Water Monitor HELP!

[fenstrat84]

I recently embarked into the varanid world with the newest addition to my herp collection, a malayan water monitor. I purchased it from NERD, more specifically Zoo Creatures, a little over a month ago. I just have a few questions that could possiby be answered by another member. First, when I originally purchased the little rascal, the gentleman I spoke with informed me of his personality, being super flighty as well as prone to bite. He told me however that with regular handling, he would calm down and actually grow to recognize me. I handle him 2 out of every 3 days, leaving him alone for the 3rd day as that is his designated feeding schedule. However, he has virtually not changed in temperment what-so-ever. I realize that a month and a half is an extremely brief amount of time to expect any substantial change in behavior, but I was atleast hoping for progress. He still takes off, scampering about the cage, whenever I approach and immediately whips and bites when you attempt to pick him up. I wisely wear gloves now, but I was just curious if this is something I am just going to have to wait out, for him to mature. If so, how long ( generally, I realize each animal is an individual)
should it take, with regular handling, for him to calm down. I should mention that he is between 1 1/2 and 2 feet long, for age reference. Also, are there any practices I should incorporate to help me get him used to being handled. (Example: Right now, when holding him, occasionally he will try and take off, or just wiggle and twist his body to try and get free. Each time he does I gently tighten my grip, restraining both rear and fore limbs, to try and convey that such actions are not tolerated.) Finally, once I have succeeded in taming him as much as possible, will he be more prone to reversion then if I had chosen a different animal? Thanks very much for any help.

-Anthony

[PadraigC]

dont restrain his limbs, thats going to make a calm monitor flip, no matter how dog tame he is. Security is normally the one thing that causes monitors to be flighty. A secure monitor is an unseen monitor. Sucks for caging purposes because you can not see your charge but, atleast he feels safe. The last thing I would want to do with any monitor period is handle them untill they are putting away food like a champ. Normally baby waters more spec. W/C or CH babies start off not feeding infront of you. In time they will, eating infront of a large predator is a risky thing in nature. Id gauge sucess by wethe or not your animals is eating infront of you. If he is keep it up and inevitably hell calm down as he realizes your not going to pick him off while hes at his weakest. Handling schedules, are for the most part a alme attempt to help us think that were actually doing something good for the monitor by grabbing him out of his mini little world all the time. Just simple interactions as feeding will calm him down as long as he has a place to hide. Evaluate your hides, keep feeding him and dont pick him up every day or every 3 day and let him be a monitor, that is why you bought him b/c hes a monitor, hell calm down

[Dragonsrus]

Sorry I am inexperianced with monitors and would like to get a salvator myself. Aren't water monitors one of the tamest large monitors in the pet trade?
Thanks,
Rob

[PadraigC]

sure are if you have previos monitor experience, and manage to aquire a well established juvie, the person above lucked out and managed to get a monitor from NERD, who even in there retail setup keep there monitors better then 95% of the so called Water Monitor Breeders out there, most lil guys come in emanciated and severrly dehydrated(weird for a WATER Monitor) from that crappy start many are subjected to crappy diets and crappy setups...if you do your homework theres nothing better then a a 5' water who is a Kev puts like a reptilian golden retriever but, getting to that 5' mark is a challenge...if you do your homework there worth it......RObyn at PE wrote a article for reptiles that did them and there husbandry a fair amount of justice also fyi Kev has CB water not just normals( a feat in itself) but also albinos who if Im sure would ask could only give expert advice as well.

[Dragonsrus]

Thanks PadraigC that really helps.
Rob

[Jim G.]

This is a hard one to answer. I own two waters that are near two years old. One is a cb one that has never attempted to bite, but did tail whip early on. After 6 months or so I must have gained its trust because it started to approach me on its own. I tried to not handle them at all and still am this way today. If they want to investigate me they will come to me on their terms. Now the other one is a wc one I got at the same time. This one has been pure evil up until a few months ago. It started to approach me now, however I still get whipped if I spook it. There is no way I can pick him up without a fight, tail whip, receive a bite, and being dumped on. If I pick up the cb one none of this happens. They are on different ends of the spectrum.

My advice is to back off and let it have its space. Give it plenty of cover (hides) and let it get used to you.

Jim