Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, ne 1 have an effictive method of taming monitor lizards? My monitor calms down once you hold him, but he runs when you approach his cage, and wont take food from tongs, dos ne 1 have a way to get him more used to people being around, or at least a way to get him to take food from tongs?

Scroll down in the forum, or do a search, as this topic has been addressed to death... I could type for hours about this topic, but it would save me and many others a lot of time, if you just scroll down and search the previous posts in this forum..

my basic opinion: forcing an animal to be held, which you are doing in the photograph is not the way to achieve a healthy, trustworthy monitor... A tame monitor takes a lot of time and patience of not handling him, and having him become accustomed to your presence...
By shoving your hand into his home everyday and prying him out of his hiding spot, you are never achieving anything, other than stressing the poor thing out... Think about it if you were in his situation, what would it take for you to trust such a giant animal to hold you??? Monitors are not hampsters, or cats, or dogs, and do not appreciate being handled, held, carried around, shown off to friends, taken into public, etc... they are wild animals that like to be left alone...

So there is my stance/opinion on the matter... If you do a search, or scroll through the last few pages of the forum, you will read more on what others and myself think about 'taming' a monitor... But surely what you're doing is not the way to do it...

Cheers,

Bob
TREEMONITORS.COM

Its all about the lizard getting used to you. So do it slowly. First be in vision with the lizard, maybe in a room your in alot. Soon the lizard should come out and go back to his daily tasks. While doing this try not to move alot. Once you have done this for a while start moving around in the room, or sitting by the cage the long periods of time while he runs around. Once he is not scared of me from outside of the cage, put you hand in the cage for a while could get tiring, my lizards will usally hide at first but than get curious as most Monitors are and explore stay still. after serveral times of this, move your hand a little, they get used to it. than feed him one prey normally, than try one by tong/hand. build trust, he may not do it at first but he'll do it eventally,, after he is taking food from you constantly, try picking him up while keeping him in the cage. eventally take him out stay still. Once hes completly used to this, pick him up and swith hands, unless it takes two hands to pick up, this wil lget him used to the picking up part. So work slow and build trust. sry so long.

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