How can u tame a nile monitor?? Is it

possile? the nile monitor is just a baby or juvenile idk he or she idk is like 9 inches or around there from snout to the end of the tailI meant to type in possible....sry

In my experience with monitors and tegus, I have learned that the best way to tame a lizard that will grow to be at least 6 ft is to build its trust in you. The best way to do this when they are young is to maybe lay a towel down in your tub and sit in your tub (preferrably with no water in it and you are dressed LOL). Let your lizard walk around and climb on you in the tub while you're sitting in it. For the first few sessions, just sit there and let him get used to being around you. Let him get to know your smell. If you handle a lizard but are constantly restraining it, you're not making any progress with taming it. All it's going to want to do is fight you, and every time you come near it and try to remove it from its tank, it will either run from you or try to fight you.The bathtub is a method I have used for a long time and it has always worked very well. Eventually it will be comfortable enough around you where you are able to touch it and hold it without it resisting.Just be sure to keep that trust with him, because they can seriously TEAR YOU UP when they get bigger.

Reptiles are not pets, they cannot be tamed and they will never "like" you. You are nothing more than their captor and if they are capable of "feeling" anything towards you it would be animosity for keeping it captive. Handle it all you want, it may tolerate you but chances are likely that you will get bitten and many times, especially with a monitor. They are never tame and they don't cuddle. If you want a monitor that you can play with I suggest a Savannah Monitor (basically a large gecko).

I Started By Giving My Nile A Single Syllable Name And Repeating It Constantly, Then Placing My Hand In It's Environment With Out Touching It ,then After Gradually Getting Closer I Began To Stoke It's Back,finally I Started Placing My Hand Underneath It And Lifting. Now I Can Lift It And Hold Him For A While (without Grasping) And It Will Sit There .while All Of This Progressed Rah Continued To Hiss And The Whole Procedure Has To Be Repeated Every Day. I've Only Had It For A Short While But Believe In Time It Can Be Handled More But Will Never Be Tame And Should Only Be Trusted So Far(no Kids). Good Luck. Oh Yea I Mentioned It's Name Because Monitors (lizards) Can Hear And May Be Conditioned.

No they are always agressive, sorry.

www.lizardcaresheets.com

[Nyarlathotep]

First off, the caresheets at "lizardcaresheets.com" are questionable at best. Their argentine tegu guide says "UVB needed" whereas the colombian tegu and many of the monitor caresheets say that UVB is not needed because "they get calcium from rodents". Reptiles (generally) need UVB to convert vitamin-D into the active form D3. Without D3, the calcium never gets metabolized. Just because the domain has "caresheet" in it, doesn't mean anything. I would take anything from that site with a grain of salt (or less).

As to reptiles "liking you", sure, why not? To "like" something or someone is little more than forming an association between that thing and a positive stimulus. The human version of "like" is only different because humans can blither on about it. Also remember that intelligence is a range, not a fixed value. Like mammals, the smartest are a hundred times smarter than the "dumbest". The smartest lizards (tegus/monitors/iguanas) are sometimes considered to exceed dog intelligence. Just because you don't know how to read its queues (it can't smile, purr or pant) doesn't make it stupid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monitor_lizard

Now, in all fairness, nile monitors are probably one of the most difficult reptiles to tame. They're also cheaply imported and sold (and the only way to make money from cheap sales is with quantity). Low price, "cool looks" and motivated sales staff means alot of these poor animals find homes with inexperienced keepers who have no idea what they're getting into. Nile monitors are expert escape artists, nervous (you would be too if you shared a river with crocodiles), highly intelligent, blindingly fast and very aggressive (when nervous, which is often). They also grow to 7 feet in length and are always hungry. A tank large and sturdy enough to hold an adult will cost you a fortune, as will the food. Chances are the sales person didn't mention much of this... (or the parasites)

Taming a nile takes alot of patience. Be prepared to observe and/or work with your new pet every day for 3 to 9 months (roughly). Learn when to leave them alone and give them space. Realize that your new responsibility (yes, responsibility) may never become tame. Having a large, fast, cunning animal plotting your demise every time you clean his cage is challenging at best. Again, if you don't have experience with "semi-aggressive" animals, you've got a pretty slim chance with these amazing monsters.

Savannah monitors, the de facto "starter monitor", can also be challenging and feisty, but they frequently become dog-tame. Nile monitors are much, much more difficult, and forget the coolness factor. When they're hissing, lashing and lunging at the cage glass, they're not "mean and fierce", they're scared out of their wits. Terrified because some huge ape is poking the glass, maybe about to eat it.

[Octavius]

Monitors are the most intelligent reptiles along with crocodilians. They have been shown to have rudimentary counting skills and involve themselves in playing behavior with persons or objects they are familiar with. A couple of important factors will lead to one having a positive experience with their monitor.

1. Make sure to buy the monitor as a captive bred baby. More mature monitors or those caught in the wild will probably never be tame enough to have as a real pet.

2. Treat your monitor with care in giving him a suitable environment where he can feel secure and cared for. This means a clean and large enough environment along with the right food and lights/temperature. A hiding place is also important so that he can feel safe.

3. As with any other pet, interaction is the most important. Just simply tender loving care. Interact with your monitor as often as possible and let him become familiar with you. Monitors have very acute senses and are quite intelligent. They will recognize you as their caretaker over time and become fond of you. Pick him up, hold him, and pet him. Like all reptiles, monitors need an external source of heat to keep them warm and will like being held if they are accustomed to being picked up by their caretaker. You may want to use thick clothing for that as their legs are very strong and they like using their claws. Also, like many other lizards, monitors often like being gently scratched on their skulls or near their ears. Be careful not to harm their ear drums when doing so as they are exposed and very sensitive.

This bonding process takes time and you will have to accept being bitten and tail whipped by the animal on many occasions. In order to discourage biting behavior, a good method is to cover your hands with vinegar or hot sauce and let him bite you. The animal will soon learn that you don't taste good and will be less likely to bite. Again, this is something you want to do when the monitor is young as the bite from an adult monitor is very painful and can cause serious injury. Be sure that your hands are clean and free from any food residue before you handle your monitor as, again, they have very acute senses and will detect the slightest trace of food. Like other reptiles such as crocodilians, any trace of food will lead the monitor into an automatic feeding response and make it instinctively attack/bite whatever it interprets as food. Tail lashing is a more difficult behavior to curb but, as the animal becomes more tame, it will be less frequent and less aggressive. If your monitor is in such a state then he is telling you that he wants his space and wants to be left alone. It is better to let him calm down until he feels more relaxed when exhibiting such behavior. Unless stressed, a well tamed monitor will usually just give up his puffing and tail lashing once he is picked up and comforted by his master.

Monitors love to explore and enjoy freedom of movement. Let them move around some confined room for at least 30 minutes a day after you have made sure to seal all possible escape routs. Expect to clean up some unexpected defecations. As the monitor grows to adult size, you should take him outside on a leash and harness to allow him to roam about. It will give him a chance to feel free outside of his terrarium but also remind him that you are the master who holds the leash. Monitors are very fond of snails, earthworms, and insects, and so will appreciate this kind of liberty. Make sure the environment is free of pesticides and in a controlled setting. Don't do this in a public area where the monitor will be threatened by strangers or other animals. This will stress your monitor and put him in dangerous situations with other animals such as dogs or endanger others such as curious children. Never let your monitor off the leash as he will come to enjoy his freedom too much and probably escape.

Like many other forms of intelligent animals, Monitors all have their own personalities. Some are more prone to being tame while others are not and it is difficult to judge their temperaments when choosing them as babies. These methods however will make it more probable that they will be tame and make your experience a positive one.

I have owned a Nile monitor for the past decade and trained her with these methods. She is a wonderful pet and have come to see her as a companion. I have received many compliments from experienced trainers and veterinarians for her being one of the tamest monitors that they have ever encountered. I hope that these golden rules that I've learned make your experience with your monitor a positive one.