Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

I just got my first baby savannah monitor about 2.5 months ago. He's eating great, growing great, and very active. temps and setup are all correct from everything that i have read and heard from everyone on this forum.

I have been trying to handle him for a little while every day so i will at least have a monitor as tame as i can get him when he gets bigger. it started to be when i take him out he squirms and squiggles and such in my hands until he calms down after a while. Lately now, he only squirms around for a little while but then quickly stops and gets comfy. and then he closes his eyes, and looks like he just goes right to sleep right there either in my hands or sitting on my lap. Does this mean hes actually more trusting and comfy with me? or is it more of a "if i close my eyes and sit still maybe she will go away?" type of thing? Thanks for any replies
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~Melissa~
1.2.3 Leopard geckos
1.1 Bearded dragons
1.0 Hog Island Boa
0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor
1.1 Ferrets
0.1 Chinchilla

1.0 Psycho cat

Melissas Menagerie

It looks like it is becoming more trusting of you. Keep it up!

i tend to disagree with the last post. A monitor that closes its eyes and sits still while being handled is terrified and has given up on any chance of escape. IT may appear to be tame after regular handling but is not what i would consider tame unless it is alert with open eyes, flicking tongue, etc. without attempting to bite, huff, puff or escape handling. Just my observations with my animals.
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James Grigsby - " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

Why else would it close its eyes? It is way beyond coincidence that it just suddenly gets 'sleepy' at the exact moment you pick it up.
I think you know this, deep down, or how else could you have typed what you did...sorry to ruin that thin thread of hope that it actually doesn't mind sitting on you..but it does mind..

The fact it has learned to stop stuggling when in your grasp, just shows how intelligent your little lizard is. They save their energy for when they have a chance to escape.
Don't believe me?

Just open your hand...
D.

Thanks for the replies! I figured that much, and i know it wont be a cake walk or anything taming the lil guy, i was just wondering. He closes his eyes in my open hand though already, or when hes sitting on my lap. i only restrain him til he calms down, then he "sleeps" in my open hand or just sitting on my lap, unrestrained. (of course i am ready for if he ever tries to bolt ) and of course i dont expect any reptile to actually ENJOY my handling of them Basically they really just tolerate it and thats what i'm tryin for
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~Melissa~
1.2.3 Leopard geckos
1.1 Bearded dragons
1.0 Hog Island Boa
0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor
1.1 Ferrets
0.1 Chinchilla

1.0 Psycho cat

Melissas Menagerie

i say he is comfortable. i have found that tame savannas do simply lie their, often w/ their eyes closed. mine will also close their eyes when i rub the top of their head, just like a relaxed person getting a massage would do.

I don't think him closing his eyes when you rub him is actually a sign of pleasure as it is in a human. They have a totally different sensation that mammals on their skin.
I think that's more of a reaction than it is a sign of comfort.
I could be wrong though, I've never asked my monitor what he likes.

tony

>>I don't think him closing his eyes when you rub him is actually a sign of pleasure as it is in a human. They have a totally different sensation that mammals on their skin.
>>I think that's more of a reaction than it is a sign of comfort.
>>I could be wrong though, I've never asked my monitor what he likes.Me either but they sure have a way of letting you know what the don't like lol.

I consider my blackthroat calm because when Fluffy is alowwed out, it will walk around , climb on everything, (except people) and not tail whip or bite and will go back in the cage when bored. The only time I grab him/her is when it decides it wants to visit with my wifes birds.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

See? I'm not the only 'weird' person who names their monitor something totally unagreeable with the lizard. Scott, kudos to you for havin' the cajones to name your monitor Fluffy.

My previous Nile monitor, Snuggles would do the same thing as your Savannah, Melissa although she could be held in my open hand or draped on my shoulder without bolting. But according to the people here, Snuggles was 'dead' because no Nile monitor would do that. Now I'm stuck with this little pissant aptly named Godzilla who I can't touch or even attempt to handle. He bites, hisses and tail whips like crazy and he's less than a foot right now. Just be happy that your monitor is starting to 'come around'. Or you could be unhappy and miserable like me. But I always have Kaali, my columbian red tail boa who I can cuddle with even if I smell like mice.

It seems to me that you've never owned a monitor in your life, let alone a Nile Monitor before "Snuggles".

I work in a pet store, department of reptiles. I work with the store's personal breeders. In with this collection of breeders is a 9ft Nile Monitor, who attacks you when you try to take out the water pan to clean it. Niles are NOT snuggly, trusting, and over all a relaxed monitor. They all just the opposite of that. They are vicious, untrusting, nervous, and extremely hard to get to even allow your presence in the room HUGE lizards.

I currently own a Nile of my own, who is almost a foot now. Do you think with daily handling, cage maintenance, and out of the kindness of his heart that he sits there in my hand, snuggling up to me? Hell no. I have pictures of him in the gallery of him biting my hand. I have video footage of him grabbing the meat on my arm and TWISTING it, and trying to rip it off like it was part of his first meal. Yes, it hurts very much so even at my nile being as small as he is.

It sounds to me like your new nile, Godzilla, is healthy. He should be biting, hissing, puffing, and tail whipping, as well as trying to escape. If you are as unhappy as you claimed to be, then perhaps you should get rid of Godzilla before things take a turn for the worst, and you decide you don't want to deal with something that can grow upto 9 ft long and can literatly bite your hand off.

Have a great day.

-Stephanie

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Mouse - It's what's for dinner!

Since when does it matter WHAT you name your 'pet'? I named my first Nile Snuggles because of an inside joke I had going on with my boyfriend's mom. She said I was the type of person to get a komodo dragon or crocodile and name it Fluffy or Snuggles. Since dragons aren't available legally, I got the next best thing; a Nile. And I named her Snuggles. BFD. Get over it! Half of the people on this board are WAAAAY to serious about stupid crap like names. It's JUST a name. None of my animals are named after personality traits or sweet qualities.

I named my snake after the Hindu goddess of Death because Kaali is depicted as a cobra and my snake is the goddess of death when it comes to mice. My scorpions are named Sting, after a wrestler and Scorpio, after a constellation.

Oi...some people on this board are seriously waaaay too uptight. Godzilla was named because he makes the same noises as baby Godzilla. And he can knock down lego replicas of Tokyo pretty well XD

The name means nothing to the monitor. I can call Fluffy any name I want, it does not care. Fluffy only cares that there is fresh water and lots and lots of food.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

I never once said anything about how you named your monitors. I was replying to the part where you said you are unhappy now because you have a pissy monitor, other then a half-dead monitor who just sits in your hand. I simply told you how Nile's are, and that you should be HAPPY about how your new one acts, other then pissed off about him not being limpy and half dead.

Never once cut down on the name fluffy.

-Stephanie
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Mouse - It's what's for dinner!

I was replying to torayoma's post.
I think I'll walk over and whack my head against the wall until this is cleared up.lol

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

I didn't mean to reply to you, I meant to reply to the airhead. Must of accidentally clicked on yours to reply to instead of hers. Sorry about that, I'll have to double check who I'm replying to next time.
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Mouse - It's what's for dinner!