I just got my baby nile monitor yesterday and was wondering when would be an appropriate time to start slowly handling him?

You need to give s/he at least a week to settle to its new surroundings, then take it slow a little bit at a time.

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MARSHA
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After that...start asap!! Niles are not commonly tamed down! i still ave to see one in the flesh. I have dealt with them in the wild and they are not somthing to mess around with as adults. You will need to start now while it is young...just take the pain...but as said, let it get used to people walking around etc.. otherwise grabbing it will not tame it down. Let it get used to eating while you are there eeding it etc.

good luck!!

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I would invest in a good pair of leather work gloves if he turns out to be a pain in the rear... I used them with mean snakes, and while tameing my water dragon. It doesnt protect you 100% but it sure does take the edge off a bite.

Also get a really heavy long sleeved shirt or jacket. I have a really thick canvas jacket that I wear around the mean lizards. On occasion I forget it and you can see the evidence on my arms from getting torn open often.

Once you have an understanding with the lizard I would strongly urge you to play with the feet and toes often and touch around the head a lot that way when it comes time to clip the nails or open the mouth to administer medications the lizard is used to be handled in that manner.

Also STAND YOUR GROUND. You chose a very difficult lizard and you cannot let it think that it is in charge.

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~Lacey~

My Photos

It only took me till the third day to get my "little killer" to eat out of my hand! Actually today is going to be a full week I have hand him, and I made him come to me today to eat. He actually ate out of my hand and everything, despite mistaking my thumb as part of his hard-boiled egg! haha...