Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok the petstore where i buy my snakes little victims (rats) has a 6 ft nile monitor and they also have babies. my boyfriend really wants one but they said that they are immpossible to tame. well that made him want one even more, he likes challenges like that. my question is are they immpossible to tame? because they say the one they have wont even let them in to clean the cage. thanks for the input

I would strongly suggest starting with a monitor that is easier to deal with, very few niles become tame and most won't even tolerate you being near them (mine won't) they require huge enclosures with a large pool and require a lot of care cleaning e.t.c and have heavy heating requirements they have an extremely powerful bite that could possible relieve you of a few fingers or do serious nerve damage that is off the initial bite then there is the possibility of secondary infection.. I am not trying to scare you off keeping them but am just saying don't run before you can walk. Picture a 7ft lizard rushing towards you and before you have even had time to think it's got your hand,arm or possibly face I am not saying that would definately happen put it is a possibility i find my niles behaviour very erratic and that is what can make them dangerous there sheer unpredictability you never know what they are going to do. That said for how unpredictable mine is i would not be without it but i would never have dreampt of having one for my first second or even third monitor and if researched properley i am sure your boyfriend will realize that it isn't really a suitable first choice. Try and find someone in your area with a large one or even ask the petshop whether your boyfriend can clean theres out and see if he still wants one knowing this has to be done on a daily basis and most of them found in pet shops are generally more subdued because of stress than they are after a few weeks of being in your home. Finally for what it's worth i would say do not get one
mat
mat

ok thanks mat! but my boyfriend will go to "test" one out (lol) and if it is nasty in temperment then im afraid he is going to want it even more...we have had other lizards and we have many snakes and all but 2 he got because he likes the challenge. we got a pretty mean and nasty red tail boa that is 6 ft and he tamed it up to where it is a big ol baby lol. he said he knows the danger and he understands what you said.the boa has bit him in the past (pretty bad too) and he said that is their way of showing how they feel and he cant do anything but understand the animal and keep trying. he also says he does not want to get bit by a nile so he will have to think of something. i thank you for your input!

Lizard bites are huge degrees worse than snake bites. Getting bitten by a boa will in no way prepare you for dealing with a huge angry lizard. For example, a quick bite on the thumb from my 22 inch monitor was worse than a 6 foot asian ratsnake attempting to eat my forearm. The lizard also has 6 ends that can hurt you as opposed to the snake's one.
-----
Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

I agree. I'd rather be bitten by my amazon tree boa 10 times than have a monitor bite me once.
-----
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.