Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm just wondering as our varanids grow have you noticed changes in thier character. For instance I've had young skittish niloticus that used to run & hiss now pay me no attention. Also some at one point defensive indicus 3yrs. later only hiss if startled (meaning if they see me coming then I can just gently reach in & pick them up. I've been around Flavis.( belong to my friend) that just ran all over at the site/pursuet of prey who now take thier time to eat(from tongs). I have albigs. that even after 11/2 yrs. w/ constant patience still hiss,huff,& puff but relax once in hand. How have you & your monitors grown together or apart. Also how have their temperments changed from young to older(small- larger)? Just curious of behavorial changes if any.

I've noticed similar actions,most likely from realizing that you are of no harm (after years with some).My Dumeril's never acted like she cared about anything except food and exploring.You couldn't spook her if you dropped a book next to her.My ornate nile calmed down nicely until my cat jumped into an open cage and spooked it for good.My Water's got much better,but still stayed skittish even after years of work.All my Sav's got real tolerant after a couple months.My Blackthroat is very gentle but won't hesitate to huff when first picked up and if startled,a super fast tail whip with great accuracy!You have to love their different personalities and quirks though.I can never get enough of them

I seem to think, most if not all, animals go thru behavioral onto-genetic changes. But, I am not so sure that this is entirely at work with your examples. For sure, its partly responsible.

For instance overt traits. like being friendly, eating off tongs, running up, sitting or climbing on you. Can be totally reversed simply by putting the individual in a different cage. Then back again, when placed in the original cage. I think its called or compared to. situational behavior. In this case, their behaviors are not entirely based on or towards you. But instead, they are to you, and the situation you are in. Change the situation and the behavior changes. Another example would be, park lacies, they eat out of your hands at picinic tables, but when away from the tables, most will not let you come close.

Also, I have said to people here that I could turn their "dog tame" monitors back into normal, hissing, whipping, give me food or I will go nuts all over you, monitor. I can do this in a day or two. I could do this, without any harassment to the monitor. I simply give them a cage that has the things that allow them to be monitors. I have had some very interesting examples of this, like, a captive hatched monitor, that was kept in indoor/outdoor cages. Indoors, it would eat off tongs, allow handling, etc. Then when in the outdoor part, was totally wild. Even to the point of flying inside in a panic, then eating out of your hands. I have seen this in outdoor to outdoor, indoor to indoor and outdoor to indoor changes, as well. Just something to think about. Frank

Hmmmm, so would you not be able to reach a point where the monitor just plain accepts you, no matter the area? Or is this a priviledge extended only to conspecifics? (or not even them?)

Interesting that all the familiarity I have established with mine will be null and void, in a new area. =(
D.

Goon, why do you want to look to the last chapter of the book, while your reading it. Actually its more like your looking at the last chapter of another book and using that to sway your thoughts on the book your reading. Who knows what your monitors are going to do. The truest statement is all things change, and that fits monitors. What if they change for the better???

When working with Wild animals, or any animal for that matter, the fun is the now. If your not having fun now, do not depend on tomorrow.

Besides, I have no idea what your goals are. What are they????? What do you want to happen? confused F

I actually do that. I always read the last few pages of a book, before I get there. =)

Excuse my comments. It sounds as if I am trying to define their behaviors, when I was just thinking (or not) out loud.
You made an interesting observation, and it intrigued me before when you talked of them seeing their keepers as an event. Remember that thread? It just makes me wonder about how they regard humans. Yes, I know this is of little importance to them, but it interests humans! For the record, I sometimes wondered how my dog viewed me, too. Its not a worry, just a curiosity. Not important, really.

They do not live here, so I can handle or interact with them, if they choose to have nothing to do with me, that's OK by me. It's their life. They live here, so I can live alongside them, for my own selfish enjoyment. I like to observe them, and am eager to help them do their monitor-type activities in any way I can. Reproduction is just one of them, but is an important one, because it results in more monitors, and more chances to see stuff for me. Things they do, really interest me. I'm like that with everything. I can find a caterpillar or snail, and be engrossed for an hour. I find myself watching the mice and the crickets when I had them, for a long time. It takes 3 hours to clean 7 bins. Just because I sit and stare. Roaches are real neat to watch, too. So shy!
Besides my original selfish reason of just wanting an interesting pet, I'm learning more stuff I had't thought of. Like how its a moral issue, to try to breed these animals stolen from nature. They will never go back, but by having babies, perhaps fewer will be stolen in the future? Is this too painfully naive?
So, giving the best life I can manage to the adults, is my first goal. The second is to allow the babies they would like to make, be born. My third goal is to get more species!
These are my thoughts, a year into keeping. Like my monitors, I don't expect to stay the same. We all evolve. (some don't)
And I am very much enjoying the now. Thanks.
Goon.

I don't think Frank is implying that this will happen to all monitors, even though he has seen it happen with some of his.

I've had other types of reptiles go from 'tame' to nasty after a few minutes outside. Put them down, watch them calmly crawl around then try to pick them up again. WHOA!

I can take one of my monitors outside and let it loose, then go pick it up half an hour later without it even trying to run away. Two of the others can't even be taken out of their enclosure without going from calm to becoming skittish like a wildcaught animal.

I see your point. I like to occasionally put my guys in each other cages for enrichment purposes (new sights,smells,etc.) The females tend to panic & flee into the closest hide available or out the door/lid. I've even had a female dumerils bite me after having never done so for 2 yrs. at the scent of a large male salvator(who wasn't present just his scent).
so each situation brings a new esxperience.

my lace monitors have all shown a change with size and there seems to be a size threshhold beyond which they become bolder. They start off a bit skittish (or, in one case, extremely skittish) and then calm down when they reach a certain size. Even the most nervous of my animals suddenly stopped running at first sight of me and began feeding from tongs when she reached a metre in length. The change occurred over a week or so, as it had with two of the other animals.

Interestingly, the size of the ones most commonly seen in the wild, hanging around picnic areas, is around a metre upward.

i've noticed as my ornates grew older that they were less frightened of me, allowing to be picked up for brief periods most of the time (but never restrained), eating from tongs, coming towards me for food etc.. As to weather or not this is a genetically induced change, a behavioral adaptation or a combination of both i have no idea - but i would like to think my taming attempts has had SOME part to play

Also as they grow older they also seem to be more aware of their own strength and power, choosing to stand their ground when being 'harassed' rather than fleeing at the slightest provocation. not that i intentionally bother my monitors, but niles seem to have an especially paranoid outlook on life.

a change in environment definitly triggers behavioral changes, until they get used to new environment they are very skittish and prone to panic at things they would have no problems with before. for example when i moved my ornate to my new house for a good 2 weeks if he was out basking and i would walk by he would flip out and slam himself against the wall in fear. before if he was basking i could walk right up to him and pet him and only get that 'why are you bothering me' look. now that he's comfortable in his new environment, knows exactly where to go in case of danger i can again pet him. BTW he is now housed out on the patio, and has acess to a few hours of natural sunlight every day.