My Ackies Hate Me

[shegleg]

Hello I would like some help managing my expectations of handling my ackie monitors.
I have two six month old ackies. When I first bought them I could not handle them as they ran away very quickly and I did not want to chase them around and freak them out. They are now double the size (still smallish though overall) and I would like them to tolerate occasional handling. Not saying I want an animal to cuddle up to I just want to be able to pick them up occasionally and ensure their skin is healthy etc. I have been trying to slowly put my hand into the cage and they will now let me touch them but definitely not pick them up. I have had to "force handle" them once or twice when I needed to change substrate or clean the cage... And they bit the crap out of my fingers. They used to feed from tongs too but now they won't unless they are super hungry. I feel like a dickhead, I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[pinefamily]

Patience is the key. Patience and perseverance. Having said that, ackies are handleable like beardies, but you can get to the stage where they won't bite you every time you pick them up.

 

[shegleg]

Patience is the key. Patience and perseverance. Having said that, ackies are handleable like beardies, but you can get to the stage where they won't bite you every time you pick them up.

Would you recommend picking them up while they are trying to bite and get away or waiting for them to come to me?

 

[SpottedPythons]

Slowly start patting them when you put your hand into their enclosure, and if they look calm enough, try picking it up slowly. If it struggles, put it down gently start the process again. May take a long time, but it's like pinefamily said, they will settle down eventually. Monitors are usually fidgety to handle as young.

 

[pinefamily]

We had a trio of ackies that were like that when we first got them. Over time, they settled down to the point where I could pick them up; except for one, who would still turn and bite me when I picked it up, usually in the soft parts of my hand.

 

[shegleg]

Thanks for your replies I will stick with what I am doing.

 

[SpottedPythons]

And if they are willing to eat, you can tempt them.