Charlie the vicious - Savannah Monitor

[Paradise]

Hey there everybody. I need some help please if you can? I recently acquired a yearling Savannah monitor. Her name is Charlie she is very beautiful and quite strong just a little fat. My problem though is she is very unfriendly and no one can get near her without getting a belting from her tail or being bitten. I need to know how I can tame her or my wife is going to ask that I get rid of her because she is worried about the kids getting bitten.
Can anyone help please please please?

[infernalis]

I hate to say it, but monitors are, well monitors.

The only real way to "tame" one is to start with a hatchling baby.

The easiest way to get the new girl used to you is to stop handling right away, then gradually interact, start out with tong feedings, a small pat on the head when you change out the water bowl, a gentle stroke will do.

in time the lizard will get to know you and relax a little.

However don't expect the world, if this animal is anti-social, then it may never get used to people.

A large outdoor pen would be awesome. Just remember they burrow, so any fence you put up has to also extend down into the ground another 3-4 feet, or the monitor will burrow out from underneath.

[Paradise]

Ok great thanks Wayne. That sounds a lot better than the last advice I got on a SA forum. They said I should handle it as often as possible and keep a dish of water close by and when she gets aggressive. I should dip her in the bowl for a few seconds and she will calm down but that sounds a little cruel to me.

:yes: I think I will try what you said rather it just makes more sense.

[infernalis]

I fail to see how annoying the animal should calm it down.

Right now, changes in the world are frightening the poor thing. Lashing out is the only thing they know how to do when panicking.

[Paradise]

oh yeah also its really chilly here at the moment so I have her in the house in a heated enclosure. She is currently only 27cm long, but fat hahaha she looks like a baseball with claws and a tail. lol

[Paradise]

I fail to see how annoying the animal should calm it down.

Right now, changes in the world are frightening the poor thing. Lashing out is the only thing they know how to do when panicking.

Well I agree with you on this point Wayne. I actually got upset when I heard people actually do that to their poor animals

[Lankyrob]

I know it is a much smaller animal but when we got our Spiny tailed monitor we had issues with it biting and were advised that they react to positive reinforcement rather than punsishment. If it comes out of the cage and is nice it gets a nice treat (like a pinky) if it bites it gets put back in the cage immediately and no treat. Couple of months down the line and he isn't biting at all.

[DeesBalls]

I know it is a much smaller animal but when we got our Spiny tailed monitor we had issues with it biting and were advised that they react to positive reinforcement rather than punsishment. If it comes out of the cage and is nice it gets a nice treat (like a pinky) if it bites it gets put back in the cage immediately and no treat. Couple of months down the line and he isn't biting at all.


Wonder I'd this would quej with my snow corn? Lol.... but I agree this method will work, it's what my dad did with pyre iguana few years back!!!!
Good luck....

[Jenn_06]

my sav is about 3ft and still alittle mean but im working on him, i can mess around in his cage now and he will not care.

if you just got it i would leave it alone for 2 weeks then after that just put your hand in the cage for a few mines at a time dont move it just like it sit there, soon the sav will walk to your hand to see what it is and after a while it might walk on it, It will get use you to you it just takes time.good luck

[Paradise]

Thank you all you very awesome people for all your really cool advice. it all sounds good but I think I am going to take the best out of all the advice and try find something that works for us. So from what I gather from all the advice given on this Charlie will only see me when i need to feed her for the next couple of weeks. Let her settle and get accustomed to her new area.
Thanks again everyone. I am just really glad torture is not the only way to tame animals if that ever even really works

[infernalis]

I can say first hand, a fully grown Savannah can inflict some real pain when they get upset.

Even Chomper who is usually a really mellow fellow can have his hissy fit moments.

Last summer he went into a tantrum and defecated down the front of me, clawed me up, took off running, and when I tried to pick him back up, he haunched over, opened his mouth full gape, cocked his tail back and hissed at me.

Next day he was calm as ever.

So I guess the moral of the story is keep on your toes at all times, Monitors are unpredictable animals.

Those eagle talon toe nails will hurt more than anything else this lizard could ever do to you.

And a healthy Sav will look plump, it is the way they are built, footballs with legs.

[Geckogal]

Takes months to tame a monitor cant do it over night tried and failed, best is to leave it alone couple of weeks so it gets use to its cage then slowly introduce youself (fist not fingers) on a day by day basis let it smell u and look at you before you start touching, also busy taming my sav, Max i target trained him its so cool! You can teach them to respond to certain colours and objects.
Did you know monitors are the smartest of all reptiles? Scientist say they can learn up to 6words!
Anyway look on youtube there plenty people with different methods how to train and taim them just find something that works for you.

[Freebody]

after owning a nile monitor i can bet i know what 6 words mine learned, OUCH wtf not again! LOL jk

[Paradise]

I can believe that although Charlie doesn't seem to be a biter that tail is dangerous. I have a basking rock in for her which is actually paper that has been wet and molded into a rock shape and left to dry. Charlie got upset with the rock for some reason and broke it. her tail is only about 7cm long but she broke her basking rock.
I am thinking maybe I should get Armour gloves like they used back in the day for sword fights and joisting hahaha

[infernalis]

The two parts of Chomper I watch out for the most, Claws and tail.

Those claws can dig deep, and the animal does not even need to be angry at you... Chomper ran up the front of me once like I was a tree, it hurt.

Those thick muscular tails can lay a welt and leave a bruise too.

[Freebody]

yup the tail is the worst, mine was about 3 1/2-4 feet when i gave him away, one day i was hand feeding him and he was fine eating like a champ and as soon as he seen the plate of meat was empty he tail whiped my arm so bad, it litterly split from my elbow to my wrist, it wasnt a bad split, looked like a cut scratch ontop of a welp.but he was fast enouph to nail me 2 time back to back before i got my arm away lol should have named him flash lol I used to get him out, and when he was all calm and sleeping beside me on the couch, i would take nail clippers and cut the very tips of his nails off so they were at least a little rounded, i read their nails are identical to cats nails. all this talk of monitors makes me want to get a sav, they are still legal here, I needed to get rid of oscar when the law changed here, its easy to hide away a snake but sooner or later i would need to build a cage outside for the nile so i gave him to my neigboors friend,some farmer thats got a huge setup in an old barn on his property out of town, he said he already has one and wanted another , seemed to know lots about them so i gave it to him for free.as bad as he was, i do still miss his good days alot.