monitors are smart

[Squirtle]

this guy calls monitors by their name and they respond

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can this be true? or is it bs?

[Caylan]

I was able to train one of my hamsters to come to me by name, I don't see why a monitor couldn't.

[Mikey T]

My Blackthroat is starting to get the idea of responding to his name.
your link is not working for me but i assume it is BigBoy?
if it is, that guy also has an Iguana named buddy that comes RUNNING when called

[millertime89]

I was able to train one of my hamsters to come to me by name, I don't see why a monitor couldn't.

cats and dogs and plenty of other animals too. I have a theory as to why monitors are able to do this and not most other reptiles. However some turtles (as exhibited by Tank) are able to do it as well, and this puts a bit of a kink in my theory. But turtles are... well they're special.

[Squirtle]

My Blackthroat is starting to get the idea of responding to his name.
your link is not working for me but i assume it is BigBoy?
if it is, that guy also has an Iguana named buddy that comes RUNNING when called

yea its bigboy. wish i can do that with my snakes ;l

[Freebody]

my sav knows his name, and comes to it, he will be basking on his rock, and i can talk all i want and he wont move, but if i call him, he comes, i have posted a video if it on youtube, and posted th link on this formum for those that have seen it.

[infernalis]

Chomper knew his name, but one must also consider that maybe they just associate the keeper's voice with the possibility of getting fed.

Or in Chomper's case going outside.

I will not deny their intelligence for an instant, this is what attracts me to them, Monitor lizards in general are the smartest reptile alive.

Snakes are pretty, snakes have instinctive behaviour patterns, but they are as dumb as a box of rocks compared to varanids.

[Caylan]

Chomper knew his name, but one must also consider that maybe they just associate the keeper's voice with the possibility of getting fed.

Or in Chomper's case going outside.

I will not deny their intelligence for an instant, this is what attracts me to them, Monitor lizards in general are the smartest reptile alive.

Snakes are pretty, snakes have instinctive behaviour patterns, but they are as dumb as a box of rocks compared to varanids.

Even gators and crocs fail to show the same intelligence level. Monitors are something else...

[Freebody]

yes i do believe yoshi knows his name only because he knows it means feeding time, but it does demonstrate that he can hear the difference in tones and what not , and realizes that distict set of sound, is the sound of food time, which is amazing i think. if it were not for food, im sure he would respond the same way to anything else i say, or not respond would be the better term lol. i had yoshi set me up before as well, i dropped a peice of food on the ground, and hes going nuts trying to eat my hands because he didnt see the food drop, so im trying to pick it up to give it to him, and he realized i fake him out with one hand, and grab it with the other, well now somtimes he will wait for that second hand and not look then turn fast and try to grab it. i find this a great demonstration that there is a clear thought proccess, not just instinctual eat eat eat. :)

[infernalis]

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[MoreliAddict]

^^
cool video, Wayne. nice looking monitor too...

[infernalis]

^^
cool video, Wayne. nice looking monitor too...

not mine...

[millertime89]

cats and dogs and plenty of other animals too. I have a theory as to why monitors are able to do this and not most other reptiles. However some turtles (as exhibited by Tank) are able to do it as well, and this puts a bit of a kink in my theory. But turtles are... well they're special.

Turns out I was right. I spoke with my geology professor, the one who co-discovered Titanoboa. Metabolic rates do correlate with intelligence and ability to respond to auditory cues. One of his colleagues here at the university is working with birds on this exact subject (focusing on Jays, and birds are in fact dinosaurs, just highly derived ones). Monitors are able to boost their metabolism in unprecedented ways that still isn't fully understood. Turtles are (in his words) weird and still aren't fully understood but seem to respond to other cues.

[BarelyBreathing]

Interesting. I would love a good read on the subject.

[millertime89]

I'm gonna contact the professor that's working on it and see what she's got published.

[BarelyBreathing]

Cool! Thanks.

[infernalis]

I saw a video once of a trainer who had a Monitor that would do obstacle courses and tripod on command, but I can't find it.

[millertime89]

I saw a video once of a trainer who had a Monitor that would do obstacle courses and tripod on command, but I can't find it.

That's insane, my professor mentioned never seeing something like that before, if you can find it I'm sure he would be very interested. I know I would.

[crocdoc]

but one must also consider that maybe they just associate the keeper's voice with the possibility of getting fed.

Or in Chomper's case going outside.
My monitors will respond to their names for either of those. It's just an association between the sound of the word and a reward.

Watch 0:17 in this video with the sound on. I know the youtube links never work for me on this forum, so I'll try two different formats. Wayne, could you please do your trick on this video?

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Monitors trained to place their arm a certain way to be lifted out of the enclosure. This video was made when I first started training them. I'll be doing an updated version later this year to show how much they've improved.

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Even gators and crocs fail to show the same intelligence level. Monitors are something else...

Now there I would disagree. I've worked with gators and crocs and they are as smart or smarter than monitors, but just don't show the same obvious responses. They're excellent at learning routines.

[infernalis]

All fixed up.

[BarelyBreathing]

Love the videos. Hubby was dancing to the music in the first one.

[jarich]

As always, awesome looking lacies Dave!

[*Don't Mind Me*]

"Come here gale!" multiplied by 26=:eek:
Was that the monitor's name? Gale? I'm not sure if you could train a monitor with auditory recognition, but it sounds possible.

[Mikey T]

Trained Black Throat Monitor, Calling Bigboy into the Barn---by Name!!! - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUQY_EXYJOQ)

aUQY_EXYJOQ

Training a Savannah Monitor to jump over a Fence-for a live mouse - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfNlmsAMB74&feature=relmfu)

nfNlmsAMB74

[Skits]

I would be backing out of my burrow too if I heard someone shouting "come here gale" so many times. :p

I never knew that it was possible to train a monitor though, it's pretty amazing. I think it's just as infernalis said, associating their owners voices with food, and just keeping everything on a schedule. But they are very smart lizards in general.

Crocdoc, I loved your vids too. Very pretty monitors!

[infernalis]

Here is a slightly more scientific approach...

cannot embed to start on cue, so click link.

PBS Nova Lizard Kings part 4 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/6JFhq4RhYVk?t=7m8s)

[Bradyloach]

Monitors are such beautiful creatures. I dont think ill keep any other lizards other than monitors from now on! i just love them, the space they take up is nothing compared to the reward you get for them!

[infernalis]

Monitors are such beautiful creatures. I dont think ill keep any other lizards other than monitors from now on! i just love them, the space they take up is nothing compared to the reward you get for them!

Exactly.. Brady, take an hour and watch the "Lizard Kings" special I posted, all parts start to finish.

[Bradyloach]

wayne, i watched it already. i LOVED it! i wish there were more videos of stuff like this

[infernalis]

wayne, i watched it already. i LOVED it! i wish there were more videos of stuff like this

Yes, three titles is not enough.!

[crocdoc]

I was there for the filming of the hatching perentie sequence!

[millertime89]

I was there for the filming of the hatching perentie sequence!

keep rubbing it in why don't ya?
:D

[BarelyBreathing]

I was there for the filming of the hatching perentie sequence!

keep rubbing it in why don't ya?
:D


What he said. I'm so jealous.

[millertime89]

What he said. I'm so jealous.

I mean come on... how lucky can one guy be?

[infernalis]

http://themescompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/crybaby.pngI was there for the filming of the hatching perentie sequence!

[millertime89]

http://themescompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/crybaby.png

Stormageddon?

[crocdoc]

http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/119781904.jpg
:)

[millertime89]

<-- this guy is so freaking jealous right now. That's awesome.

[Freebody]

just finished watching the 6 parts! thx for that, i have not seen it before. and crocdoc i love your lace monitors, they are my favorite monitors. Beautifull!!! I too am jealous, I hope to one day get to see somthing like that, even in live in captivity would be a dream come true.