Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone, my first question is in reguards to shedding. For the most part my monitor sheds fine, but he seems to retain shed skin along his face and neck, and parts of his legs. He has a water dish big enough for him to fully submerge himself in, and i have tried misting him regularly to help loosen the skin, but he still seems to refuse to shed it. Could it be that there is something wrong with his diet? As of now he eats 2 fuzzies every other day, and 10-15 crickets (depending on how hungry he is) on the days in between. I dust his food with reptive and rep-cal twice a week. I'm sure that it is something i am doing wrong with husbandry to cause this, i just don't know what it is.
My second question is in reguards to "taming" him. For clarification, I don't mean that I can pick him up and him be content to just sit there, as from the curiosity and energy he shows in his cage this would seem very abnormal. I would take it then he would just be too petrified to want to move. I more mean that he would be interested in me, beyond wanting to eat my hand. I have heard many cases of people who have monitors that like them, that will, on their own accord and without being forced, follow their owners arround. Climb up their owners legs into their laps to see what is going on, etc. I would simply like the monitor to be comfortable enough with me, that when i go in to his cage to change his water, i don't leave with 20 sets of teeth marks along my hand and arm.
If anyone could tell me what exactly i should do to get this kind of trust with the animal, or just any tips that may work, as well as what NOT to do's, i would greatly appritiate it. I apollogise for the long post, and thank you to anyone who can help
-Chris

I say it's the environment being to dry in combination with the heat lamp, which tends to dry things up, that causes the problem with stuck shed skin. I would recommend soaking your monitor in lukewarm water for 20-30 minutes everytimes he sheds to fix this, and you might want to bump up the humidity in his cage.

And as for taming him, there is no way that reptiles can become tames like a dog or cat. Rather, they become use to your present and just tolerate you. Even then they don't need to be cuddle, and even the most placid ones will become stressed if you hold them too much. I say to get your monitor used to you, just try holding him everyday. Start out with just a few minutes and increase the length of time it spends with you. Remember to always give them time to themselves by putting cage in the low traffic area and not to hold him too much.