Hands-on handling, positive and negative experience question

[formica]

Originally Posted by varanus_mad

Hands on taming is a big no no for me... Evey varanid I've held that's been brought up that way it's heartbeat is going ten to the dozen.

Keep at it'll come round I suspect it's initial reaction was part of the settling process.

the monitors you are referring to, where they your own? if so did you raise them from hatchlings, or did handling start at adulthood? if they where not your own, could the heartbeat also be a reaction to an unknown situation/handler?



i've no plan to switch tactics at this time, just trying to understand them better

[varanus_mad]

Originally Posted by formica

the monitors you are referring to, where they your own? if so did you raise them from hatchlings, or did handling start at adulthood? if they where not your own, could the heartbeat also be a reaction to an unknown situation/handler?



i've no plan to switch tactics at this time, just trying to understand them better

A few adults I purchased of other keepers and a few kept by other keepers, monitors I've raised from hatchling I've done hands off with.

[V87]

Tried both methods

And I would say depends on the individual monitor in question and the sp and wether they are cb or wc or ltc ...

If u have a bold individual sp they may not need any force handling

My male green tree cb would regularly jump out into me as soon as I opened the viv door and not for food but for a look around and would let me handle him ... He would walk into my hand and allow handling ....

My Bosc male wc would walk out of his viv all the time allow handling and run up my body for food with no hesitation .... Show no fear and no aggression to anyone or anything .....

My male argus cb would hate any handling of any sort most of the time .... There was a few days he would allow it for cleaning out purposes and baths he would hiss and tail whip for England so I never forced the point of trying to handle him as he clearly wasn't comfortable ...

My green tree female wc was skittish as hell wen I first received her other than the fact she was near death she still choose to run away even when she was near deaths door so I left her completely hands off would only feed her and do daily routine .... I would barely look at her it was that bad ... But and a big but after a while say 5 months after she was back to health she would occasionally jump out into me ... Never would allow my hand to hold her but she would allow me to touch her and she was hesitant to say the least and very wary but she was tolerant in the end ....

My female ackie .... Ltc hated me with a passion and I mean a passion she was a bold as brass but as soon as my hand was within 1ft of her attack attack attack ... Kill kill kill ... Even when cleaning or spraying she would just bite again so after this I never forced the point of handling because she quite obviously hated my hands lol ... I never let her out of the viv because she was so small I would lose her ....

My rescue Nile wc .... Was fairly tractable from the beginning and I put this down to his ill health ... But even as he got back to health and gained size and weight he was a good boy unless it was feed day then he was a different kettle of fish he wanted blood no matter who's is was ..... I never forced this guy into handling either he just wanted out and onto me bless him

My quince wc ..... Calm as anything will not eat in front if me but the few times I have had him out to check on his progress his heart rate has not been elevated and will happily sit in my hand without fear of movement .... I am most surprised with this as he is wc and tiny but everyday he surprises me with his bold behaviour again I will say he is a secretive eater


My method is leave em alone ... Leave em alone ... Then slowly try tong feeding and walking them into ur arm or ur hand ....

Then go from there .... It's all slowly slowly catchy monkey ...

I would never chase them around the viv ... Never approach from above .... Never remove then from their hides ....

Each monitor is an individual and should b dealt with accordingly .... A settle period wether it 6 months to 2 years is not a lot to ask to judge or see wether ur monitor will become tractable or tolerant of ur handling or interaction ....
I've handled lots of monis some that others wouldn't put there hand in with but always found my techniques to work ...
These are my experiences hope it helps in some way