Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The two foot savannah I rescued a few weeks ago has taken to hissing when I go to touch it, and tonight he hissed and tried to bite my husband. He was a calm, laid back lizard when he arrived. I suppose that part of it may be that he is feeling better with regular meals and proper temps, soakings, space to move around etc., but I'm not really sure how to handle this. Last week he was allowing me hold him, pick him up to put him in the soaking tub, rub his belly and tail and back to get the old shed off; this week he's looking much better, but his personality has changed.

Is this normal? Does it mean I'm doing something right, or doing something wrong? Should I get myself a pair of rhino hide gloves??? He's just big enough for me to feel a bit leary around him; I've heard the mouse skulls crunch and I sure don't want that to be my finger. I've never had an aggressive lizard, but then I've raised all of mine from babies, like I'm doing with my tegus. How is the best way to handle him without getting bit or upsetting him?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Leslie

Chances are (but this is not a guarantee) that the new aggression you are seeing in your rescue is a positive sign. Most monitors that are passive when rescued are passive due to stress and poor treatment. As the treatment improves and the animal gets healthies, it will probably return more to "normal" (i.e. defensive, wary, less tolerant).

As for suggestions, keep taking proper care of her and give it time. If she has become really defensive when handled, then do not handle her. Allow her to continue to adjust on her pace. Her behaviors will probably continue to evolve so that over time she may begin to develop a REAL trust for you instead of the stressed, passive "trust" she had when she was not doing so well. However, be prepared that she may never be as passive and calm as she was when you first got her, and this is probably a good thing!
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^x^ Bloodbat ^x^

Thanks for the reassurance. He/she sure looks better and I thought that might contribute. I was just concerned, because the periodic soaking seems to help so much, but I sure don't want to "pest" him or get bit in the process. Hopefully most of the old shed being gone, I can just offer the tub and he will use it on his own. I do miss being able to scratch a head, but I guess I'll just have to adapt. After all, I'm asking him to adapt. This is my first larger, adult lizard, and my first monitor, and while I've read everything I have been able to get my hands on, including most of the posts here, I'm still kind of out of my comfort zone with this guy.

Thanks so much, again, for your help.