Savannah Monitor Lizard Taming ( building trust ) Part 2

[SassyMustang1980]

wow.. pretty looking monitor. they are so cool,  too bad they get so huge. I would love one.

[CREAMYFILMS]

when the cameras not on his pants are off.

[MDFMONITOR]

@CREAMYFILMS that's a frightening thought!! :)

[zacsid]

@RoyalHamsters I've had reptiles for about 7 years, even keeping the most vicious of snakes, and even i steeped into the monitor game way to quick, taming my monitor is one of the hardest things ive ever done. I wosh i bought her as a baby and not one and bit feet long but shes still a baby now and could still maul my hand of any time of the day.

[MDFMONITOR]

@zacsid they take time, but most will tame down as we say!! well maybe not dog tame lol!

[RoyalHamsters]

lol

i dnt want a monitor

im talkin bout a bearded dragon or sumtin in that size

lol

and i dnt own a hamster

[RoyalHamsters]

When I try to pick him up, he waves his tail back and forth as if he wants to bite me! Should I start off with larger animals? I actually wanted a bearded dragon, due to their calmness. I own a very calm ferret at the moment and two turtles, and the gecko still. What should I do? I've tried multiple times with small animals.

[p4nt33s]

@RoyalHamsters you want to own a rodent and a monitor as pets? does that not strike you as a bad idea?

[RoyalHamsters]

Hi, I am 12 years old, I've owned multiple pets. I don't think starting with small lizards are my thing. I own a fat tailed gecko, and i've owned a hamster. From my experience ive noticed that the smaller animals tend to bite me. For example: I went to the pet store and i held a bearded dragon, and the Bearded dragon was a juvenile, that tended to be very calm in my arms, but when i hold my fat tailed gecko, he constantly tries to jump out of my hands.

[Darbofthetree]

@RoyalHamsters not to be too harsh but you should be able to tame a docile gecko or bearded dragon before you even begin to think about a monitor lizard as they are much more maintence and cost, also if small animals have the tendency to bite you why on earth would you want to purchase a lizard that could easily rip your fingers off, just my 2 cents though

[animelizz]

Nice videos, I'll definately keep your techniques in mind when I'm socializing my new juvenile.

[REDPIRUPIT]

this is how i trained mine :) very tame now he dosent snap at food no more

[MDFMONITOR]

@REDPIRUPIT good to hear! & good luck in the future. :)

[TheAmericanReptiles]

that is a awesome cage, and a very enthusiatic monitor

[trejutrip1]

So how bout I been doin this same thing and also the bathtub thing and mine got worse. It's male, and about 1 foot long. I'm about to up I can't open the without being hissed at

[MDFMONITOR]

@trejutrip1 sounds healthy please don't stress it out with that horrible bath tub taming thing, they come round sooner or later just give them time!! :)

[myjuto369]

That's really cool I want a sav I'm getting tired of own bearded dragons and leopard geckos I want to move on to the bigger ones

[MDFMONITOR]

@myjuto369 savs are cheap up front but cost a lot to feed & house, dwarf monitors cost abit to buy but are cheap to keep & are great little monitors!! :)

good luck in your choice! :)

[Mccune777]

Id like any tips also

[unholysniper25]

I need help taming a foot long sav. Any tips?

[Chinglebeharry]

where did you get those slippers? i want them:)

[MDFMONITOR]

@Chinglebeharry someone's taking the pee!! i don't blame you, but i'm not walking around in my socks! :)

[TheTunaflakes]

I thought it was cute.

[playgroundpervert]

are those pussy pads under the chair

[MDFMONITOR]

@playgroundpervert ha! ha! no pads for one of my kids, there out the way up there! :)

[andyyang3]

does the trust bond really work?

[MDFMONITOR]

@andyyang3 yes most times, it takes time but most come round to you in the end!

[MDFMONITOR]

@VanessaZG mice but insect/bug diet is best for them, leaving mice as  weekly treats. :)

[thedunwichwhore]

truly astounding critter.very intelligent.almost like reptilian dogs.

thanks for the post

[GovernmentHooker96]

KNOW THATZ WAT I CALL AWESOME AND TAME

[danceswithcoons]

He isn't doing trust exercises for it, he's showing YouTube how to do it. Awesome setup and really nice lizard

[eriduserpent]

If yer sav is that big and u are still doing trust exercises then u are doing it wrong.

Also making it do things for food is not a good way.

Savs are not as hard to tame as many make out. They are intelligent enough to start enjoying your company within the 2nd week of u owning it. If u want help message me, ALL animals with common sense can be made to understand that u are worth trusting if u do it properly and it doesn´t take 6-12 months.

[sler210]

cool house dude

[nemz721]

i wanted to know about ur set up for ur monitor. how big is it? and how well does ur monitor like it

[bonzomutt]

I'm getting a baby soon! How long does it take for it to reach it's adult size?

[MDFMONITOR]

@bonzomutt most growing is done in the 1st year, 2nd year is slower & 3rd year they start to really slow down, but they'll grow the rest of their life, just got to get them past a year for a good start in life, plenty of crickets & bugs in the diet!!

[GovernmentHooker96]

@bonzomutt LIKE 18 TO 20 MONTHS TO GET ADULT IF HAVE PROPER CARE WILL GROW SUPER FAST HOPE YOU GET ONE :)

[mtndewgecko177]

awsome savvy monitor! i have one but he isnt that tame yet lol

was he trained to go back into his cage like that or was that just instinct

[MDFMONITOR]

@mtndewgecko177 thank you & not tamed usually means healthy!!, he goes back into his cage to bask after taking the meal, there's no reason to remain out, the food is finished! :)

[mtndewgecko177]

@MDFMONITOR smart monitor! haha thanks for the reply too! its good to know my monitor is healthy! :D

[jammyboy67]

you cant feed them every time you wanna take them out or they'll only be use to getting food

[MDFMONITOR]

@jammyboy67 they have enough intelligence to work out when there older that your hand is not food & you always use tongs!

[jammyboy67]

@MDFMONITOR oh alright cool (: i'm trying to decide between which lizard to get, i think im going to get a iguana

[Tranzombi]

great video! getting him to stand and realize that you'll hold him up so he can eat was a great way of building a bit of trust :)

[seth61682]

great video!

[MDFMONITOR]

@seth61682 Thank you! :)

[TDUguy]

as i can see you have seperate rooms by the look of it for animals, asuming a shed? i'm gonna get a bosc and keep him in a probly 6x3x3 foot viv, he'll be in my living room, i heard at a pet shop, as long as they are tame (which i have been studying how to do it) then they kinda go in and out the viv as they please and wonder about, is that correct from your experience?

[MDFMONITOR]

@TDUguy can be after time just make sure the room is safe there in, don't want them running out the door!! lol:)

[BoY860]

i really enjoy watching your videos i can tell you know what your doing and love your pets i have been thinking of getting a monitor. i love big reptiles and would like to know your opinion. what do you think is the biggest monitor thats easiest to tame. i currently have a fully grown red tegu that i have had sense it was a baby i have had iguanas, bearded dragons, anoles, geckos, frogs, basically every thing but a monitor lol so i know how to care for them

[MDFMONITOR]

@BoY860 Thank you, as for taming i like to use hands off method, takes longer but you see more natural behaviour long term, i've seen all sorts of large monitors climbing over people, but at the same time i've seen the same species that do not like been messed with.

I've just gone on to ackies & so far there looking good ( 2 weeks on):)

[thegod3126]

you are soft as fuck ther like dogs all ther want is a pet on the head put them in the cage evrey 2 mins no wonder ther will bite you

[MDFMONITOR]

@thegod3126 their not like dogs, you want to dominate your animals then that's up to you, personally i don't feel the need to dominate everything i touch, i much prefer to see them acting natural as they would in the wild, the place they where ripped from in the 1st place for our entertainment. :)

[MDFMONITOR]

@RHETORICx thank you! :)

[zavala1904]

the ending was classic. just went back in.

[conkey677]

which are better blackthroats or savs

[MDFMONITOR]

@conkey677 If i had a reptile zoo, i'd keep both! :)

[conkey677]

@MDFMONITOR ok but like which one is tamer and can be handled easier

[zZxZ3R0xZz]

the best thing to do to tame is to let him hang out with you at your house

[rwrBeeKay]

using food as a taming strategy doesnt work that just makes them think that all you have is food and sometime when you dont theyll bite or snap thinking you do. I feed my sav, leave him alone for the day i feed him, and hold him and do water training and just cuddle with him. and hes a sweetheart, has never bit snapped or whipped and i got him as a rescue and have had him for 7 months now...

[MDFMONITOR]

@rwrBeeKay

How can you think water training is good for your lizard? work with your lizard don't try to break them in, a mon with good temps & muscle tone will always have attitude & that's what i like about monitors they know who they are & don't take no cr-p!!

Monitors soon learn you bring food & aren't food that's why you use long tongs so they associate the tongs with food & not you, many monitors die in captivity because of misunderstanding of their needs, it's about providing for them!!

[CrazyBoa2]

HES SO CUTE!!! My sav trys to go up my leg when she knows I am haveing eggs for lunch lol

[MDFMONITOR]

@CrazyBoa2 yea he was a stunning monitor!! & thank you:)

[TheKingcarters]

omfg they are fucking sccary lolol you have balls and what are you feeding them

[MDFMONITOR]

@TheKingcarters mice in that vid, they get a better feeding response than insects, but mice/egg should be treats only, thank you :)

[TheJaxxxon]

Nice work buddy. I really like your enclosure.

[MDFMONITOR]

@TheJaxxxon thank you!!

[Xxkevineitor]

DO THE SAVANNAH MONITOR BYTES ?

[MDFMONITOR]

@Xxkevineitor yes they can do, but their intelligence usually allows them to learn quick that you aren't food! :)

[MrYousefali]

YOUR FUCKING NUTTS BROTHER

[MDFMONITOR]

@MrYousefali maybe!! lol

[mom2toomanydobes]

@MDFMONITOR - very nice. I'm learning a great deal by watching your body language, movements, etc. Thank you for the help!

Rebecca

[MDFMONITOR]

@mom2toomanydobes thank you! have you noticed my fingers are kept well out the way!:)

[MuayThaixD]

meat and vitamines andcalcium for reptiles is enought for him to grow and be healthy or does he need live preys?

[MDFMONITOR]

@MuayThaixD live insects gut loaded are all you need nowadays & of course dusted with vit d 1/2 a week as required, mice/chicks treats only:)

[phanjonathanm]

its cute how he goes back in his cage

[NKreptiles]

@thanos64 well smaller monitors are much more defensive,dont worry savannahs are very easy to tame compared to other monitors(Nile,croc,lace)and others.

[MDFMONITOR]

@thanos64 usually a sign of a healthy monitor, with time they get used to you, well most do anyway!!

[LuniaVideo]

So cool, they really are beautiful animals. Are they legal to own in the US? How did you get yours?

[MDFMONITOR]

@LuniaVideo thank you & i'm in the uk & there very easy to get hold of across here!!

[NKreptiles]

@LuniaVideo yes they are legal in th us

[bigT429]

@LuniaVideo i think there legal in the US expect for the state of florida because of people releasing all types on lizards out there

[Herper96]

@bigT429 No, you're ignorant and wrong. They're perfectly legal in Florida.

[bigT429]

@Herper96 im not ignorant people were releasing all of diffrent types of monitors out in the wild

[MDFMONITOR]

@bigT429 they shouldn't do just spoils it for the rest of us:(

[MrWhiskeyShits]

I was waiting for you to dangle your worm out and see what happens.

[MDFMONITOR]

@MrWhiskeyShits it be gone!!!

[supermrawesomeman]

Very nice monitor! Even cooler habitat. How big is it?

[MDFMONITOR]

@supermrawesomeman i always thought he was about 37", but he's about about 34" there.

[Kurucgyerek]

very nice...good luck for "him"...i like it!!!

[cMcSKATE]

hey you the glass of your cage, does it come out in order to clean the cage or do you just squeeze through the little doors? :p

[MDFMONITOR]

@cMcSKATE there's a top & front opening, so i climb in the top for cleaning etc.

[radames101]

where did you get him/her from???

[MDFMONITOR]

@radames101 areptile shop is always the best place to get one, but there not really a starter monitor, there is easier monitors to care for just cost more to start with:)

[gorecore16]

did you build that cage on your own? It's amazing! I wanna build one like that but i wouldn't know where to start. Beautiful Savannah! :)

[MDFMONITOR]

@gorecore16 Yea it's built into my loft space:)

[BanagherLinks]

Thank for your vid .

I known how to beat a Monitor Lizard now.

[MDFMONITOR]

@BanagherLinks not with a stick i hope!!lol:)

[KhaosSavira]

Got an awful lot of spunk, eh? 

[MDFMONITOR]

@KhaosSavira you could say so!!:)

[Yoshi5111sReptiles]

Now that was awesome. Mine is too lazy to do that now lol.

[gut197]

cool

[radames101]

HE LOOKS LIKE HE IS KIND OF SCARED

[MDFMONITOR]

@radames101 yea he's heading out of his territory into mine!

[Reesedl32]

thats awesome....i just got my sav about a month ago and i dont know how to start tamming him because he just hides whenever he sees movement outside his cage....and when i put my hand in there slow he will come and check it out but if i even try to move my hand toward him he hisses and opens his mouth...i dont know where to start can u give me some advice..?

[MDFMONITOR]

@aklausen2 thank you , but remember if you do it watch you fingers & nose end!! lol

[Dan37064]

Did u buy the bosc as an adult? I've found that they're nasty when they are young but with constant handling-they tame down as they get older

[MDFMONITOR]

@Dan37064 Overtime they calm down if you treat them right!

[Sevag123456789]

u look like the smartest person 2 ask can i feed my savana steak raw or cooked

[MDFMONITOR]

@Sevag123456789 You can but i wouldn't, stick to a mainly insect diet & throw in a mouse every so often & make sure there gut loaded insects, 80/20% in favour of insects over mice i would say nowadays.

[Sevag123456789]

@MDFMONITOR thanku very mutch 4 the info

[scarred76]

do u have your reptile in that attic or something?

[MDFMONITOR]

@scarred76 yep i do.

[wangtaztic]

You sir have some fantastic interaction videos. Saw your ionides videos somewhere. Hows that guy doing? Trying to find a BT myself but it's proving to be nearly impossible. May just go with a savannah. Always been one if not the favorite lizard of mine. Keep up the good work! Nice website as well. Very clean and if you made it yourself, bravo! :D

[MDFMONITOR]

@wangtaztic Thank you glad you like them!, hope you find one i know were there's at least one going here in the uk.

[wangtaztic]

@MDFMONITOR Ha, yeah I think I'll pass on the 500$ shipping fees!

[MDFMONITOR]

@wangtaztic yea i bit far:)

[haztaz14]

@MDFMONITOR Theres a couple for sale near me :)

[ceote5]

hey man what are u giving to him in this video?¿

[MDFMONITOR]

@ceote5 just small mice.

[mmmmmarcus]

this is a VERY bad way to feed any lizard. So far, you guys seem to be okay, and the tongs do help them realize food only appears on tongs. And Cryptid, that is totally untrue. My neighbor had a massive gator snapper that was like a big puppy. It loved attention. Turtles in general get friendly, regardless of species.

[MDFMONITOR]

these are intelligent lizards they know were the food is, the only danger you've got to watch out for is when there young, but they can't do much damage at that age if they bite.

I like fit active lizards that move like lighting, if i could not keep them this way i'd pack in the hobby .

All animals grow use to you with time & treated right most will be so called tame.

[MinotaurTank]

@mmmmmarcus watch his excersize vids, he is much bigger now and still doing it. it isnbt a bad way it can be dangerous but its not for every lizrd sorry but ur passing your opinion off as fact

[mmmmmarcus]

"it isnt a bad way it can be dangerous..." That was the dumbest thing ive heard today. Congratulations. "Sorry but your passing your opinion off as fact" Oh wow! What the hell gave you that impression? sycophant.

[MinotaurTank]

@mmmmmarcus ok, it can be dangorous but o wning any large animal of any type is fucking dangourous but you can fuck off if you think ever thing u say is right especially since he is doing every thing perfectly as he is using tongs and is not assosiating his hand with food but he is making the lizard think when ever he see's his owner that he will get fed thus making him more active anfd a fucking better et you knob go fuck some grannies

[mmmmmarcus]

My V. Salvator is better behaved than that thing.

[MDFMONITOR]

that thing has rarely been handled & knows what is food & what is not food, they learn quick & is very tame.

I keep my hands well out the way just in case anyone copies me, it could lead to a hospital trip other wise, not me someone new to monitors who doesn't understand them fully.

[MDFMONITOR]

thank you for your comments about tongs etc.

[MinotaurTank]

np and i always wanted a big reptile all i have is a leopard gecko collection :/

[dirthoez]

Just started posting looken 4 ratings and comments.thanks

[MDFMONITOR]

no probs!

[musicloverrxoxo]

i wanto get one so bad but if i do do i need a large tank or do they need something bigger?

[MDFMONITOR]

Females 8x4 if poss when adult & 6x4 for males when adult, or more if you can long term!!

[roverT98]

Your setup is amazing!

[MDFMONITOR]

thank you.

[Commy01]

That looks screams: "Gimme my food, or I'll eat your damn face."

[MDFMONITOR]

Thank you.

[kreamlingdude]

hey how much does a baby savannah monitor ussualy cost??? theres a dude that wants to sell me a baby at 70$

[MDFMONITOR]

I'm told 20-30$ across on your side, that's the cheap bit, feeding them after costs a bomb, if you want one cost it up first & see what you think.

Food /6x4 cage min/ elce!!

Good luck.

[kreamlingdude]

how much do u spend on food weekly and stuff?? =O

[MDFMONITOR]

Treacle is the 8 month old one & is costing me around £2.50 a day to feed, this will last up to about 2/2.5 years old.

[kreamlingdude]

Well yeah its a lil expensive!! What do u feed him??? oh and was also wondering, I live in the tropics, so no heating is required rigth???

[MDFMONITOR]

As long as they've got the right temps night & day probably no, really we use cages so we can provide spot on temps in a very small cage compared to what they would have in the wild.

Mice /small rats /locust/crickets/ superworms/roaches & so on a good care sheet will give you better info, food vid is something i haven't manage to do as yet, good luck.

[kreamlingdude]

KK thanks ^ ^

[herpman531]

snapping turtles do hAVE PERSONALITY AND THEY DONT ALWAYS BITE they are actually pretty nice if you train them correctly

[MDFMONITOR]

Haven't got a clue about snapping turtles, sorry.

[hopewynne123]

how much is it for all the savanha monitar stuff e.g. tank

[MDFMONITOR]

Everything all together, hundreds of pounds, not sure on the exact amount.

[herpman531]

I disagree with the taming method because he might assosiate your hand as food

my friend did that with my baby snapping turtles and now they bite

[MDFMONITOR]

They have a bit more about them than snapping turtles, keep feeding them with long tongs & your ok.

The tongs are the wrong ones, i now have 40cm angled feeding tongs as in the new vids.

I like my lizards fast & alert!!

[TheCryptid09]

snapping turtles will always bite, they dont tame down.

[MDFMONITOR]

That's what i thought, snapping turtles regard everything as food with-in their reach from what i've seen. Thank you.

[djnutsax23]

I'm looking into getting a savannah monitor. Is he full grown?

[MDFMONITOR]

He's had his main growth, but he will grow at some rate the rest of his life, he could be towards the 40" mark now

[randallpegues]

nice sav...sub back when u get the chance

[MDFMONITOR]

will do

[taylorscan]

also i love how he stands on him back legs... lol i think its funny

[hobbyguy217]

what are you feeding him

[MDFMONITOR]

he's on small mice daily (one a day) & locust daily as well, plus feeder fish once in a while.

i adjust the amount to suit his waist line!!

[taylorscan]

i heard that u should feed him rodent all the time cause there hard on the digestive systems... also i really like ur setup for ur monitor... i need to get a better enclosure ASAP... i got a 20 gallon tank with a metal top... it has no way to hold in humidity or regulate tempeture

[StandardizedTest]

I've been staying away from feeding my SML mice. Once in a while I'll give him a mouse. SMLs are known to get fat. I use beef heart cut into 4 inch strips dusted in calcium as a primary food source & he looks great. Beef heart is all protein. In the wild, SMLs eat mostly invertebrates, like scorpions & spiders, which have no fat. Your SML looks great.

[MDFMONITOR]

This might interest you!!

YES in the wild Boscs eat rodents!!!! They also eat crabs, muscles, bugs, snails, fish and yes eggs and chicks. They'll even eat other monitors if they can catch them. Chicken eggs are high in fat for a monitor so they should ONLY be given as a treat every once in a great while. If you have ever seen a killer whale's tooth then you've seen a BT/WT and Bosc monitors tooth. It's cone shaped and extremely strong designed to eating all of the above creatures.

[thuzan117]

gonna have to remember these for when i can finally get my own.

[rcooper95]

lol hes like u dont got no more for mee??? ok den ill go homes now......

[MDFMONITOR]

yea he knows were his home is, straight back to his basking lights.

[MDFMONITOR]

yea he knows where his home is!!

[stevenfolly]

Gotta love he returns to his terrarium right away

[GoannaKing]

That is one attractive Bosc you have there Mark!

[mikesreptilenclosure]

love how they are so quick to eat yet so quick to go back to the enclosure 5 stars