I was holding Pele this morning, she is going through a huffy, whippy stage, and she bit me. As usual, I kept her from trying to roll or jerk her head around and waited to be released.(Pele is a baby cape/white throat monitor) Didn’t think much about it but I now have a stiff achy neck, shoulders, tongue and throat. I had heard that cape monitors were venomous, I guess they are. I noticed symptoms about 45 minutes after the bite. It has ben 2.5 hours since the bite and the symptoms are wearing off. LOL, aren’t monitors the most interesting reptiles.
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How does the bite area look?
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The bite barely broke the skin. She snagged my finger and held on, occasionally biting and releasing. Just a couple of places where her teeth broke the skin which are red and a little swollen, but hardly noticeable .(When my Asian water monitor bit me, there was no effect other then the blood and lacerated skin. ) It is now 7 hours since Pele, the little stinker, bit me. Still have some lingering effects, muscle soreness is mostly gone, still a little pins and needles feeling
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Goodness. I am sorry to hear that. Pele sounds like a she’s going through a charming stage. Hope she gets through it soon!
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She is adorable. She was just trying to defend herself, even though she is captive bred and should know better. I offer her food on the tongs and she snaps it with her tail.
I knew that I have heard that black throats and white throats are venomous, it just surprised me when I got symptoms ( and no one where I work wants to hear about my reptile adventures so turned to MorphMarket )
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I didn’t even know that white-throated monitors were venomous. Normally when I think/hear about venomous lizards, it’s just gila monsters/beaded lizards and Komodo dragons. I’m glad that your symptoms didn’t seem too serious, at least. It sounds like Pele is going through a rebellious phase, haha. I hope she settles down soon! Monitor bites are no joke, even when they’re not venomous.
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What a cute little rebel! Hopefully she won’t repeat the bite.
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I’m sure it’s just that she is a small monitor and the world is a big scary place. ( and she is in a bratty stage) The venom gland in the black/white throat is in the bottom jaw, that’s why the jaw is so thick. The symptoms were mild, just muscle aches and soreness. Other then picking up some Benadryl, it won’t change how I handle Pele or my Black Throat, Thunder Lizard. I don’t normally get bitten, she just reached down and grabbed the finger she was standing on. “kids!!!”
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I love monitors, they are some of the most crazy animals in the world.
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I think they’re fun. Here’s a weird monitor lizard fact I learned when one of my sons lived in Thailand for a few years. Apparently in Thai culture, calling someone a monitor lizard is a HUGE insult, right up there with the worst profanity you could muster. He never got an explanation for how this came to be. It’s ironic because he occasionally spotted monitors in parks which he thought was amazingly cool. He had to confine himself to sharing his excitement with us via email. Lol
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That’s really interesting considering how other reptiles like snakes can be venerated in many SE Asian and African cultures.
My only White Throat experience was at a show that a regional rescue had brought, and the owner just walked around with the big guy in his arms for much of the show. Super chill, tho this was an adult.
Everybody goes through a rebellious teenage phase I guess lol.
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You’re quite right, so many cultures venerate snakes. I don’t know the background behind why the Thais are anti-monitor lizard, but they’re just missing out! 
Same here! I had no idea any species of monitors were venomous.
Pele sure is and my asian water monitor , Jewel, also had some biting fear issues even though she is a socialized 4th generation captive bred from Nerd.
Thunder lizard, my farm-raised black throat monitor, was a little whippy and bitey as a little guy but now that he’s gotten bigger he’s chilling out.
I have no fear that little Pele we’ll chill out and turn into a big baby when she gets big enough to have confidence
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It is a little disgusting and a lot sad to look at but if you do a Google image search for black throat monitor Venom glands, it will bring up a photo where they’ve dissected out a Venom gland from a black throat and you can actually see it.
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