i want a caiman

[Lrptls]

i wont be geting a caiman for a few years probably but i was wondering how much it costs to feed them a month, what all you can feed them, are they super hard to tame or if i spend enough time with it will it be easy to tame..any other info would be great, thank you

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

i was wondering how much it costs to feed them a month,
It all depends on what you feed; How often you feed; How much are the animals you are feeding; and so forth. I wish I could give you a deffinate answer but, everything I feed are either hunted (By me or them) or that I have bred. I would guess for a caiman 4' or less wouldn't break 50$ but again, I honestly have absolutely no idea.


what all you can feed them,
The general rule for feeding crocodilians is to feed everything. Mice, rats, rabbits, freshly killed chickens, amphibians, reptiles, fish crayfish, crabs, deer, wild pig ect.
Some species are more apt to eating more aquatic prey species, such as Paleosuchus. Younger crocodilians also feed largely on aquatic and invertebrate animals. It is also best to use whole prey items instead of bits and pieces, this will help provide all the nutrients the animal is capable of giving. Wide variety of prey the best key.

Young crocodilians should consume about 20 percent of it's body weight and will do best on small fish, rodents, snakes, insects and amphibians. Feed adults anything that will fit into their mouths. I prefer not to feed portions of animals, but if it is a must, feed several portions from several parts of the animals body or feed one separate portion at every feeding interval. Young crocodilians, up to two foot should be fed every day while I like to feed the large juveniles and large adults as much as they will eat in one setting every 3-4 days. Its proved successful for me with well chubbed animals, however still being healthy with steady growth. For supplements, due to several common deficiencies, Vitamin A; Vitamin E; And calcium should be added at 2 percent by the weight of the food item. It is also recommended by several keepers that plant material is a good food item, however, I think they get plenty of vegetable matter into their systems from the gut of the food items they themselves eat. However, like I said, variety is the key.

Remember, hatchling's digestive systems are more fragile and cannot handle everything you feed them. Overfeeding insects with hard, chitinous exoskeletons, crickets, can block the gut as the chitin isn't easily broken down. Fish are another item to watch out for because of the fact many species contain large amounts of thiaminase in their bodies and should be fed with vitamin B1 supplements. Another problem with feeding fish, such as carp family fish, is the possibility of vitamin E deficiency. So take care when feeding fish as a large part of the diet.


are they super hard to tame or if i spend enough time with it will it be easy to tame..
It is important to start handling your caiman when it's still very young If you do not, you may come to find out it is difficult to make any impression as the animal grows larger.

A young crocodilian will consider you a threat. A would be predator about to make a meal of it. The more you pick the animal up and handle it, the more it will begin to settle to your presence. Over time, if you spend enough time with the animal, it will start to become calmer around you, and be less inclined to bite. It may even be possible to end up with a relatively docile caiman after several years. However, individual temperaments vary, and one specimen will not be the same as another.
Remember also that, while crocodilians do indeed learn and may allow 'socialization' with it's keeper keep in mind that stress is a big factor among crocodilians and most caimans rarely become a docile hand puppet. It's all a risk. Then again, crocodilians aren't meant to be handled, in my eyes, if it isnt necessary so I don't see any reason to continue an unnecessary task on an animal that may never change it's dispostion.
Good luck,
Xain

[Lrptls]

thank you for the info Xain, it was a lot of help. what species are in the pet trade that dont get over 6 feet?

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

If you want something deffinate, I would go with either a Cuvier's dwarf caiman or an African dwarf crocodile. Although that latter may be a tad hard to find. Schneider's dwarf caimans usually reach just a little over 6 foot as with Spectacle caimans, but Schneider's have a very slow growth rate, along with Cuvier's. Everything else normally gets larger than 6 foot within a few years, so my choice would be one of these.

[Lrptls]

are any of those species more easy to tame than the other?