Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
After a few years of keeping reptiles and evaluating my current and future plans I decided to purchase a baby Nile monitor. Long story short (s)he is set up properly, settled it, and eating a pooping normally. The part that is confusing me is how calm and easy going he is. If I put my hand into his tank he will climb up my arm and let me handle him with no problems. I can pretty much do everything with him that I can my bearded dragon which is not what I was expecting at all. Two years later I still have a green ig that will have nothing to do with me so the last thing I was expecting was for the Nile to willingly be handled.

He's very small, a foot or less nose to tail. Are they normally this calm as babies? Should I expect him to become more aggressive as he gets older?

I was prepared for a skittish baby that wouldn't want to be messed with so this is rather unexpected. Is this normal?

Thanks
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Green Igg 1.0.0
Beardie 1.0.0
Green Tree Frogs 0.0.2
Pac Man Frog 0.0.1
Green Anole 1.0.0

Hi, just out of interest, can you give temps, humidity, substrate,etc, type and size of enclosure, foods and feeding regime just now, and do you have any photos of the monitor and set-up? It makes it easier to offer advise when these details are known! Thanks!

I agree with the post above. More info is needed other than you saying it is set up properly. Pics would be great. Mine was slightly tame when younger, then got worse as he got older. Hes fine with my presence now but does not want to be touched.

Hey, sorry for the delay. I've been working late since I made my first post and have been getting home after "lights out" and don't want to disturb them for pictures. I'll try to get some pics (or a vid on youtube) this weekend.

Thanks guys
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Green Igg 1.0.0
Beardie 1.0.0
Green Tree Frogs 0.0.2
Pac Man Frog 0.0.1
Green Anole 1.0.0

Niles are tricky and very unique based on the individual. Mine when I first got him was very calm and relaxed, that lasted a few days when at proper temps/humidity in the right environment, he just wanted to be left alone. I worked on him extensively with tong feeding/trust building and he is now almost 4 foot long and completely handle-able, although he does whip a little, he really isn't bad.

Work with him, and see how far you get. I recently sold a very very nice little baby who behaved just like yours, very calm/interactive, no issues, we'll see if he stays that way!

-Mike

Thanks. I took some pictures with my phone on the way to work today. I'll try to get them uploaded here. The cage is 4.5 feet long, 3.5 feet wide and 3.5 feet tall. The highest basking area reaches 135*F (continuously monitored with a temp probe) and there are two other basking "tiers" that are at lower temps (which I haven't measure yet. The warm side reaches 85-90*F (depending on humidity which is between 45-70%). The cool side is 78-80*F. Night temps are 80*F (ish) throughout the enclosure. The water dish is smaller than I'd like it to be, but it is big enough and deep enough for him to completely submerge if he wants to. He uses the bathroom in the water dish so I'm looking for a larger replacement which will still easily allow me to remove and clean it daily. I'm using an organic potting soil (free of fertilizers and pesticides) for substrate and it is about 4" deep at its deepest.

For lighting there is a basking spotlight, a nighttime bulb (which also runs in the day to help with ambient temps) and a UVB bulb (not a "high quality" bulb like my others have at the moment but we're getting there).

I'm feeding him crickets dusted in calcium powder (dusted 3x a week).

I'm not new to reptiles by any means but I am new to monitors. I appreciate the advice and please let me know if I need to change anything. I don't mind spending the money to make it right.

Thanks
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Green Igg 1.0.0
Beardie 1.0.0
Green Tree Frogs 0.0.2
Pac Man Frog 0.0.1
Green Anole 1.0.0

Hi again, thanks for the extra info, it helps!
I think the temps are o.k, the nighttime could be a little lower (you say it`s 80f), but I assume there are slightly cooler hiding places? I would not go below 70f, though they may encounter lower than that in the wild.
With a 3.5ft tall enclosure, you have room for a relatively deep substrate, I suggest a min of around 12 inches (more is fine, of course), that will also help with the humidity, and enable the lizard to dig/burrow.
The insects are o.k, I personally recommend also using fuzzy mice, you can cut them up if they are too large just now, if you do that while they`re still frozen, not so messy (just in case someone might think I mean feed frozen, I certainly do NOT)!
I feel they`re more nourishing than pinkies, simply because they contain a little more protein, and the skeleton is developed.
I use fertilised quail eggs too, they are just the right size for a young monitor (I usually boil or scramble).
I hope you manage to get a few pics up later...

I am curious what others with nile experience have to say about this. I to recently ended up with 2 baby niles. each no longer than a foot tip to tip. One of them is very laid back and does the same, when I approach and open the cage he will allow me to reach in and he will walk onto my hand, and cruse around. This weekend I even laid down and let him walk around on me and the bed which I could never do with my other monitors. I have had them for 2 weeks or so and are eating and aclimating well. The second of the 2 is much more nervous and shy and more of what I expected out of a nile. I am curious if they get nastier with age and size knowing what they are capable of. I do keep V doreanus as well, so I am not new to monitors but am to experience with niles.

Hi,
I`ve worked with this particular species at a zoo, although I`ve personally kept the very closely related V. ornatus.
In spite of what I constantly hear from people, which is how vicious/aggressive the Nile monitor is, seemingly without exception, I believe they are as defensive/shy/bold/difficult/easy as most other species; just intelligent, "individual personalty", very wary animals, to put it very simply.
Perhaps in time (no time limit, though), they might learn to trust you, but some/many may not, no different to any other varanid...
You undoubtably already know, but I`ll mention it anyway; males can be somewhat bolder/calmer and active than females, perhaps that`s a tiny part of the differences you`ve noticed in this short space of time, but also, one will be more dominant.
I wish you the best of luck with them!