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I've tested this out with my iguana. I allowed my friend to get close to him twice and he totally flipped out like he was getting ready to bolt out of the cage. The other time when he saw my dog he also flipped out and started running around the cage like mad. So far I'm the only person that can get close to my iguana and touch him without him flipping out. It's like the lizard recognize me as a food provider and doesn't allow anybody else to get close. Does anyone notice this with their monitors? I know monitors are probably smarter than iguana since they have to hunt for food. I don't know that with my Savannah monitor because he is pig and would beg anyone that comes near the cage for food.

I have a pair of niles. I used to believe that with regular handling they would eventually become tame. When they were babies the male was very bitey and defensive, much moreso than the female, so I handled the female often and rarely handled the male. Funny thing was, that the more I handled the little bugger, the more shy and skittish she became. The cages were in my living room. There are kids dogs cats and the rest of the neighborhood running about the house most of the day. Once they settled in, neither of the monitors paid much attention to the noise and activity and mostly went about their happy monitor way. Anyone including my pitt-bull and my german shepard could go right up to the cage and the female would not even flinch. She would even come over to see my little pitt-bull since the dog would sit right at the cage and stare for hours. My four year old boy (very noisy) would run up to the cage and the monitor would simply look and then go back to whatever it was doing. Anyone could approach the cage except for me that is. As soon as I entered the room, that female nile would bolt and hide. I was the offender and she could easily distinguish me from the non offenders.

Now that I do not force myself upon her, she eagerly approaches me since now she knows me as the food bringer. She does not do this to anyone else when they enter the room, only me. It took the better part of a year of NEVER handling her to get to the point where she did not fear for her life when I came around. I think it's safe to say that she can distinguish me from other humans.

This not only true with monitors which have a lot of intelligence for reptiles but I have seen it with day geckoes which although rather smart for geckoes are still pretty stupid in the reptile world. I use a five quart Ice cream tub for holding crickets when I feed and they can see me coming with that thing a mile away. My wife noticed years ago with our large Boids (and they're really stupid) that they would react differently to me who does the cleaning than they would to her as she does the feeding (they're her snakes). My iguanas have always responded to me at feeding time in rather excited manner but one time when I tried to show their dinner time response to a freind they all dove in their pool and hid. My monitors all seem to disappear when strangers come over and want to see them. Based on what I have seen over the years I suspect that the so called "nuissance" gators here in Fla. who supposedly "lose fear of Humans" from being fed only lose fear of the people who are feeding them. So the guilty parties are probably the ones who call and complain about being chased by the gator.

My fish recognize me as an individual and monitors are smarter than most fish.(broad generalization, but still) And yes, I know my monitors know me. My ig gave crap to everyone but me. Turtles know people and routines.....basically I think they are all smarter than given credit for.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny