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Can a Nile monitor lizard make a good pet?

Can wild Niles be tamed?

I'm a writer researching a book (and some articles) about non-native reptile species in Florida. One of the major topics I'm covering is the population of feral Nile monitors living in and around Cape Coral, Florida.

An estimated 1000 Nile monitors have colonized that area; they are now moving into nearby wildlife and bird sanctuaries. The monitors are known to be killing the endangered burrowing owls and a few household pets. In at least one reported case, drug dealers use Nile monitors as guards for metamphetamine labs. Animal control officers have expressed concern that the Nile monitors may endanger small children.

I've been a herper for a long time, but have never kept monitors. While I *have* met tame Savannah monitors, I've never known anyone who keeps Nile monitors as pets. My impression is the Niles do not make good pets, and that they are unlikely to become tame. The lack of sociability may be the root of the problem in Cape Coral: People who bought baby monitors released them into the wild when the reptile grew to big and aggressive.

The "Nile monitor problem" is being used by some groups to call for laws prohibiting ownership of certain reptile species in Florida. One bitten child would probably swing the tide in favor of reactionary legislation.

Most of what I'm hearing comes from the anti-monitor crowd -- and I can't really blame people for being concerned. I'd like to hear from people who keep Niles as pets, and get a different perspective.

If anyone wants to contact me privately, they can do so via e-mail at scott.ladd@gmail.com.

Thank you.
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Scott Robert Ladd
1.0.0 Iguana (Rex)
1.1.0 African Giant Plated Lizard (Clyde, Cassie)
1.0.1 Uro mali (Wizard, Dizzy)
0.1.0 Corn Snake (Amber)
0.1.0 Red-Eared Sliders (Emerald)
0.0.1 Musk Turtle (Sausage)
1.1.0 Parakeet (Thor, Zeus)
1.4.0 Homo sapiens (Scott, Maria, Elora, Becky, Tessa)
blog: http://chaoticcoyote.blogspot.com/

Pets as in cat or dog? NO
Pets as in other exotics? Yes

Could they bite or hurt someone yes but so could a squirrel, raccoon, gator, etc.

As for can wild niles be tamed haha seeing most that are available are wild caught and some of them become tame or calm handlable etc. I guess yes to that one too.

On the other hand they also could stay agressive toward the keeper and not tolerate handling. But so could alot of other exotics for that matter.

Drug dealers using them as gaurd dogs? I find that odd as it wouldn't be to hard to get past a big nile. If in a large room it would run from you not at you. I have yet to ever have one run at me that was not confined. First defense is to hiss then tail whip. Biting happens after you grab them or get really close.

I suggest you keep talking to people who keep them rather then getting information from those silly articles or talking to non monitor owners. How would they know how a nile monitor is if they have never owned one?

BTW those countless number of iguanas running around south florida get very large too. Males canm have just as nasty of an attitude as a nile. They to have teeth and can bite, they also have tails to whip us with. There have been people who have gotten bit by them. But of course they are green leaf eaters so why worry over them?

Those bufo toads down here are also dangerous they have killed alot of pets. Why no talks of them?

If the only reason is because of its teeth and diet of meat then should we also worry about the gators?

Now if these people wanted to argue about them not belonging here and harming the local wildlife populations thats one thing, but to talk about them like they are something out of jurrasik park is rediculous.

The amount of media coverage that has been dedicated to a thousand lizards in running loose in Florida is ridiculous. People are attacked and mauled by abandoned dogs every day. I would think that is a much bigger problem than a few feral lizards. I would also think that the hoards of feral dogs and cats running loose in this country are causing much more damage to native ecosystems (I don't think domestic dogs and cats are native to North America either). Someone needs to confront these newspapers about these articles (letters to the editor or something) so that the general public can put this in perspective. I fear that liberal animal rights groups (worthless organizations) will try to use the nile monitor situation in Florida as an excuse to outlaw monitors and many other exotic pets. In many ways, these people operate similiar to the anti-gun lobby. They attempt to sensationalize a few incidents in order to promote the banning of things they fear and don't understand. Unfortunately, the general public does not know much about monitor lizards or reptiles in general. This means that they tend to believe what is told to them by animal rights groups and the media and vote in their favor when legislation is proposed.

In regards to nile monitors being good pets. I own a four foot long nile monitor that is about a year and a half old. He lives in a pen in my living room and gets along fine with me and my family. He is not a pet in the way that a dog is (doesn't like to be picked up, held, etc.) but he coexists with us very well. He follows us around when he wants to be fed and tolerates the wearing of a harness/leash for walks outside in the backyard. I find that if you respect the animal and don't subject it to excessive handling, it will in turn respect you. Of course, all monitors have different personalities (as do other more common pets) and some will not tolerate interaction with humans as well as others.

I agree with you in regard to the troubles caused by traditional pets let loose... domestic cats have caused havoc among bird populations, for example.

The problem is, most people are comfortable with dumbed-down mamilian predators, and will defend their doggy and kitty simply because it is "okay" to have such pets. A lizard, on the other hand, terrifies people...

For example: My youngest daughter mentioned or reptile collection in 3rd grade, when the class was discussing pets. The teacher called the school counselor, who called child protective services. Yes, we had a police investigator come by our house to see if our corn snake and uromastyx were chewing on the children! Talk about stress...

Newspapers are less about news and more about entertainment. People are conditioned to be afraid of reptiles -- and while the wild monitors are a serious problem, it's unlikely they're going to go Godzilla on Cape Coral, Florida.
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Scott Robert Ladd
1.0.0 Iguana (Rex)
1.1.0 African Giant Plated Lizard (Clyde, Cassie)
1.0.1 Uro mali (Wizard, Dizzy)
0.1.0 Corn Snake (Amber)
0.1.0 Red-Eared Sliders (Emerald)
0.0.1 Musk Turtle (Sausage)
1.1.0 Parakeet (Thor, Zeus)
1.4.0 Homo sapiens (Scott, Maria, Elora, Becky, Tessa)
blog: http://chaoticcoyote.blogspot.com/

now I hope you know that you should not raise such killers with children in the house hehehehe .

Did they have a warrant if not I would have told them to get one just to make them look more like idiots when they got back.

A nile CAN make a good pet, especialy if you get them as babies and handle them regularly. A large wild caught monitor needs a knowledgable and patient handler and , sometimes they still don't get real calm. I have been rescuing monitor of all kinds for nearly 20 years, I have had lots of niles, and still have one now. I have been bitten, scratched and tail whipped, ots of times. None of these injuries has been any worse than when I have been bitten by dogs, I even had a scratch from a big rabbit that was about as bad as any nile ever got me. The fact is, just like with any other pet, people need to learn about the animal before buying it. Pet stores and breeders selling them should make sure they provide adequate information to those who purchase them. I have seen way too many pet stores sell a nile monitor and a 10 gallon aquariun to someone and never mention that that aquarium is aready too small and only going to get smaller. A dog can be a bad petr when it has a bad owner, so can a nile monitor. There are lots of responsible owners that take the time to understand the commitment they mae when the purchase a nile, and make the effort necessary to keep it. Unfortunately there are those who don't. I have always loved niles and I would hate to see all of the recent media hype lead to laws that keep those of us who who are responsible form keeping them