My monitor is upset

Discussion in 'Monitors & Tegus' started by lllxtclll, Sep 29, 2008.

  1. lllxtclll

    lllxtclll New Member

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    My large Savanna Monitor has recently become upset inside his tank. He's tearing leaves off plants, colapsing the roof on his "house" flipping over his soaking pool, food dishes, and other decor... digging mulch, and causing chaos. However when I take him out for some snuggling or a walk he's completly content. I took him out a lot this summer because I had a part-time job and had the time. However now that it's fall, cooling down and I have a 40hr/ wk job I don't have as much time he seems pissed. I still take him out almost every day for maybe an hour if I can....but it's a lot less time then what I used too. Will he just get used to it now or is there anything I can do to stop him from causing so much chaos in his tank?
     
  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  3. crocdoc

    crocdoc New Member

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    what size is the enclosure relative to the monitor?
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  5. lllxtclll

    lllxtclll New Member

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    He is about 2.5 feet long with a 150gallon tank. The tank is probably 2 of his length long and almost 1 of him wide. Hes had the tank for about a year and been fine with it until recently. He has a large soaking bowl, large den with a flat basking roof, plants, and mind stimulating objects/ decor. All summer I had him out with me for long walks or just carried around. I can't take him out that long anymore now that I'm working full time again and its getting cooler outside with fall. Hes out with me now asleep on my shoulder, happy as can be.
     
  6. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  7. dekor

    dekor New Member

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    I'd probably say the size, Loki is around 2.5 ft now and I'm having to build his new enclosure which is 6ft Long x 4ft Wide x 4ft High. He used to be really active but lately is quieting down and not exploring his tank as much. I think it is the lack of space, he is fine when he is out of tank and exploring house.
     
  8. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  9. lllxtclll

    lllxtclll New Member

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    It could be, he's rust restless and angry back inside his tank.
     
  10. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  11. crocdoc

    crocdoc New Member

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    Sounds like an enclosure size issue. Got any photos of the setup?
     
  12. lllxtclll

    lllxtclll New Member

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    So, I consulted my vet and he has told me that smarter large lizards can get separation anxiety when they become accustomed to owners handling them a lot. He suggested I try giving him a fake lizard friend...it worked for about 2 days. However...then I have given him a small stuffed animal that I was told to sleep with a few nights so that it smelled like me and so far he's ok. He sleeps with it, it's so cute! I hope this works now.
     
  13. crocdoc

    crocdoc New Member

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    separation anxiety.... lol.

    Time to change vets from one that deals with fluffies to one that deals with reptiles.
     
  14. lllxtclll

    lllxtclll New Member

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    He is a reptile vet...and his advise is working.
     
  15. crocdoc

    crocdoc New Member

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    Um, yeah... it's a whole two days. Once the curiosity over the new object in its enclosure passes, it'll be back to its old behaviour.
     
  16. lllxtclll

    lllxtclll New Member

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    October 21st...the stuffed toy is still helping a lot when i'm not around. He still gets frustrated when he sees me from inside his tank and tries to climb the walls. But when I put him back and leave, he seems to go in his hideaway and sleep with the stuffed toy till I come back and he awakes. He hasn't broken or knocked over anything.
     
  17. dagreek514

    dagreek514 Embryo

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    anyone no any breeders for savs in montreal
     
  18. crocdoc

    crocdoc New Member

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    I'll try to explain it another way. My monitors are let out daily for a roam around my place: Here's a video link video of my monitors' routine for being let out

    Because they're let out daily and because they know that I'm the person that lets them out, when they see me they sit at the front of the enclosure and tongue flick at me, the trigger to be let out. If I don't let them out, depending on their moods or desires, sometimes they scratch to be let out and sometimes they figure out nothing is happening and go wandering about their business. Even if they seem very frustrated and scratch like mad to be let out, it isn't my attention they're after - I'm just the conduit to them being let out. They like to wander around outside their enclosure. All of the stuffed toys in the world (unless they were scented with mice) wouldn't change a thing.

    Monitors are not social mammals, like puppies or monkeys, that get comfort out of a stuffed toy. But I do have a question for you - how do you know whether or not the stuffed toy is working when you're not around, if you're not around to observe it? :rolleyes:
     
  19. dagreek514

    dagreek514 Embryo

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    try and make ur room sav proof and let him roam around in there hell love it and not b soo mad it sounds like hes having a tantrum cuz he wants to come out and play
     
  20. dekor

    dekor New Member

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    Also I would still advise a bigger enclosure, make sure when you do get new one you have a good couple of foot of soil in it for him/her to burrow in. They love them and as you said that your sav is digging up the substrate it could be that they are trying to burrow.
     
  21. Herp__Kid

    Herp__Kid Member

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    monitors are smart, they see you as security, if they have something there to give them that sense of security they won't rely on you as much.
     
  22. crocdoc

    crocdoc New Member

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    Monitors don't see people as security. You may represent a familiar smell if you were to take the monitor out of its environment, but other than that they don't seek security in other animals in the way a social mammal might. You're essentially a piece of the furniture that moves and that sometimes provides food.

    There seems to be a tendency for anthropomorphising lizards on this forum!
     
  23. lllxtclll

    lllxtclll New Member

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    A lizard is a lizard no matter how much love and care I give him. He may be my baby, but he is not a human. The intelligence of some creatures such as my monitor is incredible! I believe crocdoc you know what your talking about and to an extent, you may be right in that he just wants to get out. But I trust in my reptile vet and I believe the results I see. I fell asleep on the futon the other day and freaked out when I had awoke not knowing how long I had been asleep and my monitor had been unsupervised. Instead of laying beneath the fridge or in front of the heater (10 feet from the futon) where it is warmest, he had decided to find a way to climb the futon and fall asleep in my hair. Call that cute! A lizard is a lizard and by far not a person, but his emotions, intelligence and personality make him an amazing lizard.
     
  24. Butters1101

    Butters1101 Embryo

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    HAHAHAHA nice
     
  25. anders65

    anders65 Embryo

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    lllXTClll,
    Your monitors dying for a sh*t and daren,t have one cause he knows he,ll have to lay in it in his undersized tank ( i,m not even joking)!
    Thats why he constantly tries to escape and you have to bathe him(another thread) to make him poo all the time (+ maybe basking temp and humidity problems).

    I kept my daughters rescued sav in an (emergency) undersized viv for a phew (ha ha) weeks and he used to go frantic , escape and stink the room out ! Hes in a lot bigger viv now (last 3 yrs ) and he,s fine.

    Andy w
     

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