Ordering my Caiman!

[Jeepers]

After working extensively with the saler(we literally send 5 - 10 messages a day to each other regarding weather, safety, etc.), Carolina Breeders, we've spotted a window of oppurtunity on Monday.

I've made my order and we'll continue eyeballing Monday night's temps to ensure things will still be good to go the closer the shipping date gets.

I've also asked him to have it held at our local office so it won't be in a vehicle with no climate control. Last time around, from Backwater Reptiles(sent me a DOA), it took 2 hours to arrive to my home after leaving the local office. I'd rather just pick it up myself, reduce any additional risk, and get it sooner as a bonus.

He's also assured me that they send them in a box marked 'Perishable' and write 'Live Harmless Reptile' on it, where as the previous one I dealt with just had a blank brown box with a shipping label, no notes, and that was it.

Here's to hoping I get a nice healthy baby! Will post as soon as it arrives Tuesday!

[ilovemypets1988]

nice 1 jeepers and i wish you all of the best this time round :D

[marvelfreak]

Best of luck. I do have a couple questions. Will there be heat pads? Is it being shipped ground or will it be on a plane at any time? If you live far enough that it will be flown part of the way you may want to have them use a extra heat pad to be safe. The back of planes can be super cold.

[Jeepers]

Best of luck. I do have a couple questions. Will there be heat pads? Is it being shipped ground or will it be on a plane at any time? If you live far enough that it will be flown part of the way you may want to have them use a extra heat pad to be safe. The back of planes can be super cold.

It'll be sent through FedEx Overnight. They're only a state or two away. I mean, if you want to be technical, maybe the length of a state away since they're diagonally below us.

They'll be including a heat pack.

[marvelfreak]

It'll be sent through FedEx Overnight. They're only a state or two away. I mean, if you want to be technical, maybe the length of a state away since they're diagonally below us.

They'll be including a heat pack.
Sounds good.

[Herpophiliac972]

Awesome! I bet you can't wait. Can you put some pictures up when you get him? Good luck!

[Jeepers]

Awesome! I bet you can't wait. Can you put some pictures up when you get him? Good luck!

Definitely will!

[Ms. Medusa]

Sounds great Jeepers! I'm having something shipped from the same area on Monday for Tuesday--seems to be the best window at the moment from that area. Best of luck with this baby!

[marvelfreak]

Oh and be sure to video opening the package again, so if something goes wrong you have proof.

[Jeepers]

Oh and be sure to video opening the package again, so if something goes wrong you have proof.

Yeah, I'd planned on it. Besides, if I get bitten, I want to record it! See how fiesty the little devil is. I'm feeling very confident that there won't be any mess ups this time around.

[ilovemypets1988]

well if you get bit, you must post the video on here :P

[kit1212]

Haha yes some feisty antics would be fun to watch. Congrats Jeepers, I hope everything goes smooth :). I read your other post and know how excited you are about receiving your little guy.

[Jeepers]

well if you get bit, you must post the video on here :P

Ofcourse! :D

Haha yes some feisty antics would be fun to watch. Congrats Jeepers, I hope everything goes smooth :). I read your other post and know how excited you are about receiving your little guy.

Yes! Soooo excited! I hope everything goes over well!

[backafter30]

I am not familiar with this species of caiman. How big does "dwarf" get? Is it known to be docile? I only ask because many moons ago I had a couple of Spectacled Caiman, which quickly became the only animals I've ever kept that I was actually terrified of. They were so cute when I got them. Wouldn't even bite at all, but got more and more aggressive the bigger they got. Handling/familiarity was no help here. Grew like weeds and were strong as hell, with teeth like nothing I've seen since. I just hope your experience is so much better than mine. I wouldn't have another caiman, but I hope you get your car fixed.

[Jeepers]

I am not familiar with this species of caiman. How big does "dwarf" get? Is it known to be docile? I only ask because many moons ago I had a couple of Spectacled Caiman, which quickly became the only animals I've ever kept that I was actually terrified of. They were so cute when I got them. Wouldn't even bite at all, but got more and more aggressive the bigger they got. Handling/familiarity was no help here. Grew like weeds and were strong as hell, with teeth like nothing I've seen since. I just hope your experience is so much better than mine. I wouldn't have another caiman, but I hope you get your car fixed.

Well the Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman is known to be the more even tempered of the two types of Dwarf Caiman. The other also gets -slightly- bigger than the other but not by much. Schneider's Dwarf Caiman is known to be a little on the nastier side when it comes to attitude and are the ones that get only slightly larger.

Mine is a Cuvier's. You have a much better chance of a handlable one if you get a captive bred Cuvier's. They get 4 - 5ft. long, maximum, from nose tip to tail tip. Males are generally larger, reaching 4 - 5ft., where as the females range between 3.5 - 4ft., maybe a little larger by a few inches but not common.

[backafter30]

That's pretty cool, but still a decent sized animal, particularly if it has a temper. My caiman were definitely some of the coolest critters I have ever had. They were soooo dinosaur-like, and only got cooler as they grew. I think spectacleds might get to 8ft, but my 3-footer was such a handful, and just a holy terror. My mother always wanted me to get rid of it, but one day I caught my little brother (now 36) standing on his toes trying to reach into the tank, while the caiman was leaping for his fingers and only missing them by an inch or so. I knew what those teeth were capable of, as I saw how it shredded the fish I fed it, and I had experienced how strong it could hold onto a towel. I sold it back to the petshop for a profit, and considered myself lucky to be rid of it. I've seen puppy-dog tame American alligators online so I know they aren't all like that. I hope your dwarf caiman makes a great pet.