is my nile okay?

[Melody]

im i think over thinking this but i want to see some input.
On friday i got a 12in baby nile. He was flighty as expected and was a handful getting in his cage. Everytime i even looked at him he went crazy. I wasnt surprised by his behavior, i was actually pleased with it because most healthy babies act this way.
Saturday morning i left to visit family, and came back sunday at around 11a.m. i figure it be a good oppertunity for him to settle in. But when i came back he was completely submerged in his water bowl w/just his nose pokeing out(hes in shed so it makes sense). But i was concerned because i moved the bowl expecting him to jump out and run like bat out of hell, but he just stayed in there. He even let me pick him up and take him out. Now he still backs away from my hand when he sees it but he doesnt go crazy like he did the first day he came home.
Im guessing it might be that he was freaking out when we first got home because he was really stressed, and now that hes settling a little hes showing his actual personality?
I dont know, i just want to make sure hes okay. Anybody have a suggestions? also any tameing tips are welcome!

[SwampDonkey]

im i think over thinking this but i want to see some input.
On friday i got a 12in baby nile. He was flighty as expected and was a handful getting in his cage. Everytime i even looked at him he went crazy. I wasnt surprised by his behavior, i was actually pleased with it because most healthy babies act this way.
Saturday morning i left to visit family, and came back sunday at around 11a.m. i figure it be a good oppertunity for him to settle in. But when i came back he was completely submerged in his water bowl w/just his nose pokeing out(hes in shed so it makes sense). But i was concerned because i moved the bowl expecting him to jump out and run like bat out of hell, but he just stayed in there. He even let me pick him up and take him out. Now he still backs away from my hand when he sees it but he doesnt go crazy like he did the first day he came home.
Im guessing it might be that he was freaking out when we first got home because he was really stressed, and now that hes settling a little hes showing his actual personality?
I dont know, i just want to make sure hes okay. Anybody have a suggestions? also any tameing tips are welcome!

Hes acting normally. He doesnt know you can see him under the water so he just stays put. He most likely let you take him out without trouble because the water cooled him down so much. What do you have him in? When they spend alot of time in the water bowl it usually means they are in a screen-top aquarium, which kills baby monitors within a few months.
And taming? I would forget about it. You'll be VERY lucky if a nile even lets you hold it after a year or so.

[Melody]

okay thank you, all of that was very helpful and made sense, however why would he die if he has a screen top? that confuses me...
i know a lot of people say they cant be tamed, but ive actually seem some very tamed ones so i have faith in my guy
He just ate an hour ago and seems very alert.

[mumps]

First, congrats on your pickup. Second, you should have done some more research.

The reason a screen top aquarium is a no-no is many-fold...

1. The screen top allows too much humidity to escape. Too dry an enclosure is not good.

2. You are always approaching from above. This invokes the "predator is coming down on me" response from your lizard. He was probably cooled off in the water, as mentioned, and hoping you didn't see him.

3. They are way too small for varanids. If your aquarium is 6 feet long and two feet wide, congrats you have a home that will last 6 months. They grow extremely fast when properly cared for.

4. All the sides are glass. They have a problem with glass, and when startled will bolt into them at full speed. Cover the back and sides to provide a visible barrier.

Yes they are "tameable". I prefer to refer to it as "establishing trust", and it can be accomplished with ANY reptile so long as you know how to go about it. Different species require different procedures; but there are set guidelines for all of them. I have raised many reptiles with "nasty" reputations and had success with all of them. Nile monitors included.

You can have "faith in your guy", but if you don't know how to properly establish trust, then you're in a losing battle.

Chris

[Melody]

I knew about the humidity escaping part and already have a method for keeping it in, along with humidity gauges to monitor it. hes actually in shed right now and has been shedding fine. ive used this method for my other reptiles in glass enclosers. As for it being to small, i am working on building a larger one, but i hes still very small so he will be good for a little while longer.
However, i youre right should deffinitly cover up some of the sides. i havent seen him run into them yet but i dont want to wait till he does.

[SwampDonkey]

I knew about the humidity escaping part and already have a method for keeping it in, along with humidity gauges to monitor it. hes actually in shed right now and has been shedding fine. ive used this method for my other reptiles in glass enclosers. As for it being to small, i am working on building a larger one, but i hes still very small so he will be good for a little while longer.
However, i youre right should deffinitly cover up some of the sides. i havent seen him run into them yet but i dont want to wait till he does.

Melody,
Whats your method for keeping humidity in? Yes he will shed fine as long as he can soak in that tub, but thats not the issue. Chances are whatever you are doing to seal the top (saran wrap, foil, ect) isnt going to work. My first water monitor died because I had a "method" for keeping humidity and heat in and thought it would be fine. I couldnt figure out why he wouldnt eat much and spent all day in his water bowl. And there are dozens of identical stories on these forums. Get rid of the screen top aquarium or he will develop a "mysterious illness" and die. period.

And about taming? You mean like this?


You have to NOT touch them, and even then theres no promises. The whole idea of "working with them" is a myth. You have to stand back and let them come to you like in the video.

[Melody]

Well my method is rather simple. First of all, i put the water bowl over a part of the heat source. Then, I put books on each side of the screen and is only a strip of screen is left uncovered. I cover the uncovered part with a paper towl and mist it.
It may sound like a stupid, ineffective way of doing it but trust me i works. As a matter of fact it works too well. The current humidity level is at 95%. Now i actually need to lower it.
I understand that they will not survive without enough humidity, and a glass tank with a screen top isnt the easiest way to provide enough. However my methods seem to work so far, but trust me i do not plan to keep him in this enclosure. Its just temporary until i finish building his new one.
Beautiful black throat! and yes,im hopeing my nile can be somewhat like you blackthroat

[SwampDonkey]

Well my method is rather simple. First of all, i put the water bowl over a part of the heat source. Then, I put books on each side of the screen and is only a strip of screen is left uncovered. I cover the uncovered part with a paper towl and mist it.
It may sound like a stupid, ineffective way of doing it but trust me i works. As a matter of fact it works too well. The current humidity level is at 95%. Now i actually need to lower it.
I understand that they will not survive without enough humidity, and a glass tank with a screen top isnt the easiest way to provide enough. However my methods seem to work so far, but trust me i do not plan to keep him in this enclosure. Its just temporary until i finish building his new one.
Beautiful black throat! and yes,im hopeing my nile can be somewhat like you blackthroat

Alrighty. The main thing to remember when trying to "tame" them is to leave them alone. Every time you force handle them or make them huff and puff, it sets you back. If you want a lizard that has no problem being handled and comes right up to you, you have to leave them alone for a while (4 months for the black throat). Once you can walk by the enclosure and they dont dart off and hide, you know you're making progress.
You'll have your hands full with that nile though lol.