Hey guys, just joined this site! I was hoping I can get some input on my Bosc monitor, he is about 14 inches and I just got him, he's eating well, digging burrows, super active and healthy (vet checked) nice large tank with temps during the day around 125-130 and dropping to normal night time temp. But my issue with him is, sometimes after he is done eating and exploring he just lays out to bask and he lets me hold him for a bit, pet him and ect. But other times more often then not he gets scared and whips and hisses at me and runs away. I get that this is normal healthy behavior for a new rep. He came from these people that took great care of him but just never really gave him the time of day, he was basically just a conversation piece and they never held him even as a hatchling, he has never bit anyone but with his mood swings I wouldn't put it past him to nip (not afraid of bites just not looking forward to it) when he gets scared I back off and just sit casually by his tank not showing any interest, then go about my day and try again a few hours later to hold him, and I always hold him a few inches above his fav burrow so he can slip off when he wants to, my goal is to be able to take him out and let him hang out without fear of him going nuts and running around all crazy and whipping, I want to correct his behavior before he gets to adult size (4.5 ft) he is captive bred. Any advice on how to tame a large herp? Also he still needs a name if anyone has ideas. Thank you!!!
Bosc monitor HELP
- Thread starter Nyte17
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2004
- Messages
- 1,233
Lots of folks get into monitor lizards and want to be able to treat them like part time herp, part time dog. I feel you may fall into this category. There isn't anything inherently wrong with that so please don't misunderstand this to be an insult. What you need to understand is that reptiles operate on a much more primitive operating system than you or I do. Something coming down from above is a predator, its never anything else.
Savannah monitor's are one of the easier species to "tame" as some say, but the bottom line is it is a reptile and will do reptile things. It is better to think of them as display animals and try to get used to using handling not as a way to bring you emotional satisfaction through physical contact, but instead as a way to make processes such as medical checks and basic husbandry less stressful for the animal.
If you are looking for a good guide to keeping this species I have always found this link http://www.anapsid.org/savannah.html to me spot on. I should add however that the link suggests feeding a diet of mainly rodents to adults. If you want a fat unhealthy lizard that dies early then by all means. The staple diet of this species is invertebrates so a roach colony will serve you quite well.
Savannah monitor's are one of the easier species to "tame" as some say, but the bottom line is it is a reptile and will do reptile things. It is better to think of them as display animals and try to get used to using handling not as a way to bring you emotional satisfaction through physical contact, but instead as a way to make processes such as medical checks and basic husbandry less stressful for the animal.
If you are looking for a good guide to keeping this species I have always found this link http://www.anapsid.org/savannah.html to me spot on. I should add however that the link suggests feeding a diet of mainly rodents to adults. If you want a fat unhealthy lizard that dies early then by all means. The staple diet of this species is invertebrates so a roach colony will serve you quite well.
Smokehound714
Arachnoking
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2013
- Messages
- 3,091
There's no quick fix. Just continue to work with him and he'll eventually trust you.
A common trust-building exercise for large lizards like monitors, is to lure them towards you with tongs, and get them to rear up and use your arm as support to grab the meat dangled above them. Eventually they understand that you're not there to piss them off.
You can also try playing with him (No joke, some people have monitors that enjoy tug-o-war with socks). Try talking to him too!
Try stimulating his brain, every once in a while, place a strange object for him to examine, some people use containers with a treat inside, and this seems to make them far happier, because the literally DO get bored.
Contrary to popular belief, adults tend to be easier to work with than juvies, because they're larger and feel more like a beast than a morsel.
A common trust-building exercise for large lizards like monitors, is to lure them towards you with tongs, and get them to rear up and use your arm as support to grab the meat dangled above them. Eventually they understand that you're not there to piss them off.
You can also try playing with him (No joke, some people have monitors that enjoy tug-o-war with socks). Try talking to him too!
Try stimulating his brain, every once in a while, place a strange object for him to examine, some people use containers with a treat inside, and this seems to make them far happier, because the literally DO get bored.
Contrary to popular belief, adults tend to be easier to work with than juvies, because they're larger and feel more like a beast than a morsel.
Hey thank you for having some faith in me and my monitor! I do talk to him, and just this past day he came out of a burrow to my voice, walked up to me and into my hand. I was surprised! I held him like I normally do, and a few min later he slipped off and went to his basking rock instead of a burrow! So I guess I'm doing this right after all 
I will try your advice with the feeding tongs, never thought of that, he has not whipped or hissed all day even thro a tank cleaning! But when my hubby walks in the room or one of the kids he runs for the burrow, do you know if he will only be tolerant of me?
---------- Post added 05-02-2014 at 01:28 PM ----------
I understand what you are saying, but like the other person said they get bored, he's not a display animal anymore that's how his other owners treated him and I see potential in him. But thank you for the link and giving input, I take bits and pieces away.
I will try your advice with the feeding tongs, never thought of that, he has not whipped or hissed all day even thro a tank cleaning! But when my hubby walks in the room or one of the kids he runs for the burrow, do you know if he will only be tolerant of me?---------- Post added 05-02-2014 at 01:28 PM ----------
I understand what you are saying, but like the other person said they get bored, he's not a display animal anymore that's how his other owners treated him and I see potential in him. But thank you for the link and giving input, I take bits and pieces away.
lizardminion
Arachnolord
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2011
- Messages
- 626
A little off topic, but I even have a ball python that willingly examines 'unusual' objects like a new thermometer or my phone recharger. Like literally, she'll scan it from top to bottom as if she was a metal detector.