to acquire a good relationship. I don't know what else to say that you haven't already said.

I wondered whether my ten-pound juvvie Blackthroat would bite when I pick him up. He gives terribly intimidating nose-hisses, like he's warning me to stay away. When I ignore him to do holding-training, he tail-whips with accuracy, and constantly tries to crawl out of my grip, but so far he hasn't bitten me. I want him to be manageable if I ever have to take him to a vet. But picking him up and walking around with him twice per week is a chore.

If he sometime decides to attack me to keep me away, I'll use tongs and nooses to pick him up, so he gets used to that. When he's full size, I don't want His Largeness panicking at being dragged to my herp vet. I leave him unmolested 98 percent of the time. I don't want to make a pet out of him, but I sincerely need him to tolerate handling.

I hope this somehow this story can be of help to you.

Roger

I mostly work with Water Monitors which the reputation of being one the more "tameable" species and lots of people have examples of these and other species that are relatively "tame" I have had some that have had pleasant dispositions. That said... most of 14 I now own will take your hand off (or fingers with some my newer ones) if you gave them the chance.I had a nile for almost 15yrs that was a little snappy as most niles are and I have one 4ft female right now that is light years beynd him in nastiness. She will definitely take your hand off if you let her. My school of thought is that you should let them be monitors and learn to accept them whether they are agressive or not. It is much more rewarding to just let them be monitors. I have three dogs and they make excellent animals to interact with you can't beat them for animals you can interact with. I hear cats are great too. Btw the worst 2 bites I ever got came from the two freindliest waters I ever owned and were the result of my letting gaurd down. The second bite I got was on my thumb and went down to the bone(the 1st went straight through the tip of my thumb...all the way) it required stitches and left a really cool scar. I will still say to this day that a more aggressive monitor would have not got the chance to bite me as my gaurd wouldn't have been down. Familiarity breeds contempt and might just feed your monitor as well.

You keep wanting the monitors to be a piece of clay to mold to your liking. You sir, have to learn. To be trusted by animals IS A TALENT the human has to learn. Its a talent, something learned. ITs YOU.

If you do not have that talent, or have no idea thats its your task to learn, maybe you and others like you should wait until you understand more about animals before you expose other living things to your lack of ability.

So first things first, you must learn, its about you and your abilities. Cheers

Yes the fact is almost all animals have the ability to come to trust us. I only have one Sav. right now but in all my experiences (from turtles,monitors,dogs,cats,etc.) with animals you have to learn to become nonthreatening. You have to learn when to leave them alone all of this is what you have to observe over time. The key to remeber is also each owner & creature is an individual so find what works for you & yours.

If you want physical interaction with an animal (and want to maintain having 10 fingers); monitors are not the ones for you.

Nuff said.