View Full Version : New addition - American Alligator
Just got this guy the other day. He was a rescue, the people that had him kept him in only a 20 gal. tank. He was a little underfed but overall fairly healthy considering.
It was kind of a all of a sudden thing so had to spend a weekend converting a building into a home for him. It's setup now to only give him so much room but I can move or remove the retaining wall as he grows to allow much more room. He will also have a outdoor pen area in the summer time. Most the things you see in the picture such as the pond and lamp setup was just temporary to get him started. He will be getting a much larger pond setup and more secure and appropriate basking area setup. Room temps stay right at about 85 F and he has varying temps all over the area so he should be nice and comfortable at all times. Water temps are nice and warm as well and he seems like a much happier guy with tons more energy than he had.
Plan to use him for educational presentations at schools and other venues so working on getting him used to being handled and around kids. My two boys was happy to help lol.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g261/siksol/225510_654858417480_1831418665_n_zps31bcfd64.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g261/siksol/DSCF3106_zps75bbd393.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g261/siksol/DSCF3116_zpsa699ba3b.jpg
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infernalis
03-06-13, 01:02 PM
I know they are intelligent, do you think there will come a time when you can trust him(her?) without the tape on it's snout?
Never around others, yes I have seen some that appear almost puppy dog tame. They are very trainable and remember routines and such but they are still very much a wild and instinctual animal. I have no issue handling or dealing with him with no tape and will rarely use it when its just me working with him unless I need it secured to free my hands up for medical care or something of the sort but I would never consider it when having him around kids and other people.
how big will he eventually get?
how big will he eventually get?
Well right now he is actually well below the size he should be due to the poor care from previous owner. He is about 4 years old and should be in the 5 ft range by now. Their growth rate can achieve around a foot a year in the first 7 years of life. A full grown male adult will likely fall in the 10-14ft range most being more around the 10 ft mark. Their life span ranges considerable to as high as 100+ years old but most fall into the 50-70 year range. So he will most likely be included in my will lol.
wow I didn't know they lived that long, definitely got to be in it for the long haul with them :) and quite a size to. I am sure he will be a pleasure to look after
Oh a challenge for sure and likely a life long effort. At least your kids move out at some point this guy will be with us until either one of us is dead or I'am physically unable to care for him.
Sadly like this guys previous situation too many people decide to buy them but are not prepared for the time, money, and effort that is needed. Often there is not always someone like me that can and is prepared to take them in.
Awesome looking alligator! Glad you were able to get him out of that tiny little tank. Cant believe it would even fit in a 20 gallon.
Any thoughts on giving him some cage furniture though? Im guessing he is feeling pretty exposed in that big new enclosure right now, especially with no large body of water to escape into ;)
Will0W783
03-06-13, 02:05 PM
Kudos on rescuing him! WE had an alligator a few years back that came from a similar situation. Chip was an awesome animal to keep and we got him healthy before moving him to a permanent home with a person that had gator experience and indoor/outdoor habitats for him.
He didn't fit really, I have a picture of him in it couldn't turn around without climbing and flopping over. Couldn't get fully out of the water, was not a very good situation at all.
Yep enclosure furniture is on the list of soon to do items. He has the entire building to himself so he doesn't have anything to deal with other then when I go to check on him. I usually find him hanging out in the pond or relaxing on the ramp. At first he would run and hide behind the pond but he's getting used to me and will most often just sit there. With the larger pond I plan to put some foliage of sort in as well that will create him some security places.
Super jealous man. I would absolutely love to have the space for one of these guys someday. Setting up the enclosure for him has got to be so much fun too.
Rogue628
03-07-13, 11:13 AM
Nice gator! Do you think that he'll be able to reach normal size eventually?
I'm glad you rescued him! Like you said...too many people get these animals and either aren't prepared for their size or their temperament. I remember when I was growing up, a neighbor had one (I grew up in Louisiana). It was more like a freak show and they didn't treat him well. They eventually let the zoo have it.
Super jealous man. I would absolutely love to have the space for one of these guys someday. Setting up the enclosure for him has got to be so much fun too.
The space issue is really one of the hardest parts of owning one and the main reason most people that get them end up getting rid of them. Second would be the temperament and danger they present. Even at his size now the strength he has would amaze and catch a lot of people off guard.
Yeah the enclosure setup is fun, waiting for the warmer weather to come so the garden centers start carrying a good selection of plants to decorate with.
Nice gator! Do you think that he'll be able to reach normal size eventually?
I'm glad you rescued him! Like you said...too many people get these animals and either aren't prepared for their size or their temperament. I remember when I was growing up, a neighbor had one (I grew up in Louisiana). It was more like a freak show and they didn't treat him well. They eventually let the zoo have it.
Thanks, yes I think he will reach average male adult size just fine. He's already ate a whole rat and then last night I put a couple gold fish in his pond and he has ate one of those already. Now that he has a good varied diet and proper water and ambient temps I think he will put on size quick. His energy level has already showed a drastic improvement.
Here is a quick video of him eating. So far he's put down 3 rats and a fish, going to try and get some more fish and crawfish worked into his diet as well as some chicken. Glad he's eating good, his energy levels are much better and he's a very happy gator now.
Going to start building him a large custom pond in there this month.
SehwGIuz7OM
rodentgirl01
03-13-13, 02:54 PM
Love it!! Great enclosure.
The only thing that stands between my DEC permit and my crocs is enclosure ideas.
I can't wait to see this guy grow!
rodentgirl01
03-13-13, 03:01 PM
Oh, I wanted to ask.. How is it cleaning the artificial terf? Are you able to sanitize it?
Thanks, his enclosure is still very temporary. He was a quick rescue with not much warning so had to do something quick. It will get much nicer as I have the time to improve it.
As far as the artificial turf they make special cleaners/disinfectants for it. I also only have it stapled down lightly around the edges so it is easy to replace it with another piece. General cleaning though just involves taking the sweeper to it and spraying it down with a anti-bacterial.
How's the gator doing? Living in NYC I will clearly never have one but I always try to see some wild ones when I visit the in laws in South Florida. One of my favorite creatures.
Herpophiliac972
04-29-13, 07:28 PM
I know they are intelligent, do you think there will come a time when you can trust him(her?) without the tape on it's snout?
I have heard that in theory that you can "tame" an alligator, but I am not so sure. Those things could take a chunk out of you, you are playing with fire after a certain point. As with all herps, you have to remember that whether this was born wild or not, it still has the wild instinct. Alligators have hair triggers, and they are not something you want to mess with if you don't know what you are doing. There is a reason you see traveling reptile shows for kids with only young, not ten foot long monsters. I may one day consider one of these (if I have space), but personally I think that trying to tame it is a bad idea. If there is someone with more experience than I out there that would like to challenge that, please speak up. After all, what good is being wrong if you don't learn anything?
How's the gator doing? Living in NYC I will clearly never have one but I always try to see some wild ones when I visit the in laws in South Florida. One of my favorite creatures.
Doing great!! Has re-grown almost a full set of teeth, looks healthy and tons of energy! I'll post pics or a vid soon.
I have heard that in theory that you can "tame" an alligator, but I am not so sure. Those things could take a chunk out of you, you are playing with fire after a certain point. As with all herps, you have to remember that whether this was born wild or not, it still has the wild instinct. Alligators have hair triggers, and they are not something you want to mess with if you don't know what you are doing. There is a reason you see traveling reptile shows for kids with only young, not ten foot long monsters. I may one day consider one of these (if I have space), but personally I think that trying to tame it is a bad idea. If there is someone with more experience than I out there that would like to challenge that, please speak up. After all, what good is being wrong if you don't learn anything?
They are extremely intelligent compared to most other reptiles from my experience. This also adds to their danger though. With that intelligence it does make them trainable. I have seen plenty of examples of well trained alligators and have easily trained mine to do what I wan't for feedings. However I don't think one should mistake training for "taming".
Even at smaller sizes these animals can cause serious damage so I would never trust one. A good healthy gator is a dangerous gator, especially a territorial male. You can't even stick a limb over mine's retaining wall without him running over wanting to tear it off. He starts hissing soon as you open the door. That is exactly what I want and expect though, it doesn't mean that he is some evil aggressive animal. It just means that he is naturally defensive and is healthy and has the energy to be that way instead of lethargic like you see a lot of captive gators.
Pirarucu
05-01-13, 07:23 PM
Doing great!! Has re-grown almost a full set of teeth, looks healthy and tons of energy! I'll post pics or a vid soon.
They are extremely intelligent compared to most other reptiles from my experience. This also adds to their danger though. With that intelligence it does make them trainable. I have seen plenty of examples of well trained alligators and have easily trained mine to do what I wan't for feedings. However I don't think one should mistake training for "taming".
Even at smaller sizes these animals can cause serious damage so I would never trust one. A good healthy gator is a dangerous gator, especially a territorial male or a nesting female. You can't even stick a limb over mine's retaining wall without him running over wanting to tear it off. He starts hissing soon as you open the door. That is exactly what I want and expect though, it doesn't mean that he is some evil aggressive animal. It just means that he is naturally defensive and is healthy and has the energy to be that way instead of lethargic like you see a lot of captive gators.Fixed it. Great to see someone who actually knows what they are doing keeping gators. Keep us updated!
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