Why is my sub-adult blackthroat monitor becoming so mean?

Question

my blackthroat is about a year old its been handable all this time i moved it to a hundrted and fifty gallon tank and its attitude has just suddenly changed ive been feeding it live mice once a week since i got her and ive been handeling her almost everyday but now shes becoming more mean everyday does anyone have any techniques i can apply to change her behavior,she will be eating dead mice now, live food is no longer gonna be part of her diet, anything else you can suggest?

Answer 1

Jason is rite and another thing is that you should not be feeding your black throat once a week but rather everyday or every other day, and why is live food going to no longer be part of its diet, it is actually healthy for your monitor to chase down its prey. I hope you know all the facts about your monitor and you are more worried about its health and husbandry needs rather then just being able to handle it. I do not mean to come off as being rude or mean but i hate to see so many monitors come to an early death do to the lack of knowledge held by the owner. Monitor lizards are my favorite reptile species and i want to do everything in my power to keep them going and if that means to bet stern with a few ppl then i will do so. Anyway about your question it is at that age where it is goin to be feisty for a while and not want anything to do with you, just give it its space try not to stress it out to much and cut back on the handling, how much handling do you think you are goin to do with it when it is 6.5 feet anyway. I would concern yourself more with its basic needs first and just make sure you have a healthy, happy monitor.

Answer 2

Well, believe it or not, your lizard is probably going through its teenage/pubery years.  He will be more agressive, have more health problems, and be a little less active during the next 6 months-1 year.  But once it's over, he'll be nicer than ever.

Answer 3

for reptiles,beyond handling them there isn't too much to do. Monitors can be aggressive sometimes no matter what you do. This could be a phase, but it could also be something permanent. Just continue to do what you can.  

Answer 4

stress, illness, feeling scared in its new tank, incorrect humidity or temperature any of these could be the cause and this list is could go on and on. or it could just be turning meaner some lizards have random behavior or mood swings  

Answer 5

you should not be asking about changing your monitors behavior. you should be asking about fixing your husbandry! your question clearly shows you do not know how to properly care for your monitor and as long as you keep asking questions that are irrelevant to the real situation your monitor WILL go down hill and fast. think of it this way if you likes ... your monitor is being mean because you are not caring for it properly.ask more important questions.