Evil Water Monitor

[Radkon4]

To make a long story short about a month ago I found / rescued a juvenile savannah monitor and an Asian water monitor. Both where abandoned by their owner at a house I was looking at. I took them both in they where dehydrated and starved; I think they went without food for like 2 months. Anyway they are both doing vine now I gave each of them a nice custom cage, heating and lots of mice with vitamins, I stopped giving them electrolytes last week since they no longer seem to need them. Now the problem the savannah is super calm and sweet, the water monitor is pure evil. He was fine when he was half dead (gee wonder why) but now that he has some life in him he seems to only live to make me bleed. People at work think I’m in to shooting heroin in to my hands and some serious s&m. This thing is EVIL. Here’s how I clean his cage. 1 I put on my heavy leather gloves, 2 I open the cage, 3 he bites my hand, 4 I clean the cage with him attached to my hand, 5 I walk to the kitchen to refill his water bowl with him still attached to my hand, 6 I ease the glove off that he is still biting and leave it with him in the cage, 7 I take the glove out with a snake hook after he lets it go ,, it takes about 2 to 3 hours for him to let go. Is there a way to tame him without harming him? I have heard of a shock technique where you imerce the lizard in cold water and let them heat back up in your hands, something about making the connections between warmth and the person. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks
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[eddie]

A moniter is a hunter, so it will be a lot harder to tame now. But the shock technique, I don't reccomend at all.
You would be taking an animal that is already scared of you and making him more scared by dunking.
The warmth can also be felt as the thing that put it in danger.
Just keep doing it like you are and it may come around on its own.
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[Ravnos]

I think you will find that most water monitors, once they've had a bad experience with humans, they don't tame back down very readily. A good set of leather gloves that go up your forearms, and gentle daily working with him. Eventually he will learn to tolerate your presence, but I've found that the chances of them coming all the way around to being kitten tame again is pretty slim... just be patient and persistant. =)

Rav

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[Radkon4]

Thanks for the advice, I figured there was little I could do. I just hope he calms down before he starts tipping the scales at the 100 pound mark.
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