monitor

bighog85 · 10-23-10, 10:00 PM

Monitor taming is not the same as snakes. Forced handling is about the worst thing you can do. Monitors are very smart and need to build up their trust in you before anything useful will happen. The best thing to do is to just get it used to you being in the same room. If it runs away as soon as you enter the room then it will do no good to try and handle it. Not until he starts to show curiosity in you is it time to go beyond just looking. You can then start to try and tong feed and get it used to you entering its enclosure. One bad experience for the monitor can set you back a long ways so you want to do this whole thing on their terms. Never, ever grab a monitor and force it to be around you. Food is the best training aid and once you can consistently and easily tong feed, then it is time to start working on maybe petting it as you feed and getting it used to your touch. It is not a quick process and keep in mind that this animal is still young. Young monitors are very wary and it is in their nature to run from anything bigger than they are. There is no reason to handle him now and it will only be detrimental to your long term goal. Also keep in mind that within a year or so you are going to need an enclosure that is a minimum of 8'x4'x4' so if you cannot provide that, then it is probably best that you not take him.

infernalis · 10-23-10, 10:23 PM

Once again, excellent post!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bighog85

Monitor taming is not the same as snakes. Forced handling is about the worst thing you can do. Monitors are very smart and need to build up their trust in you before anything useful will happen. The best thing to do is to just get it used to you being in the same room. If it runs away as soon as you enter the room then it will do no good to try and handle it. Not until he starts to show curiosity in you is it time to go beyond just looking. You can then start to try and tong feed and get it used to you entering its enclosure. One bad experience for the monitor can set you back a long ways so you want to do this whole thing on their terms. Never, ever grab a monitor and force it to be around you. Food is the best training aid and once you can consistently and easily tong feed, then it is time to start working on maybe petting it as you feed and getting it used to your touch. It is not a quick process and keep in mind that this animal is still young. Young monitors are very wary and it is in their nature to run from anything bigger than they are. There is no reason to handle him now and it will only be detrimental to your long term goal. Also keep in mind that within a year or so you are going to need an enclosure that is a minimum of 8'x4'x4' so if you cannot provide that, then it is probably best that you not take him.