savannah monitor

Discussion in 'Monitors & Tegus' started by savannahmonitor123, Feb 19, 2009.

  1. savannahmonitor123

    savannahmonitor123 Embryo

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    are there savannah monitor lizards that are just really agressive... in my case ive held mine a lot but it doesnt get tame.. so.. are there just savannah monitors that will always be mean,, or are they able 2 be tamed..
     
  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  3. teiryklav

    teiryklav Member

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    thats different with everyones personality, if it has great personality, it may be tamed. try putting your clothes into the enclosure for 3 days (after you use it for a day) then it will pick your scent as something non-threatening. then you can try picking it up :)
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  5. ikermalli

    ikermalli Well-Known Member

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    Reptiles are like people, some people can be real ****** and some are really nice. Some monitors will tolerate it, some will bite you and some will love it, just make sure there are fun things to do when you take it out, like set up a large play pen or something like that.
     
  6. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  7. crocdoc

    crocdoc New Member

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    For starters, your monitor isn't aggressive, it's defensive. There's a huge difference. It didn't jump on a plane from Ghana and fly across the world to attack you. It was plucked out of the wild, manhandled, transported across the world, manhandled some more, left exposed in a pet shop, bought, and now is being manhandled some more. It's scared and trying to defend itself, that's all. The more you force handle it, the more it'll fear you and start running for its hide as soon as you enter the room, because it knows what's going to happen next.

    Imagine if there was a squirrel in a nearby park whose trust you wanted to gain. Would you grab it the first time you saw it and hold it tight, hoping this would tame it, or would you gradually coax it to trust you using food as an incentive, and by letting it realise that it can get quite close to you without fear of being grabbed?

    Try that with your monitor. Leave it alone, let it get used to the presence of people in the rooom and learn that seeing people does not equal being grabbed. When it starts getting curious and learning that you are the source of its food, interact with it gradually. Let it crawl onto your hand rather than you grabbing it from above.

    It takes time and patience.
     
  8. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  9. savannahmonitor123

    savannahmonitor123 Embryo

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    IVE ALREADY HAD HIM FOR 4 MONTHS I DINT EVEN TRY HOLDING HIM FOR 1 MONTH.. HOPING HE WILL GET USED TO PEOPLE BUT HE HASNT EVEN BUDGED ..
     
  10. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  11. bruno

    bruno Moderator

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    When I had a savvi, it took 12 months before I could pick him up without getting bitten, even then he wasn't happy, so dont expect miracles.
     
  12. crocdoc

    crocdoc New Member

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    OMG, A WHOLE MONTH, YOU HAVE THE PATIENCE OF A SAINT!

    Ever thought that maybe a monitor isn't for you? I suggest a bearded dragon - they tend to tame down relatively quickly. Monitors require patience.
     
  13. jflizi1458

    jflizi1458 New Member

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    I've had mine 2 months and he is already starting to warm up to me which is kind of shocking! He came from a not so good home and we changed his housing and diet. We had to work on his health first and then his temperament. My biggest piece of advice is DON'T force him to come out of his hide spot or burrow...they need to feel safe and secure at least somewhere. What seemed to work for me was to sit at his cage and talk to him and give him treats from time to time. Then i would attempt to touch things near him and do stuff so he could see I wasn't trying to hurt him. I could only take him out wearing gloves at first... he would hiss and tail whip but never actually bite. I would take him to soak in the tub in warm water. He loves to soak and it really mellows him out. He would let me touch him and everything. Now what we are doing to try to keep building trust is sit in a chair or on the floor in a small room and let him investigate you. Just sit there and don't move a lot and don't try to pet him a lot...just talk to him and spend time with him so he knows you. Now we don't need gloves, but they're there just in case.
     

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  14. kimmie86

    kimmie86 Embryo

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    I had a very vicious bosc.. so bad the pet shop wouldnt handle her!

    So my tips are.... do not feed in viv
    by a rabbit run or make a cage like thing with out a lid to feed your bosc in
    they need to take away the association away from viv and food. as when you put you hand in they will think its food time
    And dont pressure them to come out..open the viv and put your hand in do not move it and wait til the bosc comes to investigate (may take awhile) but the more you can slowly move your hand into the viv so you can get close to the bosc the better, patience and respect is the best thing.
    My bosc is my baby girl my 3 year old can get her out of her viv she so friendly.

    She knows my smell now and if i put my hand in her viv smelling of meat she wont bite, she walks out of her viv for food and goes back in in her own time!

    Ive only had her since january but she has come on leaps and bounds that i take her out on a leash and the pet shop i brought her from wants to buy her back off me
     
  15. keldav99

    keldav99 Embryo

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    I'm late on this post but wanted to commit..
    I have worked with many,many s.monitors I got my 1st one when I was 8 years old
    I use to take in mean ones and work with them, I only had out of around 15 that would never ever turn for me.
    one of mine now took 6 months of working with and now he belongs to my 10 year old daughter and she takes him EVERYWHERE he's 3ft long and a HUGE baby now.. so there is always hope but like with any animal or reptile they are all diffrent... just don't give up on the little guy :))
     
  16. dekor

    dekor New Member

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    Every Sav is different I believe. When I went to buy one, I had a choice, captive bred or wild caught. Captive was more expensive but totally worth it.

    I have raised Loki from a very young age. He is now just under 3 feet and he will come out to me when tank is opened, wander around, walk over me and doesn't mind me carrying him. However he does still have hissy fits when spooked and I prefer that he still retains some of his defensive instincts as I wouldn't want to take the wild out of such a magnificent animal.

    I think it entirely depends what you want out of a pet when you buy a sav, if you want something that will happily run to you and sit in your arms perfectly still then a Sav is not the pet for you!
     
  17. tychodragon

    tychodragon Embryo

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    im in total agreeance that monitors have different personalities as individuals, my personal proof is that when i first got mine i dident take them out of the box i put the box in the cage and opened it withing seconds tycho, came exploring out, komodo took at least 2 hours to come out and at first sight of me he scurryed away. whereas tycho still a 5' baby lizard would already exept my pressance, he started out defensive but was quickly tamed where to this day although way way better komodo is still shy and timid, where as tycho has a better kinder personallity than a golden retreiver puppy in a barn yard play. i love komodo and will never get rid of her however if i was looking into a sav for the first time i'd want one with tychos personality.
     
  18. lividea

    lividea New Member

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    An untamed Savannah Monitor can be hard to deal with like any untamed monitor. Taming an animal takes time so you have to be patient. These are my suggestions for taming your monitor: Keep him in a cage that is around where you generally stay in your house (ex. around comp., tv, etc.). This is so he can get used to you being around. Leave him in there for a week or two (can require more time depending on severity) you can get close but do not touch him. He currently sees you as a threat and needs to know that there is no reason to be afraid. After the time period elapses, make sure you let him smell you (don't get too close if he's a biter) curiosity is a good sign. DO NOT pick him up. When a lizard is picked up it can feel like it is being captured and will try to run thus scratching you and further terrifying it. Get the lizard curious and then, only if it wants to, let him move around your hand with out you moving or presenting the threat of capture. Suggest you put your hand flat, fingers together to decrease the chances of getting bit. If you see and signs of aggression back off and try again later. This is the process that was used for taming our Asian Water Monitor. He got to the point where he was crawling onto my arm and would chill on my lap. He's pretty relaxed now. You just have to take it slow. Hopefully this will help you a little.
     
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  19. fredthebosc88

    fredthebosc88 Embryo

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    I suggest sitting near him for a couple hours a day and talking to him getting him used to your voice, dont stand directly over them its threating to them, stand beside him (even when in cage), then stick your hand into the tank a few days later and put it into a fist, just be slow and let him smell you, do that for a few days. Do not bother them when they are basking or sleeping. Pick him up slowly and gently. If he hisses just back off and be patient. Keep being slow and gentle and make sure he has proper bedding, lighting, cage size ( need to bulid huge cage for adult growth), and food, I`m sure your savannah monitor will come along! good luck.
     
  20. danasirius

    danasirius Embryo

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    thank you for your great advices! i've been struggling with my savannah monitor for a couple of month now. he got very defensive at a point and didn't really know what to do, so i let him be and look around the internet. i posted on forums and all i got was rude comment on the enclosure and diet and that i shouldn't own a monitor if i want to touch him (he is a healthy bastard, acting like a normal a monitor, eating well, growing insane - 25,5 inches/ 65 cm now!, not fat..). and if I got some advice it was let it be and wait for a miracle.
    i am really grateful to you guys! thanks again! :)
     

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