Lace Monitor tips

[seanjbkorbett]

Hey guys!...and no hello's to the people who might diss me via this thread..
Just bought a babey lacey 5 mnths old,iv learnt alot,iv red alot im not a idiot,would jsut like to know if there is anybody out there with good tips on getting babey laceys used to u and "dog-tame" obviosuly as time goes..im aware they can be bitey,and alot of patience is involved in the taming up of a lacey(and it CAN be done,iv seen them dog-tame)..im keen,im ready,i got my own ways i think that r working.. but i would jsut like to know how u guys did it (if u did it),and would like to know some tips if any one is willing to give me any (and no im not getting rid of him.LOL)and jsut basically your views on raising laceys (not talking about the enclosures,feeding or temperatur,i got that sussed) just the whole..bonding between you and your lacey..iam interested to know...maybe my ways are wrong.
thank you for any mature response to this..any info,tips would be much appreaciated,
cheers
suidafrikaan guy.
P.S
-wanna b herpetologist scientists who "think" they know evrything
-haters
-lace monitor haters
-bossy people

dont bother to reply to this thread

 

[sweetangel]

lol nice....

well i have never kept a lacy but was thinking of getting one and a guy i was talking to said not to pick them up when they are little as they think they will be eaten as they are litte they associate being picked up as bad. he said to sort of have them be comfortable with you being around with say the cage door open and just be there. then as they get bigger and more comfortable with yu being around then u can start touching them and stuff.... but yeah this is what i have been told so correct me if i'm wrong

good luck though.

post some pics

 

[seanjbkorbett]

in a strange way...ur actually right...take my time...soon he'll ask me to marry him.....

 

[Gavin]

Well, i would just handle it heaps but not to the extent that it would stress out.

 

[Aslan]

Sean - Some advice that has proven true with my smaller Monitors (they aren't generally handled, but as far as calming down in general) is to let them get used to you in and around the enclosure without being 'harassed' (for lack of a better word). The enclosure is really only the one safe place they have - and if they can't retreat and feel safe in there no matter what then they seem to have a harder time settling in...

Some good people to ask would be Peterjohnson and Crocdoc - both have some nice, calm, Lacies...

 

[Aslan]

Well, i would just handle it heaps but not to the extent that it would stress out.

...at what point does it stress out...?

...in the case of a Lacie it is probably the point immediately prior to you losing some fingers...

 

[seanjbkorbett]

yeah sweet angel,that sounds about..very correct..lol..thats what iv been told and been doing with him,.i let him walk oround my room now and again,he doesnt seem to take notice of me,.also while he is basking or chillin on his log in the enclosure,i lay my hand next to him(obviosly not smelling like food) and h'es aktually let my hand get closer and closer to him with out it even bothering him,till im closer enough to gently touch him and h'es cool with it..but yeah wh0nt let me pick him up,i'll jsut have to wait till he climbs up on my hand....thnks for adding sumthing seriouse into this thread....and reneagade your mum has a beard..

 

[seanjbkorbett]

Dont worry Aslan..im not that stupid to do that with a lacey....cheers for the reply

 

[Sarah24]

you got your thread going!!! well done!!! sorry...i have no tips for you..i know nothing about laceys

 

[mckellar007]

place the enclosure in a place that is highly trafficed in the house by people, this way everytime you approach the enclosure, its not thinking your going to harass it and pull it out, go about your daily routine(cleaning, feeding etc) without upsetting or touching it, lacies are very curious,in time it will stop running off and hiding every time you come near the enclosure and after a while it will come over and start to investigate you, as time goes on and it begins to trust you more, you will be able to offer a hand or something for it to climb on, leave its enclosure door open and let it wander the room under your watchful eye, and eventually you will be best of buds(note:this may and probably will take years)

this isnt something i have got from personal experience, ive been reading up for quiet a while and that is what i have found to be the most effective method, rather then forced handling.

jason

 

[serpenttongue]

You really need to avoid handling as much as possible while it is young. Let it become familiar with it's surroundings. Dont always reach in to have a 5 minute fondle or pull it out of it's hide, as this does stress the animal (a lacey at any age can become stressed). In fact i believe that every time young handle a baby Lacey you are actually taking a step back, instead of a positive step forward in gaining it's trust.

If you do all these things every thing will run smoothly. The Lacey will begin to bask and not feel the need to race off under it's hide every time you appear, and this will lead to animal feeling safe and confident about approaching you for food. Allow the Lacey to make the decision to approach you, instead of you reaching in for it.

I dont think any Lacey becomes dogtame. They all have their limits as to what they will tolerate, but they do seem to slow down and become more calm as large adults (except for feeding time).

 

[seanjbkorbett]

Chhers people for adding yah comments

 

[freerider]

I have been keeping monitors for a long while now and I think what you will find with large smart monitors is that they have their own personalities, I have a large male who is very placed and a female raised in the same cage, the same way (avoiding handling, quite cage, plenty of hides etc that will not hesitate to try and remove your fingers. The first thing you will start to notice when they get some size to them is that the claws are very sharp, and in the case of a full grown male will punch right through your skin without any effort (anyone who has handled a fully grown lacie will agree). This limits your ability to "handle" a "dog-tame" lizard quite a bit. The second thing you will notice is that the more "tame" they get the less shy they are around feeding time, you will soon see that a large monitor (5ft plus) that knows you have food in your hand coming into the cage is extremely dangerous. In my opinion it is easier to keep a skittish lacie than a tame one!
Saying that I think your best bet is to give your monitor some space and learn how it reacts to you. Then plan your "taming plan" around that. The worst thing you could do IMO is to bully it by handling and removing it from its hide every 10mins.
Good luck!