Most rewarding monitor to keep as a pet?

[Jstew]

I don't think any monitor is social 24/7. My roughneck lets me know when she's bad enough with a warning whip, but besides that she's sweet as can be. I recommend her over flightier monitors like peach throats or mangroves.

 

[Dana C]

would you say white throats are similar to tegus, temperament wise? like, are there any monitors that get "tamed" like tegus?

No, not even close. Monitors can be aggressive. My Black Throat isn't but with their size, you should not take anything for granted. Mine seems to like contact when it is in his time and on his terms.
In terms of rewarding, I would have to go with Black Throat and or Sumatran Water Monitor, (very very large however)

 

[Nezzen]

Savannah monitors and tegus in my opinion behave identically. Than again all my lizards are the opposite of aggressive. Irish luck.

 

[Nezzen]

Savannah monitors...my heart throbs with them...so magesticly badger like. They reminde me a lot of cats mixed with badgers. In fact first in formost I would like to make a statement. I notice on every monitor thread on the whole web one thing in common...if someone so much as mentions the word monitor...theres usually a slew but almost always at least ONE person who has to say something completely unrelated to the question and fill the thread with warnings and rude aggressive statements. In addressing those people I say this...do you really think anyone EVER in the history of the internet...(monitor and no monitor related) took aggression seriously? The only thing this pathologically aggressive behavior seams to do is make talking about monitors less enjoyable...why per say is that important? Ill tell you why, the more we instantly attack for the mention of the word monitor the more we inspire people to simply not say anything or ask for help. This is extremely dangerous habits to inspire, the more we bark at people they more they avoid talking to people who could actually help them. That means the more monitors suffer do to novice care because more people speak less about the subject the more they are ridiculed. I am not saying this to re-ignite anything I just see this everywhere. Now secondly on the subject of monitors and tameness....they are not tame...they are intelligent....are humans tame? No we have personalities. Monitors like anything with a personality are the same. Dose this mean they are impossible to enjoy on a human level? No. Dose this mean they are perfect little doggies? **** NO....they are perfect little kitties. Cats my friends....they are not dog tame they are cat tame...what happens when you let your cat out? It murders...constantly. Got a aggressive cat because you didn't spend enough time with it as a kitten? You bet that cat is going to scratch you like crazy. Sparkles...my friends cat...is a evil..fucking...nightmare...from the depths of hell. However his new cat rodger...is so adorable. Sweet friendly lays on your lap. Now are monitors the same as cats? Nope monitors are like monitors. However are they more like cats then dogs? Yes they are. Training a cat? Hahaha maybe if your lucky youll get a cat that responds to training but what you get out of the time you spend with a cat is a mutual respect. Something far more valuable then obedience. Monitors provide the same sort of relationship. Mutual respect instead of obedience. However they posses an intelligence and like all intelligences they recognize patterns, provide it with a pattern and it will conform if it give its a reward to do so. Only if it chooses too, much like a cat. And like the family felidae some cats are better for interacting with then others.

 

[Nezzen]

Lions can be friendly if you know what you are doing.....
(advanced monitors) ...house cats can be very much so in-between and go either way (in my personal experience that would be your savannahs) then there is the Irish forest cat, no t domestic but arguably would have made a better companion for man kind do to their nature. (black throats) did I mention all the monitors no. But when talking about rewarding its about what you want. Big monitors are more rewarding as far as accomplishing the care of something massive and hard to take care of. Smaller monitors are more rewarding in terms of being easier to interact with with less work. Is there an absolute awnser? No there are no absolutes all is subjective, on tly the dark side deals in ABSOLUTES lol

 

[Nezzen]

but lions can also still snap and kill

 

[VA farmer]

I know I’m going to get a lot of hate on this. It’s not a monitor but, I had best luck with my old full grown 6ft green Iguana. Normally iguanas are nuts but, my first lizard was an iguana that lived to be 10 yrs old then, I had to sell him. He hung out with me and my friends when I was younger and he was just chill. By far the prettiest, coolest looking lizard I’ve ever owned. My Tegus are by far the most layers back!!

I’ve owned
Green iguana-chill and awesome looking
B&W tegu- most layed back
Peach throat monitor-crazy
Savahanna monitor-attacked my cat LOL
Asain water monitor- wife got pregnant so, it had to go due to it’s huge size. Tegus came into the picture..
Blue tongue skink-awesome show and tell for my daughter. Nicest lizard EVER!!

 

[Waters]

I have kept quite a few different species of monitors.....worse was a tie between the Nile and Mangrove....best was probably the Black Roughneck monitor.