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I have a couple of questions to ask about my new water monitor.
1. Should I leave his lights on at night?
2. When should i try to handle him? Got him about 5 days ago.

>>I have a couple of questions to ask about my new water monitor.
>>1. Should I leave his lights on at night?

this is debateable, and many people leave their lights on 24/7 with no ill effects and it will give him more options for activity periods. if you do this, make sure your little one has at least one burrow that he can get into where no light penetrates at all.

>>2. When should i try to handle him? Got him about 5 days ago.

As long as he is eating fine, and appears to be settling in you can start now. Let him tell you if it's acceptable or not. Keep the familiarization sessions short and close to the enclosure. If he tolerates it ok (no whipping, defecating, puking, hissing, biting, etc) and doesn't go off his feed, you can extend the periods by a little each week. Don't overdo it. The main thing is not to force it (although others will say differently) and learn to READ YOUR ANIMAL. Again, he will let you know what is acceptable and what is not in the interaction department. If he shows any signs of stress during these sessions, stop them and just work on getting him used to your presence outside his enclosure while he's inside. He should hopefully learn that you are a normal, safe part of his new environment over time (could take weeks, months or even years). Best of luck. Billy

Ok, thanks for the advice. But how do i actually go about handling him? He's still quite afraid of me and tends to hide if I get too close.
Should I pick him up or let him get more accustomed in some other way?