TRULY CAPTIVE BRED AND BORN HATCHLING CROC MONITOR

Originally Posted by RB_BPz

CB Croc Monitors are tame my friend. I have a friend who owns a Long Term Female...He picks her up, gives her showers, kisses her and when he calls her she comes...I can have him email you pics if you think im kidding

NOT all Croc monitors are nasty or deadly...Yes they are dangerous. Pitbulls are dangerous, but they are one of the most loyal amazing dogs to own and keep. Its the owner.

If this croc is being sold as tame. I believe it. Especially ReptileRangers Crocs. He trains and works with his MOnitors.

Pablo G.

LOL. I got cbb ackies that bite. Just because its cb does not mean its docile. I'm sorry but croc monitors are not for everyone. I'm willing to bet this (tame) croc does not have the best of husbandry.

I have a tame alligator but its kept at 60 degs. Go figure.

LOL...Oh this croc's husbandry is as close as the Papua Canopys get...He is one passionate dude about husbandry...

An interacted CB ANYTHING can and will be docile/tame...Ive seen it from Venomous down to Nile Crocs (yes Nile crocs)...

But oh well different views...it happens man

Originally Posted by RB_BPz

LOL...Oh this croc's husbandry is as close as the Papua Canopys get...He is one passionate dude about husbandry...

An interacted CB ANYTHING can and will be docile/tame...Ive seen it from Venomous down to Nile Crocs (yes Nile crocs)...

But oh well different views...it happens man

Pm me pics i would like to see the setup.

How about posting them publicly since the advertisement has turned into a discussion thread

I never reply to ads, but when I read an ad claiming to sell tame croc monitor, I can barely contain myself. These claims and comments really show one's lack of knowledge, experience, and maturity level. Let's get one thing straight right now. There is no such thing as a tame croc monitor, or any tame monitor for that sake. Monitors are not tame, they are only tolerant of their environments and interaction with people. Yes I have large monitors myself that are like dogs, but I know better and especially with crocs. I have been keeping monitors and crocs for over 30 years and I am really tired of people treating these animals like fluffy puppy dogs. This is why I hate reptile shows. Most, not all, people walk around the shows trading reptiles like as if they were baseball cards. Sure the breeders love you people because you are putting money in their pockets and I know that the dealers realize the fate that these animals will meet in the hands of these inexperienced and ignorant kids. Selling a baby croc at just a few months proves the point that if you were "passionate" about your monitors than you would never be selling it in the first place. Sorry Pablo, "passion" never replaces intelligence "dude". People like this shame the serious reptile keepers and it should piss serious keepers off because one day people like this will prevent us from keeping animals anymore. You know what I mean. One day enough people will get injured or release their animals into a neighborhood and we will lose our right to keep these animals. I too have purchased a baby croc from Reptile Ranger and the baby is anything but "tame". Ask the Ranger, I have had several conversations with him about the baby and the developmental changes the baby is going through. Purchasing a croc should require a license and part of the license requirement should be a enclosure "facility" inspection. That's right, facility not your bedroom or garage. A double door, double lock, detached building or room in which access is involved. Croc keeping should be treated like keeping venomous species because of the level of danger. And shame on dealers for selling crocs to the general public. This is an outright ignorant crime. When the Reptile Ranger sold the croc baby to me, I had to supply pics of my enclosure and had basically interview conversations with him in order to purchase the baby, very responsible, How this guy got the baby, I'm sure you swindled or mislead the Ranger. Why are you cramming large rodents down his throat like that?!!!!! I know, because you think it is "cool" to watch "dude". This is an outrage. I'm sure the Ranger was happy to see his baby being treated like that!!!!! And as far as your friend kissing a croc, one day they will surely be getting their lips sewn back on. I have had my mistakes with crocs over the years as well. I am missing part of my forearm from a 3.5 foot croc. What happens when they are 6-7 foot?!!! NERD has described crocs the best, "scalpels and razor blades". Crocs are on a totally different level of monitor, a level they occupy by themselves. They are very cryptive monitors. They are highly intelligent, patient predators with an explosive and lightning fast defensive reaction and it is called offense. And anyone that has experience with crocs will tell you that with these guys it only takes one time and you are in serious trouble. I would much rather wrestle an alligator than be on the business end of a croc monitor. I have dealt with these guys for years and I occasionally think that the best thing would be for me to get rid of them. As much as I love these guys, and crocs are definitely my favorite, I responsibly believe that they should be taken out of the pet trade. Some days I take my baby out and one day he is walking onto my hand and another day he is lunging at me with his mouth open and trust me my enclosures and my practices are better than that of a zoo. If you are going to purchase this guy you better be ready for it. Before you know it they are a large powerful monitor that will bite right through a welding glove with ease....trust me I know. And here's something that I do, when closing the enclosure and the reptile room, have a second individual check the locks and have someone present when handling a croc. I can't stress how serious crocs are and unfortunately many won't realize it either until they are bitten. Very horrific...tendon damage, infection, detached fingers, vascular repair surgeries, scars for life, etc.!!!!!. I hope that I got some serious keepers thinking about how these people will eventually ruin our privilege to keep reptiles. And for you Pablo, you and your friends should go to the pet store and get some nice hamsters and stay away from reptiles for our sake and don't reply either because none of us are interested in what you have to say....reptiles aren't bling to accent your piercings.

VERY VERY nice post there Jeff!! I have never owned a croc monitor, so i dont have the experience you do, but i have dealt with other species of monito and have dealt with a handful of semi-decent croc monitors and they are at time downright scary. I love crocs too, and i would ONE day love to own one myself. But like you said, not until I can properly house this species. I have plans for a very very large facility that i will build once i get a bigger place. It would be easy to go and pickup a baby and house it in something small, but why treat this amazing animal with such disregard for the animals well being. I also agree with you that i wouldn never call ANY monitor TAME. I wouldnt never give it 100% of my trust and the people that do are just asking for trouble. While i have to say i think starting from a CB or VERY small WC hatchling, there is a way better chance that the animal will become more tolerant then say a juvenile or subadult WC animal, but still, these animals are like playing with a loaded gun.....sorry for my rant.

JacobK,
You sound like you are at the beginning of being are very responsible reptile keeper and I respect that. I too have learned the hard way with monitors and more than once. I have had a lot of accidents with crocs and sometimes I have abandoned keeping them because of it. When I realized what they are is when I have had good experiences with them. Like everything and all hobbies, there are risks. Once a person is prepared themselves of the risks is when positive experiences come to them. Trust me, I am not condemning or trying discourage anyone from wanting to have there own experience with crocs, but why not take real world advice from people that have been through it with these guys. Talk to NERD, Reptile Ranger, Pro Exotics, LLL Reptile, myself, and we will all tell you that these guys shouldn't even be sold in the pet trade. When I was a kid I ordered a 5 foot croc from Zoological Imports. It was $450 plus shipping and I was so excited to get a large, rare monitor for a reasonable price. Luckily for myself when I received him, he was very ill. When I opened the box he was limp, dehydrated, very thin, and listless. He could barely move and to me that is heart wrenching. Once I nourished him back to health, he was a monster. If you have ever seen a 5 foot croc with his mouth reared, you'll know what I mean!!!! If he would have been in good health when I opened the box, he would have caused serious injury. The first place my monitors want to go is on my shoulder or on top of my head and a croc is definitely capable of opening up your carotid artery with ease. I had a croc that was like a baby and I could walk around with him cradled in my arms for 3 years and one day my daughter screamed, like girls always do when excited, and he latched onto my arm like a cobra strike. The croc immediately went back to a relaxed mode sitting cutely in my arms while I tried to remain calm as I saw my arm in stringy gory slices of flesh mixed with muscle. The best way I can describe it is if you took a scalpel and sliced my arm about 1 1/4" deep slices. I believe it is their top teeth, the ones about a third of the way back in their mouth that does most of the damage. They are like fangs. I lost a tremendous amount of blood and the doctor was unsure what to do with me. He wanted to call the police because he claimed I was assaulted with a straight razor. I lost mobility of my arm and could not work for a month. I have dabbled with a lot of animals in my time and I was a Navy Diver and then a commercial diver occasionally seeing sharks and I once had a 3 foot nurse shark in a custom 1200 gallon aquarium. A friend has had a 6 foot green moray. You name it I had it....like a lot of animal lovers, I am like a little kid and I want it all. Out of all animals, even a cougar as a pet, nothing gets my utmost respect, and yes fear, than a croc monitor. And with all of that being said they are quite an investment. I build room size, zoo like enclosures and they cost me a fortune. If you want to get to a level of trust with your monitor, regardless of species, you need to build a room sized. You must be able to walk into their environment and prove to them they can trust you and never allow anyone else that isn't acclimated with your monitors to come close to them. You would then be violating the trust that was gained between the two of you. I know a lot of people will say that room sized for all monitors is crazy and that is simply further from the truth. All monitor keepers know that getting them out of their cage is the worst, they are aggressive, they are defending their home. With room size that reaction will eventually fade and is greatly beneficial to stress levels on you and your animal. You can still never violate their "security blanket", they still must have areas that they can retreat to and feel safe. You must strive to them allowing you to enter into that area with them feeling comfortable. I have that with my monitors and I do feel almost completely comfortable with them. Believe it or not, they come to me. The other key thing is to have elevated perches or branches,they never feel safe when on the ground. They are most relaxed when they are above you. This is why they always want to go on your head or shoulder. It isn't because they love you, it is because they are retreating to a safe haven. I have a 6 foot water monitor that climbs on branches most of the day and I will only interact with him when he is elevated. Of course the branches are really trees that I have cut down and they have a diameter of 10 inches and they almost killed me mounting them in the room. Instead of the natural look with trees you can very easily build shelf like areas, sturdy enough for them to climb onto. You will be amazed by the change in their behavior. So forget hides and build perches. Hides only allow your animal to hide all of the time and they will never acclimate to you and when you go into their hide to try and interact with them, they will not be happy. And forget dirt and all of these fancy substrates. I know I will hear an uproar when I say that but it is true. I know they love digging, but the bacteria that will spawn in these messy substrates will later prove a problem. When they are babies I give them a substrate they can dig in but when they are older I use a substrate that can clean easily. If you get frustrated with their care it will reflect in your animals. In my rooms I use linoleum or tile, it is cheap and cleans easily. Go to Cabela's or Petco and buy the Lectro Kennel dog heat mats. I buy the large mats. They are safe and they have a lower heat level than the other mats available for reptiles. They are extremely durable as well. The cost for a large mat is about $80 and they are about 2' x 4'. If you were to buy a reptile mat that size it would cost you $200 at least. A reptile's behavior is a direct reflection of their temperature. For perches I see people using nets, NEVER, their legs get caught in the nets and injures or dislocates their limbs. I know I'm not some well known reptile dealer, but I've been doing this for a long time and my water monitor is sitting on my lap right now and he looks pretty happy. His annual blood tests at the vet always come back perfect and I believe his favorite show is Sponge Bob!!! I love him like one of my kids too, but if he was sometimes aggressive it wouldn't be like that.

Good Luck! We always need to realize what we are getting ourselves in to.

I don't think there's a singly inquiry out of the 27 (now 28) posts within this classifieds ad. As such, its now closed (OP, repost if you like). There seem to be very informative posts here...posts which others may benefit from. The problem is that they were posted in the classifieds. With a click of the button the OP can delete this entire thread at any time. So not only are you risking receiving infractions (because such in-depth commentary is not appropriate for the classifieds), your insight will probably not reach its target audience.

The following is a link to the Iguanas & Monitors Discussion Forum...

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...splay.php?f=95

It would be nice to see this topic revisited there.