My New baby Savannah

[S.I.R.]

Nice monitor. Our savannah (Frank) is awesome. He is really cool and has become pretty tame and allows us to hold him. We work with him alot. He also loves Superworms!

[1nstinct]

nice looking sav! very nice cage, i like the bricks idea.

[Boola]

Thanks guys. He has now grown too big to use the bricks as hides like he used to. lol But he is always burrowing out new hides.

He has warmed up a bit. he will now come to the front of the cage with some coaxing, and he allowed a bit of touching without hissing under his chin, or flattening out. But mostly I am just letting him come to me. He is still only about 10" long and I am not quite yet "Food guy" in his mind. But every day shows a little more improvment in our relationship, even if he still hides when i come in the room at first. Sometimes i just sit there withthe cage open, and play on my phone or talk to him and he will relax a bit and walk around his cage sniffing at things here and there.

This is the first monitor I have owned personally, and I am finding the reward of working and interacting with him more substantial than the previously tame monitors i have worked with in the past.

[mumps]

Sounds like you're on the right track, for sure!

One bit of advice I can offer is having cues. Food is coming cues, and it's only you cues. With my big Ornate monitor, I say "Treats", and he knows that food is coming. If I say "It's only me" he knows that I will be interacting with him, or performing enclosure maintenance, or just plain going in there and sitting with him for awhile.

I feel cues are a vital part of varanid-human interaction/relationships and invaluable.

Keep up the good work, be patient, and it will pay off in spades!

Chris

[infernalis]

Sounds like you're on the right track, for sure!

One bit of advice I can offer is having cues. Food is coming cues, and it's only you cues. With my big Ornate monitor, I say "Treats", and he knows that food is coming. If I say "It's only me" he knows that I will be interacting with him, or performing enclosure maintenance, or just plain going in there and sitting with him for awhile.

I feel cues are a vital part of varanid-human interaction/relationships and invaluable.

Keep up the good work, be patient, and it will pay off in spades!

Chris

Mine automatically associate the camera with food. Since I have filmed or photographed every meal since day one, they hear the camera beep, and run out looking for snacks.

[mumps]

Mine automatically associate the camera with food. Since I have filmed or photographed every meal since day one, they hear the camera beep, and run out looking for snacks.

Ha ha! Priceless!! Could be trouble if you ever want to have them pose for pics with little kids though... lol.

Chris

[Boola]

I have been using the word "food" as a sort of a cue. I tap the tongs on one of the wooden pieces in his cage, and say, "Dewey - food" He already is responding to his name, at least he is turning to look at me when I say it. But i dont think he has gotten "food" yet

Right now, when I go into the reptile room, he still hides, but he comes out when he smells the food. I have even got him coming to the front of the cage with a little coaxing. The big cage is almost finished (just looking for a decent priced window, and then some interior work). He still is a bit puffy and hissy, but hes still young, so i dont take it personally. Also, I think my big male beardie may be stressing him a bit. They can see eachother right now, so I am looking for a way to fix that for the time being. Once the new cage is finished, that wont happen anymore, and certainly not once Dewey is bigger.

Thanks for the input, guys! As I said. I would love to use him in my educational shows some day, but even if he is never that calm, I will love him and keep him to the best of my ability no matter what.

[infernalis]

To be honest, I hope it never "calms down"... It forges unrealistic expectations in others.

Most of the time, the really "calm" ones are so fat they couldn't inflate to hiss if they tried.

[Wyldrose]

Very nice sav
My girl took a long time to trust me enough to eat from tongs now she sees them and she's at the door waiting for food She's still a bit ify about letting me touch her. But she's happy, healthy and growing like a weed. So i'm happy.

I love them and wish more people would do their home work!!

[infernalis]

Ha ha! Priceless!! Could be trouble if you ever want to have them pose for pics with little kids though... lol.

Chris

My policy for any kids is view through the glass or have a look at my photos.

I prefer to not stress my lizards with strangers poking at them. Heck, I blow up on my own kids for going into the reptile room without an adult.