I GOT A BABY ARGUS!!!!

Hellbound · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:29 pm Post subject: I GOT A BABY ARGUS!!!!

My local reptile shop, Radical Reptiles, had a juevie argus monitor that i had been eyein for quite some time now. They said she was about 9 10 months old. Shes around 14 15 inches. Does that seem small to anyone for her age? Anyway she is awesome! Ive never had the pleasure of owning such an interesting animal. Non stop diggin, walkin, swimmin and EATING! Man can the thing eat! 2 hoppers and about 30 crickets an hour after being put in her new enclosure! I also have cats which she finds very interesting, always doin the tripod stance they use to see over tall grass ect in the wild.

I wanted to know if anyone here has/had an argus before. I know they are not shy animals, so i was wondering if i should still give a week or so for her to settle in before trying to pet/hold her. I konw they dont really "tame" completely, so id like it get a jump start on gettin her used to me. Any advice would be much appreciated!

O ya, id like to post some pics, but it says that the picture im trying to upload is to large, does anyone know a way that i could down size the pic so i could show you guys?!

Thanks

Matt

prcdslnc13 · Member Joined: Feb 16, 2005 Posts: 30

hehehehe your in for an "interesting" ride. Argus are hands down one of the most interesting monitors if you like watching animals. he will never stop and will always be on the look out for you. mine learned when I came home from school work when I woke up everything. They arent nice. lets just get that out of the way. but they are tolerant. mine would scratch claw anything to get away although he never bit me (tried once or twice though). But he would tolerate my presence as long as a kept a decent distance. He wasnt afraid of me that was for sure. Just didnt like me much lol. Thats what Ive always found so great about monitors and tegus. They really are "tolerant" most arent scared by much they just dont like you lol. Anyway Give him some time just like a tegu, to get used to you, then start working slow. I will say this, they are one of the smartest lizards Ive ever worked with, like cat or dog smart so just remember that when your working with him.

hoosier · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject:

YAY!!! post some pics as soon as you can so i can see your new little beast!!! i want one... lol
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"To be great is to be misunderstood. . ."

Nyarlathotep · Member Joined: Sep 11, 2007 Posts: 24

It might be safe to call many monitors "cat or dog smart", but from in my (purely subjective) opinion, they're often far more clever (or downright cunning). Personality within a given species can vary drastically.

Take for example Timor "dwarf" monitors, usually flighty (to be expected for small species) but fairly non-aggressive. Currently in my collection is a timor whose aggression exceeds anything I've seen from a nile monitor. While taking him out for a taming session, he suddenly went limp (floppy_limp). My heart raced as a I wondered if clumsily killed the poor thing.

30 seconds of lifeless floppiness later, I've fully let my guard down (looking for stethoscope). He opens his eyes and latches onto my finger. Ten minutes submerged in his swimming pool convinces him to let go. I attribute the "playing dead" to stress and back off the "taming" process, keeping his tank partially covered, slowly approaching and backing off when his breathing rate increases.

A month passes, cage cleaning day, he's much calmer, so I decide to try a few minutes of handling before bagging and cleaning. I take him out and he relaxes and stops huffing within a few seconds, eyes locked with mine. This is a good sign. After a minute, he goes limp and a curious sense of deja vu sets in. You can guess the next part. Short answer is he learned that he can outsmart me by playing dead. This (empirically) defines the word "cunning" and defies documented timor behavior.

When buying any reptile, you're buying an individual, not necessarily a typical member of their species. This goes tenfold for monitors, who have far greater variance than most (even in the same clutch). Inspect, observe and handle at great length before buying one. (In my case I knew I was "adopting" an animal that might take years to acclimate). Unlike dogs (and arg tegus), there aren't many folks out there selectively breeding for personality.

That said, from what I've seen, argus monitors are (usually) among the most friendly, playful and dog-like (and least prone to bite). Again, individuals may vary considerably.
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