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Posted by Gazaah on May 07, 2003 at 20:43:35:
In Reply to: New monitor, New user, handling tips? posted by monitor_dude on May 07, 2003 at 15:34:12:
Regular handling, desensitization.
My roughneck was the same, I've heard they're a very different temperment than savs, but maybe this'll be helpful. What I'd do was to pick her up and let her run away from one hand to the other, to the other, until she got it out of her system and calmed down, then she'd just chill on my forearm until something else spooked her. Eventually she just gave up on running away from me. Another thing I did was when handling her I'd routinely turn her over and poke her belly softly and other such minor abuses so she'd learn to deal with it, as well as stroking her head and the back of her neck while I held her when she showed aggression. She'd stress a bit then put her head down, someone told me that's how they show submission, I don't know if it's true. She eventually got the idea that her hisses and tail lashing did nothing. Habituating her to a lot of different situations and handling has left her super tame, which is really great. Knowing that mouthrot and getting stuff stuck on those tiny teeth can be frequent, once she got used to regular handling I got her used to having my index finger against her snout, then I moved on to placing my fingernail between her "lips." When she's stick her toungue out to scent the air while my finger was posistioned like that, I'd push in and down, and be able to pull down her bottom jaw for a moment. After doing that a lot, this point I can, without restraining her, pull open her mouth to inspect it. Which proved useful when she got a mouthful of the lizard litter that I use to line her carrier. One thing she's never completely gotten used to is me touching her tail suddenly, it will always spook her, but she has gotten better, though I think that's just because of regular handling. Once she became accoustom to regular head scratchs and gently petting under her chin, she started to respond to it, leaning into my hand without puffing her neck at all or closing her eyes out of stress. The more I've handled her the more rewarding she's been as a pet. Oh, and I decided I wanted to have her used to a leash a few weeks ago so I could take her outside and have some degree of control over her when she's full grown. I wish I'd started that sooner, like with a loop of cloth of something, the feeling of the soft leather against her chest really makes her nuts. Daily handling and having her deal with people walking by her habitat, as well as simple things like turning the room lights on and off occaisionally and carrying her around when I did did simple chores made a lot of difference, and what initially stressed her now she doesn't even notice. One last big one, in a closed room I put her on the floor then approach her and pick her up. Her first instinct seems to be "RUN! It's going to kill me!" so I'm trying to work that away so if I ever have to pick her up in a hurry when she's big, there'll be no fuss.
:I bought a tiny baby Savana monitor about 3 weeks ago. Wish I had a pic, even tho most of the babies look about the same. He's on mostly crikts right now with a few occasional mealworms and such. He's about 5" long or so and tries to flee whenever I try to pick him up or handle him. Any suggestions on how to get him more used to me? My brother also has a savana that's a little over a foot long. It had a broken from leg when he bought it and it's fine now. He said his monitor (Monte is it's name-o) didn't try to get away from him much when it was younger. Anyway, any handleing tips would be appreciated, thx.
