My Caiman is here!

[Jeepers]

Yeeeyyy! He's alive, maybe a little unhappy, and fiesty! :D Already bit me, hissed, and growled. Now he's hiding behind a tree stump. You can see the hidey spot he's chosen in the third picture, he later slinked around behind it, in the corner. I'll upload the unboxing video later!

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o27/Neutralized/caiman/IMAG3998_zps2e1d4c41.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o27/Neutralized/caiman/IMAG4001_zps316ebd31.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o27/Neutralized/caiman/IMAG3997_zps176a5a91.jpg

[GarterPython]

Awesome your going to have to keep us updated on this guy. He looks awesome. Get Los of videos of him especially eating I wanna see it!

[SpOoKy]

Very cute...congrats!

[Jeepers]

Awesome your going to have to keep us updated on this guy. He looks awesome. Get Los of videos of him especially eating I wanna see it!

I sure will! I can't wait 'til he takes a dip in the water and snaps down some fish! I'd put him in there, myself, but it's best to let him make that decision.

Very cute...congrats!

Thanks! :D

[ilovemypets1988]

haha, cant wait to see the bite :P, hes a stunner well done with him, he looks mean with his mouth open, kinda thinking "come on i dare ya" lol

[Jeepers]

haha, cant wait to see the bite :P, hes a stunner well done with him, he looks mean with his mouth open, kinda thinking "come on i dare ya" lol

He definitely seems the type to challenge ya! Didn't draw any blood or anything, just kinda felt like little needle points, no puncture wound or anything.

[ilovemypets1988]

He definitely seems the type to challenge ya! Didn't draw any blood or anything, just kinda felt like little needle points, no puncture wound or anything.

well thats good, sounds like hed rather give a warning than an actual full on snap then, which is a good thing, just dont try it when hes fully grown lol

[Jeepers]

well thats good, sounds like hed rather give a warning than an actual full on snap then, which is a good thing, just dont try it when hes fully grown lol

Oh I know. Hopefully between now and then I'll have handled him enough to tame him down some, but if not, that's ok too. At least he strikes the warning stance.

---------------

Note, in the video, there's a bunch of crap on the floor. I was cleaning last night and had placed it on the bed.. but I didn't finish before it was time to sleep.. so I just dumped it all on the floor.

The video is currently uploading.

[marvelfreak]

Congrats! Nice and health looking. So what kind of fish will you be feeding him?

[ilovemypets1988]

Oh I know. Hopefully between now and then I'll have handled him enough to tame him down some, but if not, that's ok too. At least he strikes the warning stance.

---------------

Note, in the video, there's a bunch of crap on the floor. I was cleaning last night and had placed it on the bed.. but I didn't finish before it was time to sleep.. so I just dumped it all on the floor.

The video is currently uploading.

thats true and lets face it, if he wasnt fiesty or snappy, you would think theres something wrong as an un fiesty croc/caiman/aligator, just wouldnt be right at any age :D

[jarich]

Cute little guy, but Im guessing he wont stay small for long. Did he break skin with the bite?

Would love to see your enclosure for him. Can you get a few pictures from further back?

[Jeepers]

Here's the video, once again, ignore all the crap on the floor.

uIuxR3Kskwo

I'll respond to everyone when I get back, I have some errands to run!

[aaron_cg]

Yay! He's a feisty little devil!! Glad this one made it to you alive, and he looks amazing in the habitat.

[infernalis]

Just curious, what sort of housing would be required at adulthood?

Is that a "dwarf" (the kind that only reaches 3 foot long)?

[moshirimon]

BEAUTIFUL caiman. I'm extremely jealous hes stunning.

[Pareeeee]

That thing is adorable! :D

[Falconeer999]

I'm glad it made it okay this time! Looking forward to pics as he grows.

[marvelfreak]

So what kind of plans do you have for a adult cage? I am guessing it have to be pretty big with a pond.

[Mark Taylor]

That's fantastic and nice set up too.

[andcad]

beautiful.

[Jeepers]

I'm replying via cellphone, so I can't multi-quote.

UPDATE: He ate a few fish before we left! Very VERY good sign he's good and healthy, in my opinion!

We have minnows for now but we're going out later today to get some more tropical fish. I did warm up the water a smidge per 5 hours. I lost a couple in the process but majority of them are fine.

As far as an adult habitat goes, I'll probably custom build one. One that's mostly land with a pond in it.

And Wayne, it is a Dwarf. 3ft. is the smallest, usually a female. Males are larger, ranging from 4 - 5ft.

[ilovemypets1988]

thats good and remember jeepers, any help with the fish and ill happily help :D

[Jeepers]

thats good and remember jeepers, any help with the fish and ill happily help :D

Thanks! :D We're thinking some guppies, neons, etc. Smaller fish for a lil' croc.

[ilovemypets1988]

well, you can get anything the size of his snout tbh, but nice small feeders will do nicely for now :D

[Donnie]

congratulations he looks great and perky :)

[NBLADE]

Thanks! :D We're thinking some guppies, neons, etc. Smaller fish for a lil' croc.

He does look nice and healthy, guppies are good to use, but i find they love locusts as babies, and do very well on them.

[backafter30]

My caiman were much smaller than that when I first got them. I remember measuring them at 9 inches, nose to tail tip. Your little cutie should be capable of eating a standard sized feeder goldfish. Even larger fish will be ok, but will just make a mess, as he will tear them apart. Much easier to keep things clean if he can swallow whole. It might be cheaper to check out minnows at a bait and tackle shop.

[jarich]

I would recommend staying away from either goldfish or minnows, unless you are feeding a varied diet with many other food items. While it is a problem that normally requires time to buildup, too much thiaminase in the diets of young, growing reptiles can be problematic.

[Aaron_S]

I would recommend staying away from either goldfish or minnows, unless you are feeding a varied diet with many other food items. While it is a problem that normally requires time to buildup, too much thiaminase in the diets of young, growing reptiles can be problematic.

Good point that is easily overlooked!

[GarterPython]

He is so awesome I jut can't get over it. And I like the parrot in the background :) we have a Pionus

[Jeepers]

I would recommend staying away from either goldfish or minnows, unless you are feeding a varied diet with many other food items. While it is a problem that normally requires time to buildup, too much thiaminase in the diets of young, growing reptiles can be problematic.

Ahh, see, I knew about the goldfish but I didn't know that was also a problem present in Minnows. That's alright, we bought $50 worth of tropical fish for him to chow down on.

He is so awesome I jut can't get over it. And I like the parrot in the background :) we have a Pionus


Ah, Pionus :D Not something you see all that commonly as far as parrot ownership, everyone's always into the Macaws or Cockatoos, or the smaller varieties such as Conures. I'm personally guilty of this, I LOOOOVE Macaws. They're fiesty, they're big, but they're lovey when they wanna be, FULL of personality, and as playful as a young little toddler! I just ADORE it. When I worked at a pet store there was a hybrid macaw that'd been there over a year. I didn't understand her at first, but I eventually understood the macaw language through observation of her interacting with a 'friend'. After practicing what he did, within what she would allow me to do, we became best friends. I understood she wasn't trying to bite me, she was just playing. Macaws have a very special language and behavior that a lot of people may mistake as aggression. It's a shame she went to my friend's home... 'cause we both loved her dearly and miss her everyday, she'll always be in our hearts. At least I get updates on her, though, and know she's doing well in her new forever home.

[GarterPython]

Are family friends have a macaw and he is kind of a Beatch to everyone except for there parents but t is funny to listen to him when he is by himself because he just randomly says all the words he knows. It's actually my moms bird and she did lots of research on them and found that the pionuses were one of the best with kids and stuff and he managed to get lucky and find one on kijiji within a month. You really don't see them that much.

[Lickeypie]

Yay! I'm glad he's healthy and... alive!

By the way, your Macaw is beautiful.

[Jeepers]

Are family friends have a macaw and he is kind of a Beatch to everyone except for there parents but t is funny to listen to him when he is by himself because he just randomly says all the words he knows. It's actually my moms bird and she did lots of research on them and found that the pionuses were one of the best with kids and stuff and he managed to get lucky and find one on kijiji within a month. You really don't see them that much.

Yeah, I've only had experience with one Pionus and the poor girl was VERY anxious. You even got near her and she screeched and quivered and tried to fly all over the small cage she was in(the pet store I worked for put birds in cages that were too small for their size). Was in boarding, so of course she was startled and confused about this new place.

Blue and Golds are known for being very family friendly, but, even so, with any parrot, they can choose their favorites and choose their enemies.

Rosco is more of a momma's boy and looooves to bite daddy. Not hard enough to actually do damage but it still hurts the fiance. Then again, I've known Rosco since he was a month old and first came into the store nursery. I also saved him from possibly starving because those heathens tried to force wean him way before he was ready and he dropped weight suddenly because he refused to eat the pellets(later on we found out he didn't like the Harrison's pellet diet they had him on, he continuously dumped it out of his bowl after he got done with his VeggieBlend). He was actually a christmas gift mother had bought me because I'd fallen for him. After that night we paid off the price immediately and I took him home and hand fed him until he felt it was time he didn't need it anymore. We imped him(a procedure that started with hawks who broke flight feathers essential for survival), since he was clipped, right before 5 months of age. I personally did the procedure myself, I got the donated feathers from Steve Hartman of Parrot University(Hartman Aviary) for $200 and did the procedure. Being able to fly GREATLY boosted Rosco's confidence and he weaned himself in no time flat after that. He's the healthiest eater of my three, will eat practically anything you offer him.

After all I've done for him, I guess he has every right to favor me over anybody else. I gave him flight, confidence, the decision to wean, etc. all so he would have a well balanced start as a baby. I guess all the love and praise he gives me is his own way of saying thanks.

Yay! I'm glad he's healthy and... alive!

By the way, your Macaw is beautiful.

Me too! Having a live arrival after my first experience, regarding shipping, was dead, definitely made me more confident in it! I think the first was just a bad pick, because I hear so many good outcomes from shipping. Also, thanks! He's a very pretty boy and he knows it!


Edit: Also, go figure, I speak so well of him and in the middle of inspecting the new fish in their bag, he flies over, lands on the bag, puncturing it, and then knocks over the second bag of fish so it busts. Thankfully the second one retained water after having a split in it, so I got a container asap and a second baggie I had left over... Rosco I swear, sometimes you can be a difficult child.

[GarterPython]

Lol that's funny.

[millertime89]

Congrats! Can't wait till I live in a municipality where these guys are legal. Awesome little critters.

[guyabano]

Aw, look at that little one. Congrats!

[Jeepers]

Congrats! Can't wait till I live in a municipality where these guys are legal. Awesome little critters.

As far as I know, the Dwarf Caiman are only illegal in CA, NY, and FL.

[ilovemypets1988]

i would love to live near you as i could invite myself to play with little crocy (joke), well done with the fish by the way and aint all macaws lil rascals when they want to be lol

[backafter30]

Goldfish and minnows have too much what? I apologize. I never meant to recommend a food item that wasn't good for your caiman. I've been out of it for 30 years, I should know better than to be recommending anything.

So what would be the proper diet for a caiman, if not fish? Just curious. I don't intend to get one, but mine seemed to do well on wild caught minnows of various kinds that I caught with a seine in a creek that ran near my house.

BTW, I have a little Lovebird that we raised from a hatchling. He thinks he's human and has so much personality!

[jarich]

Goldfish and minnows have too much what? I apologize. I never meant to recommend a food item that wasn't good for your caiman. I've been out of it for 30 years, I should know better than to be recommending anything.

So what would be the proper diet for a caiman, if not fish? Just curious. I don't intend to get one, but mine seemed to do well on wild caught minnows of various kinds that I caught with a seine in a creek that ran near my house.

BTW, I have a little Lovebird that we raised from a hatchling. He thinks he's human and has so much personality!

Haha, its cool man; the stuff that has been collectively learned in the last 30 years of keeping is pretty crazy. Thiaminase is an enzyme that breaks down thiamine, (also known as Vit B1) an important vitamin for a number of bodily functions. Fish with lots of thiaminase fed often will keep the animal from getting the thiamine it needs. (also especially important to think about with frozen fish as then the thiaminase has more time to break down the thiamine) I think you sort of answered your own question there when you said you fed 'various kinds' of small fish. A varied diet is something that helps keep thiaminase from being much of a problem.

I think NBlade could speak more towards the ideal diet for them than I can, but I know you can vary their diet with things like roaches, crickets/locusts and other inverts, as well as the usual fish.

[Jeepers]

i would love to live near you as i could invite myself to play with little crocy (joke), well done with the fish by the way and aint all macaws lil rascals when they want to be lol

lol! Yeah, he's a real rascal, especially since he's full-flighted.

Goldfish and minnows have too much what? I apologize. I never meant to recommend a food item that wasn't good for your caiman. I've been out of it for 30 years, I should know better than to be recommending anything.

So what would be the proper diet for a caiman, if not fish? Just curious. I don't intend to get one, but mine seemed to do well on wild caught minnows of various kinds that I caught with a seine in a creek that ran near my house.

BTW, I have a little Lovebird that we raised from a hatchling. He thinks he's human and has so much personality!

Fish are fine, just not goldfish and minnows in large quantities unless it's varied with other kinds of fish. Personally, I think I'll be staying with mollies. They seem to adapt really well to the high water temperatures. I bought some Danios and Tetras as well but they didn't do so great against the high temps... all the mollies are doing great, though. Also got some gouramies. I'll have to do some more trial and error with other tropical fish, but the Danios were the first to go. There's like.. one left... so I don't think they can handle the high temps despite being tropical. The current water temperature is about 78F.

As far as I know fish make up a fine diet, but it shouldn't be a diet based up of solely fish. They can also eat crayfish(I have three in there, VERY VERY resilient to all water types and temperatures, they've stayed alive through all my trial and error testing with the water, even a water replacement) and other invertebrae, locusts, other insects, mice and rats of appropriate sizes, etc.

Their teeth, short and backward curved, are actually more designed for invertebrae, but, as I said, you can feed them many many things, just make sure it's a varied diet and not just -one- thing.

[erichillkeast]

From my experience, platty's do very well at 78F, and a a very hardy fish. As for being a good feeder item I cannot comment. Also, they are livebearers and breed A LOT, so if you were wiling to have a separate tank for fish that might help cut down on the feeding cost. (Although everything I just said is the same for mollies, except mollies are a bit bigger which is good, although IME they are a tad more sensitive than plattys). But again I am not sure how they are as a feeder.