Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased a juvineille savannah monitor a little over a month ago and he/she despises me! I have never had so much trouble trying to tame a reptile in my life!

I take him/her out everyday for about ten minutes so I wont stress them out but he/she is progressivley getting more and more violent. I'm to the point now where I always have to have gloves on so they dont bite me and alligator roll my skin off. Everytime I go into their room they instantly head for a corner and coil up get ready to tail whip, and start hissing like a mad man. There was even a time I had them sitting on my leg and it suddenly turned, starting hissing and ran straight for my face with its mouth open.

I'm not sure if I am doing something wrong, or if maybe the temperature could be effecting him/her this way? I dont ever try to pick it up from over top so they dont feel like im a predator and now he/she has almost completly stopped eating. Please help me tame this beast and get it back to eating regularly!

Seems like yo have a very normal monitor.

That is not the way you should do. Take a look at older topics, there is good info.

If he is biting and tail whipping you, you must be doing something right. that is how a lot of monitors act.

I apologize for the short message, lunch break is almost over!

You need to stop handling your savannah immediately, what your doing is called force handling and it will only stress her out. Remember you need to establish your relationship at your savannahs pace not your own. Just do maintenance tasks and leave her alone, then eventually you can tong feed.

I strongly reccomend reading through savannahmonitor.com.

Again sorry for the lack of detail.

Why do so many people acquire monitor lizards with the intentions to so call tame them?
Why not just get the cage and the husbandry right first, get the monitor doing well, and then just observe them?
It works for me.
Can someone please explain? Bob

Unfortunately, because they can be dangerous and inflict serious bites, that is the reason why most people get them, hoping to tame them... It can be quite difficult with large lizards like this.

A lot of people, hoping no doubt, try to tame these guys down. You wouldn't believe how many monitors are sold over here where I live.

Hmmm...I don't think you should be picking up your monitor if they don't like it. Reptiles are suppose to be observed not picked up. I mean I've had all kinds of tame stuff over the years but some of them don't want to be messed with and I try to respect their space. I can observe them through the glass. If you want a monitor to like you, have his favorite foods handy. Feed from tongs. They can climb on you but don't pick them up. That would be a good place to start.

my Argus monitor hated me at first, but with a lot of patience and time he began trusting me. don't get me wrong though he is still definitely no lap pet and will still growl or whip if I disturb him to much. I never really try to hold mine unless I need to such as for a bath or cleaning his cage. in my opinion I believe most of them should just be appreciated rather than handled but some don't mind it but others do. I wish you and your monitor the best of luck .

was it ever anyones intention that their monitor like them,i would be happy if mine just tolerated me and didn't see me as a threat,as far as human monitor interactions isn't that a good place to be.

If I was your monitor and you were force handling me and keeping me in sub-par conditions, I'd try to bite your face off too!

You have purchased an apex predator, not a puppy.
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Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Thamnophis US
Savannah Monitors
Snakes and Lizards, It don't get any better....