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Are all nile monitors mean? Can they be tamed if held alot because i just ordered one a few days ago and i was talking to a guy yesterday and he says there nasty(biting and freaking out).can they be tamed?

Nil monitors have all the bad press in the world, why?

Because they are dirt cheep, they have no value are imported in mass numbers for a few $$ each, and they get big, well kept captives compete with salvator in size.

Nil monitors have it all, they represent everything a monitor should be, are they mean? No they are defensive and will commend respect, if you treat them good they become trustworthy and will interact with you, treat them wrong and they will remember a long time, nil monitors usually get les defensive as they grow, eventually they allow interaction as any monitor kept in good condition will allow.

Force handling any monitor is something I never do, but many claim to tame nil’s this way, I think this is a wrong approach.

The biggest problem with nil’s is not there temper, they are wild predators not kittens.
It’s the bad press they get from peoples who failed with them, most keepers buy them on impulse then realise they have a defensive temper, then to make matters worst they read comments about them from peoples who never kept them pass juvenile stage.

Most keepers who committed to them thru adulthood, love their nil’s and enjoy there company.

I love mine and will keep them as long as I can, one day I might try to sneak them in my retirement home?

I have a soft spot for Tanzanian and Mozambique nil’s

A freind of mine has a nile and it wips his tail hisses and trys to get you through the cage He loves it! Monitors are wild animals and really cant be tamed but become tolerable of you> give it some time and hell come around just be patient. My boys acts that way but becomes very calm at feeding time. Go figure

exactly! monitors are wild animals and thats the way they are and i love them that way there modern day monsters,and who doesnt love monsters?

in my opinion 99% wont be 'tame' unfortunately. i think you should have done some research before your purchase, you obviously havent done enough if your asking this question after ordering the monitor. i dont mean to sound harsh but chances are you are looking for a 'pet' type monitor and niles are probably one of the worst monitors to try and tame. i am not saying it cant be done, not by a long shot. i know somebody with a fairly 'tame' one but in all honesty they are in the small minority, with most being defensive no matter what. i have had a couple myself and have one now that i have had for a couple of years, he is in my computer room and is fine with me walking by the tank and removing stuff from his tank...but put your hands near him and he would bite you for sure. but i love him and instead of trying to tame him, i have come to the conclusion he prefers me to leave him be and not try to pick him up. there are a lot better monitors species if you like to handle your animal, you might end up with a 6ft lizard as mean as a wild croc, i am not trying to scare you but make you aware of the possibilities. hope that helps

i met a lady at the ky expo who had a very tame adult nile!!she said she swore he new what she was saying.one day she was going to get rid if him and said to call a guy about coming and getting him and he went and hid behind the tv all day.and on another day she told him in the morning she was going to give him a bath and take him to see a friend that worked at the pet shop(he loved going to the pet shop)and in the mornig he was beging to go by whating at the front door and then came and put his chean on her lap beging more.!!!she had pics of the very nice and fat nile to prove this story.she said after the day he hid behind the tv she thought of him as a child and he would be with her for life!!!this is a nile she would take to schools and to the park for he just loved people she said.she was going to bring him to the next show but i never saw her there.i was very happy to hear this story and i still have the blue nile i was trying to sale that day!!!
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I work for an animal rescue where we've had many monitors. Nile's are by far the hardest to handle. Taming is not an option, ours will gape and aim to bite you, while twisting to the point that they'll snap their own neck, while tail-whipping and scratching, while pooping all over the place. Their metabolism allows them to fight for quite awhile (unlike iguanas which tire after a minute or two). Also be sure that no monitor will ever do more than tolerate you, though they are the most intelligent of reptiles, they don't have the capacity to like you. These things are just too damn cheap...