Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey folks got a question for you. I just got a young savannah monitor last week from a lady in town. She said she got it as a rescue about a year and a half ago. She is healthy and is fine to hold whenever you can get a hold of her. She is about 11-12 inches long not including tail. I have her on a top soil/peat mix. She has about 6-7 inches of this to burrow and dig in. She has made some pretty impressive tunnels and now I don't ever see her. I want to be able to hold her and make sure she is used to being handled when she gets bigger. Do you guys have this problem? How do you get them out to hold them and interact with them without digging them up?
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" She has made some pretty impressive tunnels and now I don't ever see her."

Sounds normal to me. I don't understand why you see this as a bad thing? And unless you want your monitor to hate you, I suggest you do not dig it up to hold it. It will get more used to you with time.

It's not really a 'bad' thing I am just concerned that if she continues to stay underground for extended periods of time that she will not get accustomed to people and I'm going to have a tough time handling her when she's bigger.

But they're supposed to spend extended periods of time underground, they're a burrowing species. Why not let her do what comes most natural to her and use feeding time for interaction? I never handle my Albigs, but both will take food from my hand/(tongs are safer)and will let me take off shedding skin and even allow me to pet them sometimes. They're far from 'tame' but seem to be very confident with a mind of their own and are amazingly cool to keep and observe.
Handling shouldn't be a priority, their natural self confidence should be allowed to develop and keepers need to be respectful of it and nurture it. Isn't that why we love monitors?

Susan.

Thanks for the replies. I am letting her burrow. I do not dig her out or mess with her. This is my first monitor and I was just kinda concerned about her being used to interaction with humans when she is a large adult. After reading some of Happyhillbillies posts here as well as some of the other experienced monitor keepers I am understanding more and more about their natural behavior. That is what is great about these forums. Knowledge is the key to successful reptile keeping.
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Hi!
It sounds like you're meeting your sav's needs, which is all that is needed to build a lasting, trusting relationship with it. They're intelligent & will come to realize that you're meeting their needs. If not pushed or harassed, they will eventually allow interaction. Nothing is greater than a mutual friendship/relationship.

Give it it's space, privacy, and you'll have less problems handling it if/when you need to. The more you're around it when it is above ground, the more it sees you & realizes that you're not a threat, the faster the relationship will form.

Hang in there!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com