Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently got a young savannah monitor and I am really excited. It eats well, seems very active and is really pretty(eye of the beholder). I have heard and read that savs tend to be calm and don't mind interaction but mine starts to get real skittish after like 2-3 minutes. Every once in a while begins to hiss and open its mouth to bite me i geuss. Like I said it is young so I was just curious if this is normal and if so what is the best way to get them to come around.

Well congrats on your sav. Your savannah is getting use to his surroundings and is very weary of anyone or anything that comes near him. You should try and let him get used to his cage for a couple of days. I left mine alone for a week and then started to interact with him. It has taken sometime, but now I can take him out of his cage and hold him without all the squirming or hissing or any aggressive behavior. You just have to remember that he is trying to get a feel for you and if you dont interact on a daily basis, he will think you are a predator or prey and try and attack you. So just give him time and then he will get use to you being a friend and will love the interaction you give him. Oh and one more thing, I like to bathe my sav once a week, and he absolutely loves it. That might also help you too. BTW, what kind of enclosure do you have?

The little fellow is in a 2' x 3' setup. basking area hits a max of 102 with the rest of the cage going down to no lower than 82 during the day. Large water dish, only one hide though. substrate is sand/soil/ "repti-bark". I am very open to all suggestions.

Bump your basking spot up to 125-130

Billy