Just to let you know golden tegus get really aggressive once they hit 1 year old that's why everyone recommends Argentines and not the golden one you wanted to keep
MrBeatboxmasta well he said the lizard calmed down a lot and used him as safety in water, but I don’t think he would film it or be in the tub with a lizard naked cause then people would ask even more questions
Saw a huge behavioral improvement, like, 30 seconds in. 3 years ago she would have stress-pooped all over the bath tub and unswaddling would have been nearly out of the question. Great to see her become more trusting, though she still seems stressed about the camera being around her when she's wandering. Can confirm that most varanid owners will tell you they aren't good pets. They're all crazy in their own way. The only one I've seen consistently praised is the Ackie. Otherwise they say "just get a tegu".
Everything I’ve seen about Ackies makes me want one. Basically seems like someone shrank a monitor and sent it etiquette school. Definitely gonna ease back into reptiles (haven’t had any since I was 12) but looking forward after I feel confident again.... I’m looking to do an ackie.
@@d-fens5866 Ackies are adorable and a totally safe way to get into monitors. I've seen some crazy Ackies, but it's just something very tolerable as opposed to a 8-12 foot Nile. Savannas are notoriously crazy and difficult to handle considering they are on the smaller side. Asian Water Monitors are like Ackies, but the big version. I dunno, with varanids it really is a toss up whether or not you get a tameable one or a crazy one. I've seen puppy dog tame Savannas and Niles and everyone in the hobby scorns them for being some of the worst!
@Hunter Bergman Very true, I've heard good things about them as well. Just like with the Tegu, adult size requires a lot of planning and money but their temperaments are generally awesome.
in my experience with savannas, at the start, they tend to be aggressive/ temperamental but after consistent handling, they become big babies that will fall asleep on you. Of course the animal's background and individual temperament can affect this, but if handled regularly they can be calm and even friendly
I'm so glad there's ~exotic~ animal content on RU-vid where the host has super calm energy. these are great to watch at work when I need to calm down from an interaction with a horrible customer lmao
The first 10 secs i was like omg this is nice just a dude chillin with a cold one and a lizard then it hit me u were just fully clothed and idk why it took me so long to process
Adorable chaotic lil baby, you did so well to deal with her and was so patient. I can see you clearly love and care about your animals, while still making sure you’re not misinformed on their care.
The veterinary student in me is screaming to post about most reptiles having salmonella and you are bathing with it. literally a question on our board exams goes a lot like “an owner says they want to bath with there reptile what should you warn them about” the answer is salmonella. Please be careful....
its hard to imagine you arent even 21 and the time and effort you've put into your business and passion still surprises me after reminding us how old or i should say young you are again in the start of this video. im glad for the video on another happy animal.
"Okay but I didn't become parasitic..... wait.... how would I know that? Okay well I DON'T THINK I have parasites " = bobs up and down with nose and mouth submerged in the water, while mumbling more about parasites = Platonically, I love you
Your attitude is so different in this video. I love that you’re more comfortable and happy about this topic. Thank you for sharing and I’m so happy that your patience went a long way 💜
I have a rescue sav as well. She was in way worse condition but luckily a year later she's healthy and thriving. Her enclosure cost be about $800 to build and fill with dirt, her vet bills and Hotel stays in the city will she was at the vet was close to $2500. Savs are not easy pets to own, especially for green exotic owners. Glad to see she's doing well. Her weight looks great imo. She's still fiesty which is a good sign of a healthy sav (so I've been told).
Early experience can have a big effect - I had a savannah who bonded well with me (not so much everyone else!) and was cantankerous but easy to handle anyway. Your girl probably had some rough times early on. There’s something to be said for bonding with the strays, ferals and problem children of the world though. Makes you appreciate the connection more.
My guy is about to turn 4, took months of training to build a trusting relationship with him and now he comes right up to me when I got to his cage he climbes up my legs to get up to me, hes 3 foot long in a 6x8x7 green house in my living room
Yep when we got our kitten at 2 months old from a shelter she had tapeworm and she was super stunted! Obviously we gave her the proper meds and vet treatment but she had them for quite some time before they actually went away. She’s a small lil girl but she’s the cutest ever! She’s 7 now and has NEVER been more than 9 lbs
This heart warming af Bonibel does seem much happier its a good thing someone like you who was willing to put in the time and effort got her or else she probably would've had to suffer through who knows how many other horrible living situations
Bonibel is so fortunate you care about her. She has bee quite challenge to restore her health and earn her trust. I really like her and I hope you show her often.
Pretty neat to see the changes over the time you've had her. Her colouring really is quite pretty and she seems a lot more comfortable with you. Bath bonding is amusing but apparently effective!
I was fortunate enough to get a rescued savannah that came from someone who put in the effort to tame him. He was a sweetheart from the beginning and I love him so much. I'm wondering if maybe the presuming everything is a threat thing with Bonabelle was more Nurture than Nature. Ducky (my Savannah) generally doesn't get scared even of new things. He doesn't mind my dogs at all, will let literally anyone pick him up/hold him, and only reacts defensively if you startle him (which is very rare). I'm so glad you've been able to bond with her!
Big fan! I have a rescue savannah monitor as well, so I'll go through this and respond with comparisons to my own monitor (who I'll refer to as Drogon from here on.) - Intelligence. Drogon seems to be equal to (and sometimes above) the intelligence of tegus that I've interacted with. He recognizes faces and voices, and he's snap and clicker trained. While he can be moody sometimes, that's just par for the course when it comes to monitors. Intelligence (and common sense) seems to vary from animal to animal (just like people.) - Attitude. I think Bonnibel's size and history is why she's skittish -- as Drogon's gotten larger, he's become more and more mellowed out. It makes sense because there are many predators that would feed on small monitors, so the defensive attitude when they're small is what keeps them alive. I also rehabilitated Drogon myself and work with him every day, so this contributed to his taming. Since Bonnibel has gone through multiple owners that didn't care for her very well or work on handling her, that's likely why she's still skittish now. It'll change in time, it just requires dedication (which you obviously have!) - Regret. I don't regret getting Drogon at all, but it's definitely been a long and hard road for the both of us. I have to say that savs are very unique lizards and vary a lot between individuals. At times it's like raising a scaly baby or puppy. No amount of reading or research can prepare you for raising one. When I got Drogon he was only hatchling size -- honestly, he was likely older because of the conditions he'd been kept in. He was too weak to fight me, so luckily I didn't have to deal with defensive bites very often. I've worked with him every day since, so he never had a "feral" period where his taming progress went backwards. There's been an accidental bite here and there, and it's never fun to be bitten by a two-foot-long lizard, but I've only been bitten during feeding, which sucks because he's in that food mindset and won't let go -- I have scars. He's never bitten me out of defense or aggression. - Baths. I did the exact same thing, but with another rescue of mine -- a green iguana. She suffered extreme burns on her chest and abdomen and had a bad case of stuck shed on top of a fungal infection. She had to have iodine baths, so I worked on taming her with letting her crawl up my arm when the baths were over. Being able to apply fungal cream without being bitten felt like such an accomplishment. - Parasites. Honestly the majority of savs have parasites because most of them are wild-caught. While you can (as you said) get the parasite medication online, I always recommend going to a vet and allowing them to do a full check-up and ask for recommendations on the medication. When I brought Drogon home I always used latex gloves until he finished his parasite treatment. I actually recommend wearing gloves for handling/working with ALL reptiles until/unless you're certain they're parasite-free, and always wash your hands between reptiles so you don't spread anything. - Bites. Savs are insectivores and adults love to feed on large snails. Their jaws are very strong and get closer to the back of the jaw, with blunt teeth that assist in cracking the shells of snails. Personally I love their little death roll -- it's adorable watching Drogon roll with his toys. - Weight. Savs are extremely prone to being overweight because they're honestly quite lazy. It's good to use toys to keep them active. Cat toys with feathers work well, and it's good exercise to make them run after the toys. Bonnibel looks like she's at the perfect weight!
Wow she's so small. Mine is going on 3 years and is huge. I'm sure the parasites and poor care really took its toll on her early years. She may have some MBD. Just an example of why wild caught and inadequate care is bad. I think savannah monitors are smart, but tend to be more instinctual before they apply their brain. Like many reptiles, they seem to have a hard time getting over bad experiences in their youth. So many angry faces!
I love how she was just resting her head on her little leg in those pictures of her. What a sweet little face. I've never heard of a savannah monitor before. Oh there are so many lizards that I would love to have. My dream is a black-and-white Tegu. Now I think I'd like a monitor. Or a rhino iguana. Like I said so many lizards is so little time and money
It's good to see somebody your age have such compassion for these animals I was young like you when I started my adventures in herpping! You are definitely very educated on the subject a lot more than I was when I was your age it's just really nice to see someone like you doing the job that you do I'm very proud of you
Ok, it’s decided, my first pet will be an Ackie, those things will eat my dog, my cousin, my soul, my money. EDIT: By ‘those things’ I mean Savannah Monitors.
