Spectacled Caiman

snakemann87 · 10-16-03, 09:48 PM

Hey everyone.....at the past reptile show I came across an American Alligator(yes I know the title says CAIMAN). WELL....I asked how old and he said about 4yrs of age and only like 3ft! Now I found that awesome........

I REALLY REALLY want a Crocodilian of some sort......so I did some research. The average size for Gators is about 4-5 meters.......WAY TOO LARGE! Now I did MORE research and read Spectacled Caimans reach about 1-2 meters average...that is reasonable.

So if this information is true I am going to start saving up for a laaaaaarge aquarium to accomodate this Caiman. I'm looking to get it in about 2-3years about.

Does anyone own them? How much did they cosT? Hows their temperment?

Thanks

NewLineReptile · 10-16-03, 09:59 PM

You can get them for about $100 CDN

Brandon

NewLineReptile · 10-16-03, 10:03 PM

I also like them here is a pic of my little one i had

Brandon

snakemann87 · 10-16-03, 10:08 PM

Awesome hes great!

What is their correct size? I am being told like 10ft but I dont believe it. I got my info from a good site.

JD@reptiles · 10-16-03, 10:11 PM

they are hissy and mean as the get bigger... and you will be very superised at how strong crocs can be! when the caiman is full grown, you better be ready to give it its own bed room though. crocs need a lot of room! here is a pic of an older one

stkkts · 10-16-03, 10:11 PM

damn,.....im only like 5 foot 10 inches tall. I cant imagine owning an animal like that, thats as big as me.

snakemann87 · 10-16-03, 10:13 PM

Well what is a NICE Crocodilain(at least the "nicest" if there is such a thing?)

JD@reptiles · 10-16-03, 10:15 PM

if i could house it properly, i would get a gator.

snakemann87 · 10-16-03, 10:17 PM

YEah they are too large though........even females

JD@reptiles · 10-16-03, 10:20 PM

you relise though that even a spec will need somthing about 8x8 minimum. i would go with a whole 11x11 room though

snakemann87 · 10-16-03, 10:54 PM

Yeah i nkow......that is along way away though.

ReptiZone · 10-16-03, 11:09 PM

somthing that JD did not mention is that you don't catch a adult Caimen like you want well for that mater you dont catch a 4 foot caiman like you want. I am sure JD will tell you the one in that pic gave him a good run for his money on accasion.

You see Specticaled caimans are one of few Crocodilians that can come back on there tails at any age, you see it alot in Baby gators and baby crocodiles. But a 6 foot caiman with a nervous disposition and the abilaty to turn back on you and snap you when you think you are safley behind them will make you quickly realise you would rather wrestel a 12 foot gator then a 6 foot Spectacled Caiman.

a spectacled Caiman can not just be grabed from behind and hop for the best you need a team there to help you coordinate the capture and it can get ugly if the person or worst the team is not experienced.

I will end on that note becaus we talked on MSN and you seem to get my point so have fun looking at the dwarf species.

snakemann87 · 10-16-03, 11:14 PM

I LOOOOOOOOVE the Cuvier Dwarf Caiman

BAZ · 10-16-03, 11:14 PM

Better to spend the extra money on a cuviers or schneiders dwarf caiman now because it will still be cheaper for you in the long run.

They say a spectacled caiman can get up to 8ft (although I havn't seen one that size yet) but even at 6ft long imagine the space it would need and the size of pond you would need to build for it.

www.crocodilian.com has some very good info on all the species and about what is required for their care.

KrokadilyanGuy3 · 10-16-03, 11:24 PM

12-15' are not as common as they once were and very hard to witness in captivity. Female alligators reach about 6-7' an extremely large female would be considered around 8-9' If you ever see a female bigger than that, consider yourself extremely lucky. Males do get about 10' once in a while and in some zoos you may even see a 12-13'er.. Maybe. It is said that crocodilians should grow about a foot a year if kept properly, this of course varies from bloodline, health, food, enclosures, ect. Other crocodilians ie. Salties and niles tend to grow a bit faster, some reaching 4' in a yr. If I were you, I would get an alligator. A lot more placid relatively slow growing, rarely refuse a meal, more cold tolerant and the such. A spectacle is basically hell on limbs, you'll have water all over the place inside or out, most times when they catch sight of you, incredibly strong. Ive been knocked over while holding struggling 4'ers more than once, and it seems they always have an open mouth when you come about. An alligator may huff and puff but alot of times usually hit you with a closed mouth, just a scare. A spec, means business. Also, a spec will grow anywhere from 4-7' plus specs tend to be finicky eaters when it comes to cold weather.. You can expect to pay a few hundred dollars. You could use wide based bricks and line the bottom with a rubber pond liner and build a deck like thing extending from it, or you could just use a ramp, or you could line the floor with 3/4" plywood to the height of your pond and sink your pond into the new "floor". There are many ways to build a unique enclosure, be creative.. Remember. it's the housing requirements that are important, not the looks. Everyone has there idea but personally I like to use the German rule "G. Law" which generally means that housing should consist of Land being 3 x Snout to vent length by 4 x SVL. and water being 4 x SVL by 5 x SVL. Meaning that a crocodilian that is 4.5 feet long, you'd need a cage where the land was roughly 6ft by 8ft, and the water section was 8ft by 10 ft. Another way to do it is having an enclosure that when the animal is on land it could turn completely around with out touching either sides or water in the process..
On the other hand, babies generally need smaller enclosures than that of the
"G. law" You could use the law when it comes to them but when I have a 9" crocodilian I normally house one in a 30g breeder tank. This way I know it's eating and is healthy and hatchlings like the confinements.. Makes them feel safer and less stressed. Also, I keep forgetting to add this when asked about housing but if your wintering areas for your animal is just for the winter you can use a smaller enclosure. A water area big enough for your animal to sit in and be able to turn around with out touching the sides is fine. A smaller land area works as well. Most of the time during the winter, crocodilians can sense the cold and relatively become inactive and alot of times turn down feedings, but it still should be offered food at least once a week. I think I covered all of it..
Xain