can someone help me...im 13!

[reptile171]

Hi everyone, listen please be considerate of what im about to say. Im 13 years old and have a nile monitor thats about 1ft long right now in a 29 gallon gallon tank....im very expirienced for my age and i would just like to know if you know the best way to tame them and take the best care for them..what do you all think?

[Emily-Fisher]

Yay! Another young'n on the site!

I just turned 12 in October.. not that it matters really :P I would say that the best way to tame ANY animal down is by handling it on a regular basis.

[reptile171]

i know someone in my town named email fisher and sounds like you...did ya get my PM.

[Dozer]

hmmm, bad choice for a starter animal... i' not no monitor pro... but you do know that these guys grow to over 5 feet right?

mike

[reptile171]

i know how big they get, and imnot startin so far i have 1 ball python, 3 RES,1 musk turtle, 1 savannah monitor and the nile...i do my research!!lol

[reptile171]

+they normaly grow 7ft....

[V.hb]

7+ is a monster. you can't base everything on what you read on the net.... The average niles ive seen are 5 feet, there are some giants, but 7ft average? i doubt it try 5.5 maybe 6. And I seriously doubt you will ever grow it that large. No offence, but not many 13 year olds can afford food for such a large predator. Take it back and get something smaller, like an Ackie.

[SHvar]

At 13 you were allowed to buy any of these animals by your parents. They obviously didnt research any of those animals and / or they expect them to live a year or less in your care then you will outgrow this "faize".
A nile monitor averages between 4-6 ft as an adult, with some individuals reaching 7 ft or more (how many do you know of?) Thats because 90% die in captivity (in 6months to a year)even under the care of adults who have spent alot of time and money setting them up and feeding them as well as they can. The problem is the animals were bought for a small amount on impulse, so their relative care by the average owner is in relation to their initial cost.
The 3 animals you gave are at the top of the list of the "impulse buyers top ten most abused".
Ask yourself can you afford or offer the caging or food for even the bosc monitor you have? A proper cage as an adult (one years time) will be around 4x4x8 feet, with a foot or so of dirt and a 130+ degree basking area running 24/7. The first years food alone for it cost a couple hundred dollars. Can you afford a vet bill of a few hundred or so dollars when it is needed? I know from experience my first monitor (savannah) was over 40 inches at around a year old yet on occaision (once a year) he went to a vet with even no serious problems until after 5 years old, cost me a few hundred for removing a treating some foot abcesses, panacur treatment twice, tail injury that caused necrosis at the tip a for a few inches, and a few other visits.
Ive been raising monitors almost as long as you have been alive but I still had to pay a vet bill with one that was a few hundred last year.
The other problem is if you get hurt by any of those animals which requires professional medical attention it looks bad on your parents, but most of all it becomes worse on those of us who are adults and really care abou these animals and wish to keep them legal so that when you are old enough and responsible, you can legally own them.

[Steeve B]

I totaly agree with the good advice given to you here!

also I will add, your nil may or may not be tame when adult, from experience I can tell you it most likely whont be! in this case how will you handle even a 5 footer, you dont have a clue how powerfull they are!
in Africa natives says the only way to catch an adult nil is to kill it. they are not the easyest monitor to handle, plus even if your blessed to have a very tolerent of you monitor, trusting him and beliving he will never bite whod be very foolish.
in any case your situation is tipycal as theres 100.000s nil's sold every year in the pet trade, only 2-3% of these survive to be adults, and even a fewer numbers are in competent hands, hopefully these forums will help you become one of those very rare keepers.

[JeffT]

Well I dont know how experienced you think you are for 13 but anyways good luck with the Nile, right now you have the best knowledgeable Varanid keepers telling you whats best for the animal. Can you meet its needs, can you provide an enclosure half the size of your bedroom? Can you support their huge appetite? Ask yourself these questions before taking on an animal like this.

Jeff

[BoidKeeper]

Great post Steve. Lots of solid facts and positive constructive critisim. Good on ya. I hope members follow your good example.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Yanis]

I don't advice nile monitor for beginning because they need very big setup when they become adult and are very agressive and the bite of an adult monitor can hurt.I advice you a nice lizard for beginning like leopard gecko

[burmer]

First off you need to think about putting it in something bigger than a 29 gallon. Thats too small for him now and he will grow fast. Just from my own experience they are tough to handle. Mine is about 30 inches now and he just barely tolerates handling now. I have been handling him for about 15 minutes a day for the last six months. Just when you think they are calming down they go crazy. If your going to keep him just be patient and get a pair of good thick gloves. Good luck.

[reptile171]

dont worry i understnad, the 29 in for now. i should be gettin a 100 in about a weeks or two. I know how big these get and yes i can care for them. Im expirienced for my age...trust me!

[mbayless]

Hi Mr. teenager,

Like the other posts have said, you are in for a challenge, and then there will be girls, football, soccer, cars, pizza and so on in your next few years - will you have time for it next week? next month? next year??

These are living beings that need daily basic and some not so basic husbandry needs....you're taking on quite a project here. I hope you are not going to want to tame it so you can walk around the house with it, show it off to your friends? That is what I did with my tegu's and alligator 30 years ago when I was 13. Don't do that...

Your lizard will tame down when if learns it has nothing to fear from you, and it is on ITS TERMS, not yours - it will relax when IT feels you are no threat, and this can take years! Are you preapared for that?

Also food wise, this animals eats alot, craps a whole lot more and will from say 1 foot to 4.5 feet at least try to bite you every time you pick it up, approach it ect ---- and wait! Then when it hits puberty like you are doing now, it may charge you, going right for your eyes!

Are you still there? If so, good. Put newspaper around all the 3 sides of your 29 gal aqauria, and half of the front too, to give it some security and less exposure. It needs hot temps, maybe 105F and high high humidity (moisture in the air) and clean water every day - lots of food of all kinds, live or dead is fine but avoid canned foods and cheese.

Go get Robert Faust's book, "Nile Monitors" and if your serious, Daniel Bennett and Ravid Thakoordahl book, "Savanna monitor" too....if you cannot find them, let me know and I will give a local pet shops name and tel. no. that has them for sale...

good luck,
markb