Skittish monitor

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Reptiles4me

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Hey guys I got home last night and found my mertons water monitor had started to shed. I was wondering if I should be concerned about him becoming extremely skittish because he has? So skittish in fact that it is near impossible to handle him so it is very hard to check on him ,he want even sit still in his terrarium that much,
 
It is more likely that it is skittish because you are handling it when it doesn't want you to. Monitors generally aren't known to be a great cuddly animal. Is it absolutely necessary to handle it? The not sitting stil in the enclosure thing is likely related to this. If they feel unsafe or insecure because this giant animal keeps grabbing them out of their favourite hiding spots they will continuously pace the enclosure trying to find a spot that feels safe again
 
Hess about 2 years old ,I've had since he was a few months old,. He gets handled a lot. If there was such thing as a cuddly monitor he would normally be it he will climb up your arm onto your neck and shoulders ,sometimes even on your head, and become so relaxed that ,if you haven't got a hand under him, he will let go and slide down your back ,he also loves it when people scratches his neck. He has 3 favourite places one is on a log that is under his heat lamp ,another is on a log that hangs over his swimming pool and last but not least he also likes to curl up in a grey hollow log. It's only recently that he has become so skittish I haven't dropped him or anything like that. As I said he started shedding ,as normal, and then suddenly became very skittish. I'm not sure if reps get this but could it be something like stress from growing pains or that sort of thing.
 
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If he is hitting the 2 year mark he may be starting too mature and become very confident. As you have said you have handled him regularly since you have had him, I'm almost positive that he was never calm more 'scared stiff' and is now becoming bold. Monitors should not be handled early as time and time again once bigger they can become extremely skittish and aggro perhaps like this.

That or option B) have you changed anything in his enclosure since he started shedding?
 
Well giving fresh water regularly even with a filter is necessary for Mertens. Way too many variables here as well. I still stick to my original paragraph though. At the park we have 4 Mertens and they 3 of them are flighty basically due to being over handled.
 
Mine gets handle nearly every day but I think he loves it ,you really have to see it to believe it, it's incredible. As soon as he gets his neck scratch then he practically falls asleep on what ever part of your body he's on. Hey this is a little off topic but did you ,Monitor_keeper, have a previous account with the user name 'Monitors_R_Us'?
 
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Mine gets handle nearly every day but I think he loves it ,you really have to see it to believe it, it's incredible. As soon as he gets his neck scratch then he practically falls asleep on what ever part of your body he's on. Hey this is a little off topic but did you ,Monitor_keeper, have a previous account with the user name 'Monitors_R_Us'?

Joined in Sep 09, 252 posts. Hardly. Good way to alienate someone that is actually trying to help you.... :?
 
No no no I was just curious that's all ,I thank Monitor_Keeper for the help and advice he gave me. I just told him about my mertons monitor because I thought he might like to know that's all. He does not need to answer that question about the previous account I only asked because I have not heard from Monitors_R_Us for a few weeks now and also Monitor_Keeper has the same avatar as Monitors and they both work at a reptile park ,apparently, so I just assumed that they were the same person. ,very sorry Monitor_Keeper thank you for the help. Next time I will think before I make an assumption.

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Hey again this is off topic ,sorry, but where is this park Monitor_Keeper? I'm just asking because I'm staying at home over the Christmas holidays ,instead of going away because I broke my arm, and would love to spend a day out looking at reptiles ,and other animals if you have them,. Again I'm sorry about before ,it won't happen again.
 
No no no I was just curious that's all ,I thank Monitor_Keeper for the help and advice he gave me. I just told him about my mertons monitor because I thought he might like to know that's all. He does not need to answer that question about the previous account I only asked because I have not heard from Monitors_R_Us for a few weeks now and also Monitor_Keeper has the same avatar as Monitors and they both work at a reptile park ,apparently, so I just assumed that they were the same person. ,very sorry Monitor_Keeper thank you for the help. Next time I will think before I make an assumption.

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Hey again this is off topic ,sorry, but where is this park Monitor_Keeper? I'm just asking because I'm staying at home over the Christmas holidays ,instead of going away because I broke my arm, and would love to spend a day out looking at reptiles ,and other animals if you have them,. Again I'm sorry about before ,it won't happen again.
NSW, Central Coast Australian Reptile Park. Great place if anyone is in the area.
 
maybe get a labradoodle for cuddles and let your monitors come to you on their own terms:).

Ive got a 5 yr old pair of mertens . The only time they get held is during cage relocation . They come to me for food and dont give a damn when i do
remove them from cages to clean etc as long as im not prolonging the experience.
 
I love the Reptile Park, I take my cousin there every Christmas..... Only because he wants to go there *Cough*
 
sorry man , i went off a bit half cocked there:oops:. Gain its trust and build from there.

Ill also be taking the family to the reptile park during the holidays .... doing it for the kids....right on Umbral:lol:
 
maybe get a labradoodle for cuddles and let your monitors come to you on their own terms:).
its funny because he gets taken to one end of the couch ,the end that he doesn't really like, and walks/runs to the other end of the couch to a large pillow where he can sit unwatched for hours on end. Actually he normally sleeps there and often ends up inside the pillow cover.
 
Joined in Sep 09, 252 posts. Hardly. Good way to alienate someone that is actually trying to help you.... :?

Monitors r us did previously mention he had an old account, they both live on the central coast and both work in a park. I reckon its a fair question
 
Also I find with medium - larger sized monitors they never really "like" handling but more so put up with it but that is after gaining its trust which is quite hard because quite a few people seem to think monitors are cuddly and handling them more when young will make them tame when older. Give it a few days R4M and if it is still taking food and what not just be content with that.
 
Ok.
I think my family and I ,thanks to me, have a very special trust that really has to be seen to be believed. It took a few weeks to build this trust but there is no doubt in the people that have seen its mind, that its there though its hard to believe considering the fact that he was skittish when we first bought him ,it did take me a few weeks as I said before but I did do it, by the way he has started to calm down now.
 
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