Nile Monitors your opinion

[NewLineReptile]

Hey i see alot of people talk about what Monitor's are good and one's that are not so good for a pet and most say that Nile Monitors are not good because they are a retic with out leg's
they just dont tame down my opinion is that a Monitor is a Monitor if one can be tame then any Monitor can i my self have had many Monitor's in the past and have had no problem's to tame down any of them right now i own a 4 1/2 foot Nile and it is nothing but a big suck lol
and a Asian Water Monitor that is also a suck so what do you think of Nile's Nile 1

[Jeff_Favelle]

Just curious; what's a "tame" monitor?

Kendrick, please pipe in.

[beth wallbank]

a monitor is a reptile that seems to be a novelty throw away pet unfortunately. I have a savahna that is just shy of 2'. so lots of growth left, and if given half the chance would take a finger as a warning shot. My opinion is that monitors should not be offered for sale to the general public, unless the seller is willing to have the buyer do research and agree to a buy back policy for when its no longer wanted. It really is too bad that there are thousands of WC available, and perish shortly after captivity due to parasites and stress combos. Sad actually.

[NewLineReptile]

i agree beth about haveing the buyer do some research on Monitor's that would make it so much better for the buyer and the monitor and your right about all the WC monitors perishing due to the parasites and stress

[ReptiZone]

I am with you Jeff_Favellet what is a tame monitor there is no such thing a monitor is a reptile and a reptile can not be tamed it is not a dog if you keep a reptile well fed it will pass it's self as being tame but I dont buy the pupy dog bit from any of them. It is just safer that way I was watching real TV tonight and I saw a guy that had a 8 foot boa and it was 14 years old never bit any one B4 it was ''tame'' and at the snakes 15 years the owner threw a party for the snake and a bunch of ppl at a bar got a chance to see what kind of damage a boa can do to a face.

[eyespy]

My first experience with a Nile monitor was when an owner's wife brought the animal in for impaction surgery. The owner couldn't bring him in himself, he was in the hospital because the monitor was impacted on the bones from his most recent meal: an f/t goat kid and 3 of the owner's fingers.

[Paul McCleary]

Brandon:

Did you receive my e-mail regarding your proposed trade of same? ...

Thanks,

[Mardy]

Niles from what I have seen over the years are very night and day. Knowing the animal is 99% of
the challenge of handleing and working around them. Each is different and ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONCEQUENCES YOUR ACTIONS AND NOT THE ANIMALS IS USUALLY THE KEY TO EVERYBODY'S SAFETY.
Time of day can be a big factor, as well as how hot your monitor is. After a few hours of basking at 125' my nile is pretty jumpy and does not permit being p/u, vs in the morning when she is cool not a problem. After six odd years with her
a lot of scratches and lucky no bites. We seem to have a good relationship, she knows me by site/smell and will let only me scratch her behind the head or check out of underbelly.
I guess what I'm trying to say is these are big animals that can be very dangerous if not given the respect and caring they require. And even then are still wild animals that could turn on you.

PS-burmies is your nile male or female?
I looking for a big male.

MArdy
IMG]http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/504/1371reptile_room-2.jpg[/IMG]

[reverendsterlin]

Tame is such a relative term, my 'tame' Bco that never bit and seldom hissed caused a need for wrist surgery due to multiple punctures and tears in the ligament and cartillage after six years of being a sweetheart.

[tabastifur]

I think "tame" is a term thrown around WAY too losely. Given the right circumstances, ANYTHING, and I mean ANYTHING will bite. Even a dog or other commonly kept "pets," have the capability and sometimes the will to injure. People that haven't been bit just know the animals they are working with, and know what to look for before they get bit. For example, if you have a 4' Sav and he's hisssing and whipping his tail, you aren't going to pick him or even stick your hand in there. That's knowing your animals, and if you know it well enough, you can avoid being bit.

If I may quote the famous sqaudron of freedom fighters, the G.I. Joe's on this one...

"Knowing is half the battle."

(Just my 2 cents)

[Scales Zoo]

SCALES ZOO keeps a Nile monitor that is regarded as Satan in lizard skin. He is quick, mean and dead accurate with both ends (teeth and tail) Sometimes I think the only reason he is still with us, is neither of us wants to have to touch him!
We have catch boxes we use on all of our difficult/dangerous animals, as they can be safely sedated while within the confines of the box if in need of medical attention. It goes without saying that it would be impossible for me to restrain an injured or ill monitor or giant python safely while the vet worked on it.
TAME monitors and iguanas are rare, they are usually the ones who have yet to misbehave, and the ones least expected to. Often the keeper forgets the potential when an animal has behaved well in the past, and considers them trustworthy, and accidents happen.

[V.hb]

Good topic!

Nile monitors I personally feel are one of the most fascinating lizards. For intellegence for commonly found monitors in the pet trade they are on the top. From every one i have worked with I have found that they are intellegent veracious eaters from day one. If you don't have a secure enclosure (as with most monitors) and you are very use to dealing with savannahs etc your nile will find a place too escape.

as far as ferocity and aggression these guys are pretty wacko sometimes. I have seen a few that are bad until picked up. Most of the niles i have kept would remind me of a very nasty albig. They will tolerate your presence, but wont let you handle them without a struggle. I always respect the space of my monitors, handling them too me is not really a very common issue unless its during cage cleaning etc.

I don't know if I would ever call a nile a big suck. They are pretty decieving when they want too be.
:)

[tabastifur]

My suggestion is that if you know your Reptile, it is going to be a lot easier to handle it. Especially if you know it's tendencies.

I don't know about you guys, but if I wanted something to play with, handle, pet, whatever you want to call it, i'd get a hampster, not a reptile.

Again, just my 2 cents, feel free to chime in.

[NewLineReptile]

i guess i should rephrase my post to i have a 4 1/2ft Nile that has not bitten me YET lol i just wanted to know what people thought about Nile's in genral but i do agree with all of the people above thanks for the reply's

[Snake Lady]

I love Niles I have only worked with one and his tail has broken in half I dont know much about monitors but I do know that I needed to yake extra care B4 cleaning the nile cage.

[ReptiZone]

That was suposed to be me. My G/F did not sign out

[Jeff_Favelle]

Being real "calm" is not a trick. Its over stress. Lots of lizards and birds (some mammals) do it. They close their eyes and pretend to be invisible or super still. They are being stressed to the nth degree and that's why they do it.

Usually. Monitors have a HUGE range of actions and reactions, and I'd be silly to say that this is the case all the time.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Yep, for sure Vic. And when do you need defences? When you're stressed.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Some animals curl up in a ball, nature is amazing.

I won't argue with you there man. I just wish the rest of the world felt that way, like we do.

[Mardy]

Just a theory,
The nile playing dead makes perfect sense, there number one predator is the nile croc. Who would catch and shake there prey until it stopped moving. One last chance to get away.

But not the action of a "tame" nile

Mardy

[Jeff_Favelle]

But not the action of a "tame" nile

Ha ha, you think Monitors learn that stuff in the wild? No way man. Its ingrained. Its coded in the DNA. Those behaviours are innate and just because an animal is in captivity or is captive-bred or whatever, does not mean those mechanisms are lost!!

Biology 11 my man.

Great analogy about the nile crocs. That's their main enemy for sure.

[Scales Zoo]

I have pondered the playing dead as a defense mechanism in hognose and bullsnakes, and have witnessed the eye closing - holding still behavior in some lizards and monitors. What I wonder is if the predator cares if it is dead or not - seems a nile croc would not care, so playing dead would not be the best choice of defense. Fight or flight would be a better option.

Sheila

[Hamster of Borg]

There is no doubt at all that Nile monitors are incredible and fascinating creatures... but they are the type of pet that just about anyone can afford (30 dollars USD for a baby one) and that maybe 1% of all herp keepers could manage to keep properly at its adult size. Fits right in there with burmese, rock, reticulated, and other large pythons. Though, you don't see as many of them in rescues simply because they die if cared for improperly - not to mention most imports are in sad shape to begin with. I imagine the general life span for them is not any better than it is for baby iguanas.

As for tame, I consider any monitor that doesn't immediately draw blood to be tame. :)

Ham

[tabastifur]

I can't begin to understand why someone would remove the reptile from it's enclosure other than to examine it for parasites, or clean it's cage.

If you want something to play with, get a dog. If you want something to admire, then by all means, get a reptile.

[tabastifur]

Also...

A tamed down monitor(and I do use that term rather loosely) wouldn't be fun to have anyways. The whole point of a monitor, or any reptile for me is to have a little touch of nature. Or even a facinating display. And if you have one that you can take out and pet or play around with, it's really not a monitor at all. They are aggresive by nature and if you can't handle it, buy a leopard gecko.

[ReptiZone]

well some ppl get reptiles so they can learn how to safely handel them and they want to have a pet that not just anyone can have and care for. I love handeling my boas and stuff but as I got better i started to leave them alone it is just a part of growing and bettering your self in the hoby.

[cyberfrog]

They're great until one day they eat your face off! j/k lol Exceptions to every rule. Every time.