Reptile & Amphibian Forums

sorry if you hear this crap all the time, but i looked in alot of places and hear all kinds of different stuff.....I was thinking about a sand monitor at first, but then I remembered that I wanted something smaller and handleable.. buTTT.. someone told me that they have ackies and they almost love to be handled and will even run up to the cage when you enter the room. Actually that’s mostly what I hear about ackies... is that they are very friendly and personable. But today I had someone tell me that they have some and theirs don’t really like to be handled, they will tolerate it but don’t seem to enjoy it. Yes I know that this stuff is going to vary, but im guessing that the amount of time you spend with your ackie will determine this stuff too.. anyone have any ridge-tails that like/dislike to me handled.. .. im just trying to figure out if I should leave him alone or try to get him used to me, he is a littttle baby right now so im going to leave him alone At leave for a few weeks... unless I should forever... should I??? Thanks to anyone who replys!!!!

No normal monitor wants to be handled, why would they? Would you like to be handled by a 300 foot tall ugly and I mean ugly alien? Even if it was a nice alien?

You must consider, there is a real difference between handling and man-handling. A tame monitor has no problem sitting in your hand or climbing on you, or doing anything it wants with you around. But why would one want you to grap it and force it to do anything. Forcing a tame monitor to do something it does not want to do makes it bite you or want to bite you. hahahahahahahaha I know this. FR

yes i have herd this alot... they dont 'like' to be handled. But most people with ackies say that they get somewhat acostom to being around you and become more tame.. and im just trying to figure out the best way to get them to do this.. thanks for you input tho. I do understand what your saying.

I find it more enjoyable to just sit and watch my monitors, including the ackies, do what they do in their cages. I rarely ever hold mine because its not really all that much fun to me or them. if you just leave them alone and let them get used to seeing you in front of their cage you can have hours of fun just watching their behavior (especially if you have two or more). they are quirky little things and they do all kinds of funny and interesting things on a daily basis, most of which you would never see while holding them in your hand.

Yes, there are tons of tame monitors of many species, and there are a few individuals that do not mind being held, specially if being held is a ways to a means. For instance if being held leads to food, they will put up with it for that reason. Or if being held leads to new surroundings that are of interest to that individual. But in all cases, being held is totally against their natural and normal behaviors.

The real point is, what is being held mean. Is it to allow a monitor to walk/sit/crawl on you? If so, then lots do that. Or does it mean you picking up your monitor and holding it, as opposed to it holding you, then its rare for that to occur(in my opinion) Also, beware of the monitor falling asleep while in your lap or when your rubbing its head. I think many people are totally fooling themselves. I once said, if you think its asleep, then why is its heartrate so fast. Its very easy to check their heartrate. Its a normal but horrible behavior for both wild and captive monitors to "play dead" and hope the threat passes.

Just think about that. Falling asleep while in the lions mouth????????? Yes, I do question that.

On the otherhand, a monitor that does not mind people, if cold, will sit and absorb heat from you. But would it do that if it was warm already???? I thinking no.

So it turns out like this, a Tame monitor only wants to use you. A subdued monitor doesn't want anything. Its a very fine line and a truely tame monitor is rare, but there are some truly good keepers out there, that are good at allowing monitors to be comfortable around them.

Now check this out. This pic is a wild lizard that lives by my reptile building and shop. I have known her for five years, she eats out of my hands. I started feeding her when she was a baby. She lives and breeds somewhat normally, she has laid 3 clutches this year, 4 last year, two the year before and one the year before that. She has a steady boyfriend, and lots of kids, some of which are following in her footsteps.

She is tame. She follows me around for food, or just to watch me. She somehow likes to watch me work. Kinda like my wife. I have fed lots of wild lizards, but only this one and some of her kids do this. I have shown pics of her, her kids, mates, babies, before nesting, right after nesting, all out our site. I have shown this for years.

She will not tolerate being held, she does not mind being touched or mind sitting on you. But she will not tolerate anything she feels is loss of control.

I bring this up because she has a choice, she can simply leave, there are no walls binding her to me. Only whatever I can provide for her. Maybe taming is forming a bond that ties you together, not grabbing and holding them until they no longer fight back. Please consider this, also consider that many are not really taming their monitors but instead conquering them. A tame animal should still be the same animal it always was, only has a bond with you. Not turned into a mindless captive.

This is true with monitors as well, they have a life and mind of their own. Or at least they are suppose to. Except if that is taken away. Which happens with many captives, including humans. So please thing about what taming means and that difference between handling and manhandling, and being tame and being conquered. FR

You have a lot of good points. I will go off of alot of what you said. He is really small right now and likes his home/hide... he has one of your stacks and i have a hold in the bottom level and he likes to go in there most of the time. on top is a normal old flat rock that i put up there for a basking spot. Right now the reading on top is 120F so thats not bad. I also have a UTH on the warm side. But so he doesnt get burned i put a 1/2in pice of plywood under the dirt so if he decides to dig down there it wont be HOT HOt glass. He Comes out mostly in the morning right now and i feed him then he either goes up and basks for a little while, but mostly goes back down in his hideing spot. He is actually very good about taking food out of tongs and really seems to be used to that already. I have had him out about 3 times just to move him and clean/add to his set-up. I im not going to force him to come out... going to wait at least a few months and then try a small amout of contact, hopeully he will start crawling right up onto my are, cause i dont like the idea of chaseing him around the cage.. thats no good. But like you said they will get used to you, the wont love or like you.. so i think the tong feeding is a good start.. thanks for you input to... i need all i can get cause i want him around for awhile! thanks agian.

As soon as your monitor is feeding and being regular and you are certain its doing well, then you may start to teach it.

You can teach it by feeding in the same spot everyday, for instance, if its hiding, throw a cricket one inch from its hole. then increase that distance as it becomes more aggressive. Then start to feed it from your fingers, then allow it to climb on your hand, like the lizard in the pic, Then allow it to walk up your arm, and feed up your arm, then on your shoulders, then on your head, then at Mickey Dees, then on the moon, whoops too far.

But you get the picture. Your monitor must know that you are the source of food and also trust you will on offend him.

Monitors are very aggressive feeders, so this type of training is easy, they eat a lot, so its repetitive. They are also forgiving, so they get over being offended. All in all, its all about your abilities and understanding of monitors and animal training. Its not about the monitor. After all, monitors are indeed monitors. FR

ya sounds good... will try that for sure...

oh ya i want to feed him at Mickey Dees .... but since im already at the computer... what do you know to feem them besides dusted crix and roaches... i herd somewhere that mealworms are fatty? do you know if that is true?

Ha-ha just kidding! However some folks may think this from that photo. Needles to say these lizard loos there tails easily and any such restrain is impossible (without damage)

Many years ago my old friend Thomas Huff use to sit on a rock in his bengalensis enclosure and let them come to him, sometime hiding food on or around him and letting the monitors climb on him. At the time I use to think this was a boring keeper kept relation as I use to be one who forced handling on my captive (wrong approached)

I guess I learned from Thomas what many are learning from you today about interaction.
My first real understanding of this came from the least expected monitor ( my trash can) a nil monitor iv always kept to feed the left over, I mistreated this animal more then any, and yet he became over the years my most trust worthy. From nasty to friendly without any kind of forced manipulation or food training, then again iv been a source of food and water for this animal its entire life, maybe this is enough to create a bond.

For those of you thinking you have a special monitor or a gift with animals, and this is why your captive are nice and docile. Forget it
You obviously don’t understand the nature of these animals, I know this may sound offending but really its not my intension, all I hope is that my post may allow you to consider the possibilities.

Last week I saw a kid bathing a savannah in the saint-Laurence, the water was 65f. I didn’t say a word as it would have been misinterpreted and offensive, however one guy advised him that water is not good for this specie, and he should get a nil or water monitor if he intended to do this often. After hearing this comment I was glad that I haven’t said anything, its ironic that a hubby well in its 25 years still needs so much education, either we the keepers are the dumbest kind of humans or we just don’t care enough, its not like the information isn’t offered or available.

Well anyway love this thread

yup yup, let them come to you... which lizards tails come off? the one in the picture or an ackies? will their tail off? im sure they will if you it was pulled real hard, but is it common thing? i didnt think so, but just making sure thanks.

a few min ago the little askie ate right out of my finger... ran away after he grabed it, but still ha. its a start.