new monitor

[fatbloke]

thought i would share a few pics of my new nile monitor even though he is only about 8" long he's already started showing signs of being a typical nile

 

[Melmoth]

Congratulations,mate :clap: He's absolutely stunning!! What a gorgeous lizard

George

 

[fatbloke]

cheers george,

the only problem with him is that every time i pick it up he bites so at times im not sure who's holding who

john

 

[Melmoth]

Will you be able to "break" him of this bitng by lots of interaction or is it standard Nile behaviour?You won't want him biting you when he's adult

 

[WhyTeDraGon]

typical nile behavior. Though ive never owned one, im sure that is why most people avoid buying them Not to mention the size when grown

 

[fatbloke]

George,
hopfully if he's handled enough he might stop biting even when he bites he knows i wont let him go so he will bite a few times then gives up i really dont want a bitey nile at 6ft

WhyTeDraGon,
i know its typical nile behavior but you do get the odd mellow one the only thing that i want from him is to stop biting when he's bigger but if he dont mellow out then it will be a trip to the drug store to invest in a first aid kit

john

 

[WhyTeDraGon]

George,
hopfully if he's handled enough he might stop biting even when he bites he knows i wont let him go so he will bite a few times then gives up i really dont want a bitey nile at 6ft

WhyTeDraGon,
i know its typical nile behavior but you do get the odd mellow one the only thing that i want from him is to stop biting when he's bigger but if he dont mellow out then it will be a trip to the drug store to invest in a first aid kit

john

you're absolutely right I know of savannah monitors that are really really aggressive, and some that are so mellow they can be taken for walks like a dog

 

[Bigboy]

As long as you keep handling him regularly like you are he'll mellow out. I know a fellow with one as tame as a dog. That's 8inches snout to vent right? Oh and feed him only crickets and fresh fish as long as possible and prekilled rodents when you start using them, believe it or not that helps worlds with their temperments.

 

[defour]

George,
hopfully if he's handled enough he might stop biting even when he bites he knows

From what I've read, niles respond less well to this taming method than many other monitors. They seem to resent any forced contact; a better way to go about it would be to just let them get used to human activity on their own terms. When small, this just means positioning the cage so that they get accustomed to seeing you going about your business as usual. When they're larger (or after they quit getting spooked at your presence), letting them roam around the house on their own and ignoring them (no eye contact) will gradually result in their initiating whatever interaction they're comfortable with. Implementing a handling schedule might just make them hate you. They aren't bearded dragons, after all, and are a lot more "intellectual" than most lizards. Giving them some control over the process will probably give better results. Of course, there's no guarantee they'll ever be tractable, but then I'm assuming you're willing to live with a 25 lb lizard who wants you dead or you wouldn't have bought it in the first place.

Steve

 

[fatbloke]

Bigboy

the size of him is 8" snout tail length he's only tiny when i got him i dont think he had been out of the egg that long

defour

when i first got him he would run and hide with any movement outside of the tank now he wont hide all he does is puff up and the tail goes back ready to whip and now when i put food in to his food bowl he doesnt worry about my hand being there and he will come to see what ive put there hopefully he will tame down that would be very nice but like you said having a 25lb lizard wanting me dead doesnt worry me in the slightist if it did worry me i wouldnt have got him he would of stayed at the place i got him from


john

 

[defour]

having a 25lb lizard wanting me dead doesnt worry me in the slightist if it did worry me i wouldnt have got him he would of stayed at the place i got him from

It's too bad there aren't more people with this approach. Niles are great monitors, and among the most beautiful, but are too often bought by misinformed people (who themselves are often misinformed by the person who sells it to them), and are destined to end up dead or at a rescue organization that already has too many. I'd like to see a situation where niles are available to people who really want them, but aren't found in retail petshops. There's a ridiculous number of people who buy animals on impulse.

Good luck with the new one, and post some pics as it grows up.

Steve

 

[fatbloke]

defour

i thought long and hard wether i really wanted a nile monitor with the overall size and the temperment when i was finally sure i wanted one it took me a while to actually find one in the shops as there are only 2 specailist shops near me, in the end i didnt get it from a shop as im on the committee of the local reptile society we deal alot with custom and excise and they just had a shipment in needing homes for some niles so i got one from them. as for people being miss informed about reptiles in general the 2 shops near me will actually make sure people understand what they are getting into when they buy an animal as for alot of the larger reptiles ending up needing to be rehomed the types of lizards tend to be iguana's and bosc monitors then burmese pythons and boa's


john

ps: i will be posting more pics as he grows

 

[defour]

as for alot of the larger reptiles ending up needing to be rehomed the types of lizards tend to be iguana's and bosc monitors then burmese pythons and boa's

My local reptile society had one year in which they rescued nearly 300 unwanted green iguanas. Fortunately, that was the peak of the problem; I think they took in a few dozen last year. Of course, there was a time when hardly any iguanas needed foster homes, either because the survival rate was much lower or fewer were imported, most likely both. Iguanas are way too inexpensive. We see the same animals as you do: big boids, Bosc's and a few niles, along with others that are much easier to find homes for.

Steve

 

[demolitionlover]

Wear a heavy rubber glove and hold it and let it bite you. Also don't react to the bite at all. If you do this for an hour or two everyday for a few months.. you might be able to break the habit if you start when he is young. This is how I tamed mine....and she became as tame as a dog. She is now 4 feet and is still tame. Good luck. It is a lot of work... but well worth it.