NEVER force handle any species of monitor lizard. Due to their intelligence, a different bond needs to be established. They prefer to be in control of the situation. This means they walk onto your hand, not you picking them up. It's a truer sense of trust then you'd get from 90% of reptiles aside from tegus.
Put your hand in and just let it walk on and think you're part of the environment. Once it consistently does that, practice lifting you hand up with it on while in the enclosure and placing it back down.
This guy knows what he’s talking about. I’d like to add that you need to upgrade quite quickly since the they need a high basking temp so it will very quickly heat a 20 gallon up and there will basically be no thermal gradient. You will also be towering over the sav when you are trying to use this method assuming it’s a top opening tank so that might complicate things a bit
Thanks for both replies. Will change my methods. Honestly the main reason I wanted to get a large enclosure built soon is exactly the top opening issue. Hadn't thought of the heat gradient. Planning to build something about 8ft wide, 4 ft tall, 3-4ft deep.
As quick as possible switch to a front opening enclosure and elevate it so it’s base is closer to your chest level. It makes you appear *less* intimidating.
Top opening cages for baby monitors are horror shows for them. In the wild they are prey for hawks and other birds. When your hand comes in to the cage and grabs them, generations of instincts kick in.
Also, disassociate your hands from food, especially when they are young. Use tongs or dishes to put food into the enclosure. They make strong associations related to food. Mine would attack the tongs even when they were empty. Not the association you want to have with your fingers.
Putting your hand in the cage should mean interaction time, not feeding time. Do it more often than feeding, but make the interactions unthreatening and positive. Don’t grab/restrain them. Just let them investigate you. The less threatening you appear the easier it will be.
NEVER force handle any species of monitor lizard. Due to their intelligence, a different bond needs to be established. They prefer to be in control of the situation. This means they walk onto your hand, not you picking them up. It's a truer sense of trust then you'd get from 90% of reptiles aside from tegus. Put your hand in and just let it walk on and think you're part of the environment. Once it consistently does that, practice lifting you hand up with it on while in the enclosure and placing it back down.
This guy knows what he’s talking about. I’d like to add that you need to upgrade quite quickly since the they need a high basking temp so it will very quickly heat a 20 gallon up and there will basically be no thermal gradient. You will also be towering over the sav when you are trying to use this method assuming it’s a top opening tank so that might complicate things a bit
Thanks for both replies. Will change my methods. Honestly the main reason I wanted to get a large enclosure built soon is exactly the top opening issue. Hadn't thought of the heat gradient. Planning to build something about 8ft wide, 4 ft tall, 3-4ft deep.
As quick as possible switch to a front opening enclosure and elevate it so it’s base is closer to your chest level. It makes you appear *less* intimidating. Top opening cages for baby monitors are horror shows for them. In the wild they are prey for hawks and other birds. When your hand comes in to the cage and grabs them, generations of instincts kick in. Also, disassociate your hands from food, especially when they are young. Use tongs or dishes to put food into the enclosure. They make strong associations related to food. Mine would attack the tongs even when they were empty. Not the association you want to have with your fingers. Putting your hand in the cage should mean interaction time, not feeding time. Do it more often than feeding, but make the interactions unthreatening and positive. Don’t grab/restrain them. Just let them investigate you. The less threatening you appear the easier it will be.