Just wondering if anyone has any knowledge of a breeder. considering building a set up but i don't even know where to find one

So I have a question. I've hand fed a few different reptiles in my life. Many of em just snap the food up as quick as they can, often nipping me in the process. I got this baby ackie a few days ago as an early Christmas present. And I'm kicking myself for not getting one sooner. It's amazing. I've named it Grimlock. I've started hand feeding it to form a bond of trust, and it seems to be working. But I've noticed that unlike any other reptiles I own (garter snakes excluded cause they're a lot like this) it doesn't just launch itself at the food. It seems to grab it with deliberate intentions of not snagging my finger. Is this something they're known for? Or am I over thinking this?

Hi Simple question live in US and looking for what paint to use to paint my monitor wooden enclosure?

I've been wondering on how to get top soil that would be safe for an ackie? I've been looking but I haven't found any that are

I've been giving through and researching into which monitor I'd want to get (not getting one any time soon, it'll realistically be another year or so before I get a monitor if the stars align, so lots of reading and prepping beforehand). I've been considering the Black Throats for a while (I've seen them called Black Dragons?) but recently have seen some recommendations on a Lace monitor as the best first monitor (excluding Ackies, I don't see myself getting one). What are y'all's thoughts? Drop some pictures, I love seeing them 🫶🏽

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More of a theoretical question here. Do you guys think that Nile monitors who are several generations removed from the wild will be as nervous and defensive as their current reputation? I say because there's been active captive breeding for a few years now in the US so in the future Niles won't always be imports.

If I had to guess, the 'true' captive bred Nile monitor disposition is probably something like that of a captive bred Argus monitor.

What do you guys think?

TLDR: I am desperate for some advice to rebuild trust with my juvinile asian water monitor.

She'll be 1 year old in February. When I got her last April she was fantastic, eating out of my hand, active and curious, and all over me when I went to interact and clean her area. She was in a 75g tank that I had in my room. The problems started when we moved her I to a larger enclosure. We built an 8'wx4'dx6'h room for her including a 55g pool with plumbing. When I went to move her she came out of her tank as normal. And went to explore the new area. She immediately seemed a little freaked out but I assumed it was because the new space was large and strange. I've been going Into the enclosure daily but it's been a couple months now and this is have gotten worse. She's become flighty, hisses, slaps, and today she made motions as if she was going to lunge/bite at me. I am so disheartened because the breeder is guessing that she has just decided not to trust me. I am ordering gloves (I haven't been using any) to attempt handling her again without getting seriously injured. I have been going in daily with food, I've left worn clothes in the enclosure for scent, and when I have time I've been sitting in the enclosure for an hour or so just chilling and trying to not stress her out. It's so heartbreaking have had such a well behaved and trusting monitor for her to change literally overnight into a scared desperate animal.

Please if you have any ideas or processes that I can try I'd love to hear it.

I’ve had my Savannah Monitor, Biscotti, for about six months and he’s going to be a year old in December. Handling is slow going but for the most part he’s been desensitized to me whenever I’m working within his tank and doesn’t mind being touched or briefly being picked up.

Because he’s a lot more comfortable with me I’m running into the issue of him CONSTANTLY biting out of, what feels like curiosity. I try to handle him either before or after feedings so there’s positive association with the touching. I don’t ever handle his food with my hands so I don’t think it’s that either.

Whenever he does bite, which he now tries almost every time I’m in his tank, he tends to taste, scratch at, then “test bite.” Sometimes he’ll put more force but let’s go pretty quickly once I react to the bite. Sometimes it’s my hands/fingers, other times my forearm, whatever he feels like testing lol

I mainly just would appreciate advice on how to deter his biting behavior, it doesn’t hurt much now but I fear it will persist even when he gets bigger and he may actually do some damage. Thank you!

Here are my Wants from a Monitor

1. Friendly (not likely probably)

2. Seafood Enjoyer

3. Big as i can legally get with these requirements (Washington State)

I have been thinking about getting an Argus monitor and I’m currently in mississippi, I looked it up and didn’t get any good information on the laws. I’ve been searching for a while so I may as well ask strangers on the internet, I might get a different, smaller, low maintenance reptile. I have a ball python so anything will help

Hey guys! I got my 1 yr old male ackie about 3 wks ago. Hes in a smaller enclosure as I'm waiting on our big boy enclosure from Toad Ranch. It won't be here til the end of December sooo in the meantime I'm wanting to set up a dig box since I dont have enough space to do the amt of substrate i need to do in the whole enclosure bec its too small. Any suggestions? Any pics of your own dig box?

does anyone know where i can get snails to feed a savannah monitor? i have seen plenty of diet charts but it wouldn’t hurt to send me more!

hes 4 years old and is about 60cm long. i got him a bit over 2 months ago and he loves to come out of his enclosure and spend time with me, he’s very active and likes climbing around his enclosure & my room. i’ve only been able to get him to eat three times since i’ve gotten him, and he’d only eat scrambled chicken eggs or a chicken liver, heart and giblet mix. hes only interested in food like every 3 weeks and i was just wondering if that’s something i should be concerned about. i don’t know how much his precious owner fed him but i know he’d mainly feed him scrambled chicken eggs and mince. hes pooping fine and his basking temp is 60 degrees n his ambient temp is 30-33 degrees

hi everyone, i have a 4 year old blackheaded monitor ( v tristis tristis ) that i got over two months ago now. he loves to come out of his enclosure and sit in the sun / explore my room but im a bit worried about him getting too cold or something. are there any downsides of him staying out of his enclosure for too long? and how long should i let him stay out for? thankyou

I feed my dubias oranges. Someone told me that it's not ok to feed my lizards dubias that ate oranges (or any other citrics for that matter). Is it true? I don't want to hurt my monitor

Hello! I recently got a green tree monitor. I’ve worked with marine mammals and dogs but reptiles and bird behavior I still struggle to understand. They always seem to look like they are willing to socialize and interact then when I try they are like nopppeeee. Any suggestions on ways to socialize? The monitor is already pretty social and when it is (not sure gender yet since it’s still young) out of the enclosure it has no problem getting chin back and head rubs. But when in the enclosure it can be a little hard to convince it to come out. Any help would be appreciated 😊

Birdies nails were getting too sharp for handling so I trimmed em today, and she was fine during it, but definitely not happy. She is getting floor roaches (roaches for her to chase after on the floor) to make up for it

I’m trying to an Ackie Monitor around Christmas time as a baby my current enclosure size is around 4x2x2 feet I know it’s not big enough so what time does it need to get bigger. How can I get a big enclosure for cheap.