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 #943280


Mr.Reptiles
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 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

Man, dont want to sound like a beginner, but I’m havin a hard time with my little nile
shes about 1.5ft I got her about 5-6 weeks ago, for the first like 4 weeks I
was handling her, taking her out to explore around and stuff no problem, now i cant even get
near her, she only comes up to me too feed and than once shes done goes swimming or hides or
basks and when i try and come near, usually whips me but once i get ahold of her, bites me, i was just
wondering why it would change so fast, from nice monitor to mean monitor all the sudden. temps/ambience/diet/lighting all the same, nothings changed...



08/16/06  11:46pm

 #943308


Crocdoc
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   Message To: Mr.Reptiles   In reference to Message Id: 943280


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

Hate to say it, but it sounds like you are a beginner.

1. Nile monitors are a very poor choice if you want a ’pet’ you can handle.
2. Your monitor is terrified of you. It acted calm to start with because it was so sh_t scared it didn’t know what else to do. Now that it knows what’s going on (ie, when it sees you, it will get grabbed) it is reacting accordingly.

Leave it alone, let it get used to you without you grabbing it.



08/17/06  12:04am

 #943318


Snakebite4
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   Message To: Crocdoc   In reference to Message Id: 943308


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

show no weekness let him bite whip and complain all he wants to still pick him up he may figure out that bitting and whipping dont work and may have to calm down i was told this to help tame my timor and sure enough hes tame i dont know if it works on larger monitores but crocdoc sounds right its problably terrified of u they arnt the best monitor and yes u are a bigginer at monitors but i wouldnt follow my therory if u dont like getting bit its just a suggestion.
08/17/06  12:10am

 #943350


JPsShadow
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   Message To: Snakebite4   In reference to Message Id: 943318


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

I wouldn’t call that taming. Sounds more like submissive behaviors. To give up rather then to be a part of. What croc doc is talking about is just that to become a part of. Be part of your monitors life and daily routines. Doing so usually leads to them accepting you. However it does not mean they will always tolerate you, if you cross the boundry be prepared to get a wake up call.

I have had many nile monitors and they are a very defensive monitor. They also will take that defense and turn it into an offensive attack. Many monitors will prefer to stay in the defense mode rather then turn around and charge to bite you. Niles will not think twice about it. Good luick to you and i really hope you did not buy it solely with the intent of it being a lap lizard.
08/17/06  12:26am

 #943503


Razaiel
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   Message To: JPsShadow   In reference to Message Id: 943350


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

No, I agree - not a good idea to "tame" (if you can call it that) like that at all. It’s exactly what I was told when I first got my Sav - poor thing had to endure me picking it up for a couple of months and I was getting absolutely nowhere. Fortunately I learned better and followed the "hands-off, get it used to you" approach and I have a much nicer calmer animal who doesn’t scoot when he sees me - he’ll let me scratch his head and occasionally he’ll sit on me for a few secs. It’s all about mutual respect with these creatures - not domination and submission.
08/17/06  03:19am

 #945239


Mr.Reptiles
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   Message To: Razaiel   In reference to Message Id: 943503


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

Thanks for the help, this isn’t my first large lizard though, I have a 4.5ft iguana ( i know theres a huge differnce) aswell as a Adult savannah, and i know all about
Niles and there behaviour and how they can be, it just kinda confused me how she would
go from nice and docile to what she is now, i give her space and I am a part of her daily routine,
Im in her enclosure everyday, hand feeding her so she gets use to my hand again, realizes its the
friend that delivers food and she loves her food lol, aswell as cleaning, replacing water, etc.
For the first 4-5 weeks as soon as she heard me open the cage she would come cruisin over to come out
so i know she wasn’t scared shitless of me.
08/18/06  03:01am

 #948927


Mr.Reptiles
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   Message To: Mr.Reptiles   In reference to Message Id: 945239


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

bump
08/20/06  06:51pm

 #959044


Sam112
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   Message To: Mr.Reptiles   In reference to Message Id: 948927


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

I find that if u take them out and put them in a tub of warm water and handle them a little they become easier to deal with.
08/27/06  09:40am

 #959092


EPARR
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   Message To: Sam112   In reference to Message Id: 959044


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

The passive just let it get used to you won’t work with a Nile. leave it alone for a couple months just come close and watch it. let it get used to you. then go ahead reach in and scratch it’s head. You can expect to have a Nile hanging on your finger till it feels safe enough to let go. Don’t move it’ll only bite harder. Niles are very aggressive and are nothing like a Savannah. Shouldn’t even be compared. I have had and know people that have had them. I’ve never seen one that wouldn’t lash out when you came near the cage. Unless it didn’t see you.

The reason Niles are calm when you get them is stress from a pet shop. the tend to act docile. once you get them home and they adjust to there enviorment they will become aggressive.

Your best bet is to get a long sleeve shirt and a glove. Pick him up!! This is not torture. let him bite down on a piece of cloth. This will keep him from trying to bite you he will hang on to the cloth for the duration. If you handle him daily like this eventually he will understand you are not a threat. Never think this animal can be trusted at 6 ft+ you will have serious damage if bitten. I consider a Nile to be a very dangerous reptile they are fast get twice the size of a savanna and will not think twice to attack you. Oh I almost forgot not only does the bite hurt like hell the nails are worse you can expect to have some nice deep scratches. Again don’t confuse the Nile with a savanna.

To sum it up handle him safely get him as calm as possible. Ones he gets some size to him and is not tame. After a few stitches you ill be looking for a home for him. Give me a call I run a rescue these guys come in all the time. Extremely pissed of and very aggressive.

You need to find a pic of a full grown one beside a person to get the full effect of the true size of this reptile. Really consider if you should keep this reptile. You don’t sound ready to me if it’s only a 1 1/2 ft you haven’t a clue of what your getting into.

Just do your research. try and tame it. I doubt you’ll have much luck but you might. Never trust it, Niles are one of the worst monitors you could pic for a first but they are cheap and look cool.

Good luck



08/27/06  10:46am

 #959175


Pugmar
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   Message To: Mr.Reptiles   In reference to Message Id: 943280


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

Why is it that people get a monitor then expect to handle it? I have had my monitor for at least a month now, you know how many times I have held him? Twice and that was just to move him while I was fixing his cage. I think it is okay to try and "tame" a sav or ackie but you guys get one of the most defensive, large and dangerous lizards there are and then you want to hold it. I always heard that force handleing will just stress the monitor more and every time you come by, it will run from you cause he doesn’t want to be handled.
08/27/06  11:58am

 #959185


GodzillaKeeper502
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   Message To: Pugmar   In reference to Message Id: 959175


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

i wouldnt say niles are the most defensive and dangerous they are just very territorial. mine used to be very very defensive and now he really doesnt mind me being in his cage every once and a while, but like everyone else said, i have a nile and i will say the same thing, NILES ARE NOT A ,"OOH, im gonna hold it and become best friends with it" type of animal by far

Patrick
08/27/06  12:02pm

 #959202


RuBbErDuCk
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   Message To: GodzillaKeeper502   In reference to Message Id: 959185


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

ive had 2.5ft nile and my 2ft sav now... the nile was the meanest thing on the face of this earth, i had it since it was about 16in and it never tamed up, it would whip, bite.. and to top it off they are very strong lizards i could bearly handle it with both hands. now my sav is a little angel.. i can hold it, pet it, let it loose around the house and he’s fine.. practically a little dog.. lol so with my experience with niles.. good luck haha he’s not gonna budge



08/27/06  12:14pm

 #959379


Razeraze
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   Message To: Pugmar   In reference to Message Id: 959175


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

pugmar force handiling is bad. constant interaction and passive touching is not. i do not thing people with aggressive monitors want them to be dogs, they simply do not want their hands bitten off when they have to clean the cage or take it to the vet. that is the reason we work with our crazy water monitor. this way we both learn not to hate and fear each other and we both keep all of our digits.

by simply interacting and not touching the monitor you can expect vet visits/ moving the animal out of her pond so you can clean it/ and any emergancy situations(fire/flood/tornado/ etc...) to be one where you can lose your fingers.
08/27/06  02:25pm

 #959426


Pugmar
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   Message To: Razeraze   In reference to Message Id: 959379


 Nile Monitor Handling tips?

I just don’t get it. I can pick up my monitor with him being a little squirmy and a little hissing but I don’t because I know it stresses him and I don’t want him to be stressed at all. I have just been feeding and observing him, he doesn’t mind me watching him. I am waiting till he is bigger and less shy of my hand before I am even going to try to put my hand in the tank. Most of the newbies here want lap lizards, they don’t respect the fact that they are a very large carnivore, not a dog.
08/27/06  02:57pm


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