why do you keep Crocodilians?

[memento]

Just wondering why YOU keep crocadilians? A friend while i was back in high skewl had one and every since then I was thinking about gettin one.. mind you NO way can i get it while livign at home but I have done a lil research here and there and still entertain the idea of maby one day owning one. Reading in a different post I belive it was Jason? that said they do *not* make good pets.... so what is it that makes you keep them? Ever been bit? how fast do they grow? I know drawfs grow to 3.5-4.5' how long does that take?

You said you like questions *jason* so heres a few for starters :)

[jason h]

they grow about a foot a year but when there babys the can grow amazingly fast, mine was growing at about a quarter to a half an inch a week!!!!for the first couple months,
I guess its kinda like a person who has "hot" snakes they dont get them for there pet value but for the enjoyment of having an animal that truely fascinates them(not there friends) but becuse i really luv the animal itself (i can sit and watch hime for hours and he doesnt even do anything) another example would be people with fish they cant take it out and play with it but yet they have them because there amazing creatures.I hope i shed some light on the situation LOL
P.S. the specctical caiman females 5-6' males about 8' but lenghts of 10' have been recorded.

[memento]

are speccital caimens dwarfs?

[AzR@k]

i do believe they are 2 diffrent species..but i am not to sure on that

[jason h]

no the spectical caiman is not a dwarf there are two dwarf species the cuviers dwarf and the schneiders dwarf there adult size is between3-5 ' depending on which species and if its a male or female a spectical is just the common caiman,and reachs much larger sizes.:)

[Dom]

The reason I keep one is because, like Jason, they really are amazing animals to observe .. but also because I have worked with them so much at work that I feel like I am missing something when i get home!

Your right thaugh .. they do make bad pets and defenetly would tell everybody not to get one.. Not that high maintainance but I consider them more like and agressive fish.... You can look at it and thats about it.

If you do hold it make sure to understand that if u give him one chance of bitting you he will probably take it.. (althogh mine is still surprisingly tamed .. IT is not the case in most sircumstances..)

Take care guys
Dom

[jason h]

hey dom how is yer little guy making out? LOL ya there lotsa fun to watch, How big is he now?
One main reason i would discurage someone from gettin one is most ppl are not going to commit them selves to having a crocodilian proly for the rest of THERE life considering they have a lifespan the same as humans and Most ppl are at least moved out of the hous by the time they get one (usually a hatchling)so the math adds up to it out living you,most ppl also dont usually have room or the money to use on an adult croc. thus creating a problem with there intended commitment and many ppl get bored of them all this creating a lot of unwanted or inproperly housed or looked after crocodilians.
there fore im not as concerned of ppl buying them as i am concerned of what will happen to them when there keepers realize they bit off more than they can chew( then theres always if the croc bites off more than they can chew LOL!!!)o>

[jason h]

man them posts neveer look that long till ya submit em!!:jawdrop:

[Dom]

My guy is doing great! He eats every two days .. I feed him 1 to 2 pinkie rats.. I have tried to keep live fish in there in case he really got hungry but he never really seemed interested in eating it..

Hows your (s) doing? I love the little guy! Mine is named Mr. Dimples.. how about yours?


////////

I agree with your post though.. very good reasons not to get any .. although for me that is not that much of an issue since I work in a zoo and a house could be found quite easilly (but I doubt I could put him at the zoo).. I just wish I would have a shneiders instead of a spectacle..

Anyway take care Jason

Bye
Dom

[jason h]

ya mines doing great i still feed him every day but smaller meals hes not to fussy on the pinkies though but he luves beef lol!! he likes fish he just has trouble catching them cause when he snaps he closes his eyes and usually misses so i end up wackin them and leaving them on the land area to eat. I like the looks of the dwarfs they have a bit more of a prehistoric look but im quite happy with mine,PCPC has a nice size dwarf right now prolly a littleover two feet its really nice looking.
P.S. i named mine Elvis after the gator on miami vice LOL i no corny huh lol:p

[memento]

PCPC sold the caimen.. i was in there the other day....

perhaps one day.. heh i have been thinkin about it but not nay time soon

[Nicky]

Jason,
just wondering your not a crocadile farmer right? you just keep em as pets? are they exciting to work with?

[jason h]

nicky
no im no farmer lol just a keeper personally i luv working with them though as ive mentioned its not for everyone by any means
as noted of the two abadoned in ontario this past week or so one the haliburtons and one downtown toronto. But it takes gettin used to an animal that always trys to bite you (for no reason) and one that is so smart that if you try to catch it a certain way every time it learns that that is what you are going to do so it counter moves so you have to keep learning new methods to capture it LOL and to think that he will still be trying to bite me in OHH 65 years ya need to be extremely dedicated to keeping such a creature definately if you were thinking on getting one i would seriously reconsider or take an extremely long time to weigh the pros and cons as i noticed many younger members here a good ? is who would look after it while i was gone to colege or universtity etc as many parents or roomates would not risk there fingers or hands for your pets (trust me they wont) lol.;)

[crochunter]

Why do we keep them? Because we love them little ankle biters. I have a spectacled and a Shneiders dwarf, I would love to have more but just don't have the room at the moment.

[Nicky]

oh k sorry i thought you were going to kill them:( it's just i don't know many people who keep them. It's realy cool to know you like them. How big of cage do u use? like a 400 gal? or do u use ur backyard? crocs r cool! and alligators! can u explain what a basic vivrium for a full groen caimen. like what would u add? how much water how deep? thanks:)

[jason h]

well for a full grown caiman you should have a land area about 8'x8' and a water area about 10x10 deep enough for it to keep its eyes above water and still touch the bottom with his back feet though this is not as critical as long as he can fully submerge,as for what else he would require it needs a good filtration system and water heating system and a basking light and some kind of hide or cover for suecurity other than that the more simple the enclosure the less stuff there is for him to eat and the easier it will be to clean:D

[Nicky]

can u keep american alligators as pets?

[jason h]

if you got the room time money and cites paperwork and the bylaw where you are doesnt prohibit it sure

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

What other reptilian animal has the ability to actually compel thoughts, to learn. Not only to learn where and how to survive, but to learn it's name. What other herp can do that? What other herp has an immune system that has components that are not only common with humans, but are also structurally similar. For this, what other herp are we studying to help with our immune system to fight off disease? What other herp has so many things we know little about? No one knows for sure why DPRs are spread across the entire body of Crocodylidae and Gavialidae but with Alligatoridae not having any..

These animals are far from being related to any other herp, Birds are their closes ancestor. What other herp came from Archosaurs? What other animal gives such a maternal care to their young? Sure, boids often care for their eggs, but do they care for their young several years later? No. These animals are by far the most complexed reptilians we know. Even far more advanced than venomous snakes. What other animal can reach lengths of 21' and weigh in at a ton; At the same time? What animal is both fierce but intriguing, tough but delicate, brutal but maternally gentle?

More importantly, these are one that have not been induced with popular morphs and hybrids. Even though, the latter is now starting to come on more commonly, yet is still rare. Also an animal that is not able to be racked up, a method so common these days.

If you have the space and food, why not keep an as spectacular as this?

An animal scarcely kept, highly vulnerable, with such spectacle, many barriers broken that are so common with herps and being humanly helpful.
This are why I keep my crocodilians... Woo woo

Talk about resurrecting a post..
I got bored, scrolled around, saw this post and figured I should post my real reason to why I keep these huge hand bags.

Why do you keep yours?
Xain