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#2043465
Melaniemarley
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Taping there mouth shut ? 
so i was told to tape his (my baby hes only a year) mouth shut everytime i take him out of the cage to get him used to keeping it closed when being handled. has anyone heard this or any suggestions? i have only had him a lil while and he is still very aggresive when we try to put our hands in there and take him out ?
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07/22/09 04:46pm
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#2045371
C.
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Message To: Melaniemarley In reference to Message Id: 2043465
Taping there mouth shut ?
I have a dwarf caiman, not sure what you have. Everyone says they are mean and nasty but I have worked with my since he was a hatchling mind you he is only about 2yrs and 24". I get him out several times a week and handle him. We often sit on the couch and watch tv. I had someone email me recently from the kingsnake fourum and asked me what I did. This is what I suggested to him.
First thing I recommend is to get yours on a schedule. I feed my caiman, his name is Fluffy, at night. I turn off his day light so he is aware that it is time to eat. He has learned that food never comes when his day light is on only when his night (red) light is on. When I first got him he was a hatchling so I had him in a smaller tank only a ten gallon so that he could find is food so getting him out was not too difficult. I got him out everyday for about 30minutes no longer than that I did not want him to get to cold. The most important thing about grabbing them is to grab them like you mean it. Do not hesitate or stand over them too long because then they know something is up. I recommend opening the lid or completely removing it if it can be so that you have plenty of space. Have towel handy or a plastic kitchen spoon so that if you need to you can gently turn him into a better direction for grabbing. I always grab mine right around the front legs and back area so that I have his neck and front legs secured. Then I just sat on the couch and held him. In the beginning I had a tighter grip around his neck with one hand and held and pet him with the other and now that he is about 2yrs and 20" he just sits on my lap or on my shoulder and we watch tv or I put a harness on him and let him walk around the house or the back yard. I still get him out about 2-3 times a week. The main thing in to make a routine. Do the same thing all the time like turning off the day light for feeding time so that your caiman learns that when the light is on I don’t get food so when the lid opens it is not food but my owner. Don’t get me wrong there are still days when I place a towel by his mouth because he is looking straight up at me and I can’t get a good grip but I still get him out even when he is giving me a hard time. They are smart animals, and maybe can’t be taught like dogs but they learn habits and routines. Okay well I hope this helps. If you have any other questions please email me. I am by no means an expert but I can share what I do know. Okay take care. Attached is a picture of my little man, Fluffy, his is laying on my arm.
Good Luck. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. I am by no means an expert but if I can give you any info that I have learned I will be more than happy to help.
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07/25/09 10:17pm
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#2045569
Melaniemarley
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Message To: C. In reference to Message Id: 2045371
Taping there mouth shut ?
thanks you so much. that does help. i have a baby gator about 1 year old and only like 7 inches. we really dont have a routine down at all yet but have only had him for about a week. we were told to fees him in a sperate cage but thats not working he will only eat in his aquarium. which then makes us nervous putting our hand in there to hold him. he is pretty good with me and havent got bitten yet but my boyfriend did last night and now is not so much fond of him. i will for sure try the feeding tim with the light thing. i hope it works bc were getting desperate. do you tape your caimens mouth ever?
that is what the pet owner tolf us to do with marley ( my gator). he also is getting really agressive everytime somebody walks by he opens his mouth and hisses. is he just afraid still?
also he chrips alot to when i am holding him i heard that was a nervous call for there mother ? i am jus so nervous that i am hurting him or maybe he doesnt like me ? any advise helps thanks write back
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07/26/09 11:18am
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#2045617
C.
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Message To: Melaniemarley In reference to Message Id: 2045569
Taping there mouth shut ?
I have never taped my caiman’s mouth shut. Are you feeding Marley prekilled or live. I fed my hatchly live pinkies for a couple of months to ensure he knew what they were now he is on prekilled, I also give him chicken, beef, and a carnivore cube from the San Francisco fish food company. I feed him with tongs and use the same food container much like the croc hunter and his white feeding bucket. With him being only 7inches I don’t think he is a year. I have heard and seen on my guy that hatchlyings are usually 7inches or so and at one year they are about 18". Get a light routine down. It may take awhile but don’t give up. Use gloves if you have to, to get him out, but if you want to get him out don’t let him scare you off. They are smart and will learn that if they act big and bad then you will give in and leave him a lone. For the hissing mine hisses at the cats all the time and lunges at them, me, my family and the dogs he doesn’t care. Make sure you have something in the water and on land that he can hide under for some security. When Marley is larger you may need to tape his mouth, he will get a lot bigger than my dwarf caiman, but I have heard Alligators are the nicest if you dare call an crocodile nice. Try the routine and give it time, no big improvement will happen over night. Good luck. Keep me posted.
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07/26/09 12:47pm
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#2045704
Melaniemarley
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Message To: C. In reference to Message Id: 2045617
Taping there mouth shut ?
we feed him small raw pieces of steak and turtle pellets for vitamins and calcium thats what the pet store told us. im not really down with the whole feeding him pinkies thing. ive been holding for a half hour only like 3-4 days a week hes seems really calm with me after i have been holding him for a while. we will for sure try the night feeding routine and we as well have tongs to feed him with as well thanks again keep in touch
ps couldnt figure out how to load you pic
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07/26/09 04:46pm
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#2046204
Russell55
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Message To: Melaniemarley In reference to Message Id: 2045704
Taping there mouth shut ?
Hi, Melanie, I also have a dwarf Caiman, like C. He’s a Schneider’s Dwarf and about two years old. I wish he was as tame as C.’s but I got him after he was 9 or 10 months old and he was never handled much by the previous owner. I used to have an Alligator when I was a kid, (a Loong time ago-1964), and he? was a wonderful guy. I never had to worry about handling him and I, too, used to take him for walks on a leash. Unfortunately he died during a move to southern California, (service brat). We didn’t have A/C in our car back then and the 114 degree heat in Arizona was just too much for him.
My advice to you is to take your guy out more often and don’t worry too much about getting bitten. He’s still too small to do much damage and if he learns early that you are not a threat, and equally important not afraid, he will stop reacting so aggressively. DON’T HIT, THUMP, or PUNISH him if he does bite you. Just relax, wait for him to let go, and be more observant the next time. Once he stops being afraid of you and associates you with getting out of the terrarium and more freedom of movement, you should be OK. Just remember to be Observant! Even though Alligators are the most docile of the Crocs, he can still chomp your arm off, or worst, when he’s older! So reducing his fear of you, (and people in general), while he is young essential. When he gets too big to keep in a terrarium and has more permanent quarters of his own, then spending time in the enclosure with him will be much safer.
Good luck with him and post a pic or two when you can. I’ve included a pic of Jackson, my caiman.
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07/27/09 05:19pm
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#2046633
Melaniemarley
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Message To: Russell55 In reference to Message Id: 2046204
Taping there mouth shut ?
thaksn for the advise russell. i appreciate it i was wondering if you have any feeding tips or rituals that you use to feed your camien. i cant get marley to eat outside of the aquiarium
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07/28/09 11:48am
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#2046646
Melaniemarley
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Message To: Melaniemarley In reference to Message Id: 2046633
Taping there mouth shut ?
also how big is your tank it looks amazing in the photo . marley’s doesnt have nearly as much as yours. were lookign to get him either a 100 or 80 gallon here pretty soon but as off now he is only in a 25 gallon. and all i can fit in there is a log that he can climb on and hide under and theres a oxgen pump in there while the rest is water. looking at your pic i feel that i am a horrible parent to marley lol.
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07/28/09 12:10pm
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#2047296
Russell55
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Message To: Melaniemarley In reference to Message Id: 2046646
Taping there mouth shut ?
The "ritual" I’ve set up is simple. I have a white tubular container that I put the mice in for transport from the pet store. I only feed him in the evenings so he doesn’t associate my presence in the daytime with food. When I am ready to feed him I "show" him the container right before a give him his food. He has learned that when he sees the container he will be fed. It’s the only time I let him see it and he has learned to recognize it instantly. He becomes very animated, (happy?), and moves to the edge of his pond to await his meal. I have always fed him in his terrarium, now outdoor enclosure, and don’t see a problem with it. As long as you develop a routine, and stick with it, it shouldn’t be a problem. When your Alligator gets large enough to need a walk in enclosure it will be fed in it’s "terrarium" anyway. I also use tongs to hand him his meal,again something he only sees at feeding time, so he doesn’t associate my fingers with food.
As to Jacksons tank. It was a 75 gal aquarium set up with a small "pond". I now have our Black Milk Snake in it and Jackson is in an 8’X8’ enclosure on the patio. I’ve included a few photos for you to see.The first on is his older tank, the others are his new digs.
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07/29/09 01:46pm
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#2062965
Melaniemarley
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Message To: Russell55 In reference to Message Id: 2047296
Taping there mouth shut ?
hey hows your camian ? we finally got at 40 gallon tank for marley. its huge and has a lot more for him to explore and more room for him to move around in. we did take your advise as far as the red light for feeding time. only have been doing it for a couple weeks now so hopefully he will get better with people. he still hisses and jumps at people when somebody walks by his tank but maybe thats him just being territorial :) im trying to get you pics so you can see but keep in touch hope to hear form you and your guy soon ! fuzzy right ?
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08/24/09 06:30pm
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#2066503
C.
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Message To: Melaniemarley In reference to Message Id: 2062965
Taping there mouth shut ?
Good to hear you are getting a routine down. His hissing should lessen. Fluffy my caiman hates my cats and will lunge at them everytime they walk past but he loves my dogs. It will take time but stick with the routine and make sure that when you do decide to get him out don’t let him scare you away. They may not be the smartest animal (though I love mine no matter what) but they do know that if they charge and you back down that they won and will try that much harder next time. Your last question about fuzzy do you mean what to feed him. My guy is about 24" long and he eats three meals a week, usually a piece of chicken on Monday, beef on Wednesday and then a fuzzy on Friday. When he was a hatchly he got food nearly everyday crickets, or a pinky mouse. It depends on the size of Marley.
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09/01/09 09:37pm
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