Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My friend has a savannah monitor lizard he got about a year n a half ago since they were afraid of it they did not get much so now im trying to tame the lizard but he hisses and slaps his tail i try to pick him up but he wont stay still. I would appreciate anybody's help thank you.

The best way to tame any monitor is just to handle it alot. If they were scared of it than he was probably never realy Held alot if at all. He hisses and whips you because he is afraid of you. Once you start to hold him and he gets used to you he will stop whiping and hissing. It will probably take a while befor he is tame because the longer they go without being held the harder it is to tame them. He should eventualy tame so dont give up on him.
God luck!

didn't you just buy your blackthroat a few weeks ago?

Ya i did.

there are two schools of thought on this.

Some say that if you keep on handling the monitor, it will eventually get tame.

Others feel that this will make the monitor wilder, so instead opt for the calm approach of doing what you'd normally do (spot clean the enclosure, change water dishes etc) but leave the monitor alone and let it get used to you being around, then slowly trying to interact with it in its enclosure without lifting it up. Eventually it may allow you to pick it up and may even crawl onto your outstretched palm on its own. This is my preferred method.

Whichever you chose, don't ever remove it from its hide spot. The monitor needs to feel that it has at least one spot that is completely safe from your prying hands.