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 #1475595


IGUANACRAZY
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 Advice please

im getting a baby caiman.

could you give me some ideas on good enclosures for it. im probably getting a specicaled caiman.

would a 20 gallon work for now
or should i gett a 100 gallon so i can let him or her grow in it.
im new at this but i always wanted one now i can have one. my dad says im "old enough" to get one.
lol and im reading up on it right now i have alot of experience in dealing with large reptiles and animals so it shouldnt be that hard
but i would like advice from expericened owners please..

thanks a bunch guys



10/11/07  10:08pm

 #1476190


Reedie
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   Message To: IGUANACRAZY   In reference to Message Id: 1475595


 Advice please

May I ask how old you are?

-Reed
10/12/07  03:22pm

 #1476681


Crocodylus
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1476190


 Advice please

I know its hard but make sure you have everything ready and have done as much research as possible BEFORE you buy a Caiman. Make sure you do research with an open mind as well. You may find out that you dont really want the responsibility of a caiman that you can never hold when its older,but would rather have monitors or large snakes. You especially might change your mind once you get biten by one. Notice I didnt say IF. All in all do alot of research there are some good sites like Crocodilian.com’s Captive Care FAQ and care pages like the ones on this site. DO as much research as you can then ask any more questions you may have here. Then and only then should you make a final educated decision. Im not going to write you off just because of your age as there are alot of adults who aren’t ready for a Caiman and if you come back and really know your stuff it will really say alot about how ready you really are and more people on this site will be willing to help in whatever else you need to know.
10/12/07  10:55pm

 #1477063


JessiM
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1476190


 Advice please

im 20 years old

and i’ve been bitten by a caiman before....i know how it feels. i’ve handled them and cared for them before. my school had a 3 foot caiman and i took care of it for 4 years. i got bit once. and i handled it as much as possible... fed it and cleaned its cage....

i know the basics...

i am doing research as we speak. on diet, habatait, temps. all that goood stuff. it is going to be a baby, i’ll probably get a 100 gallon wide for him/her.

later make a custom home.i know they take alot of time and responsibilty
10/13/07  12:09pm

 #1477261


Reedie
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   Message To: JessiM   In reference to Message Id: 1477063


 Advice please

JessiM, are you the same person as IGUANACRAZY?

-Reed
10/13/07  04:37pm

 #1477567


JessiM
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1477261


 Advice please

yep......needed more picture room so made another account. deleting pics and adding new ones was driving me nuts....
10/13/07  09:35pm

 #1477904


Reedie
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   Message To: JessiM   In reference to Message Id: 1477567


 Advice please

my dad says im "old enough" to get one.

Your of legal age, and you still have to ask your parents permission to own an animal? If you are still living with your parents you may want to wait till you get your own place. You do know, that in time, that caiman will eventually need his own room, or a very large outdoor enclosure? Aquariums are a waste of time and money, you can get a good-sized kiddie pool from wal-mart for cheap.

-Reed
10/14/07  10:51am

 #1478086


JessiM
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1477904


 Advice please

yeah........... my fathers house is huge......my iguanas have their own room so do my python and other snakes.

he wants me to get one if i can....he finds them facinating i dont live with my father i live with my husband.

i house my animals with my reptile crazy father.... even though it feels like i live there since im there alot to hang out with my pets........

we already have an empty room waiting for the little critter
10/14/07  02:01pm

 #1478472


Reedie
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   Message To: JessiM   In reference to Message Id: 1478086


 Advice please

Lol, Sorry for my pestering. Just making sure you had things strait, sounds like you do. It’s just that caimans are a huge responsibility and most people aren’t ready to take them on. I guess sometimes people gotta be tough on people when it comes to these things. If you do get one, keep us updated please!

-Reed
10/14/07  07:56pm

 #1478496


JessiM
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1478472


 Advice please

dont worry i’ll be taking alot of pictures of the little guy or girl when i get it..... in 4 days i hope



10/14/07  08:13pm

 #1484209


Ligator
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   Message To: JessiM   In reference to Message Id: 1478496


 Advice please

don’t worry too much. for some unknown reason people think getting a caiman is some great life changing moment and they are some sort of gigantic responsibility. when in fact they are not. i’ve had them for 13 years. my biggest was 5 feet long and i currently have a 20 inch caiman sitting 2 feet away from me right now in my bedroom. they are very easy to take care of once you get past the baby point. as far as i’m concerned "research" is a bunch of garbage. the ONLY way you’re going to learn abut these types of animals is by having one. you can read every website under the sun it’s not going to do much for you. you need to know 2 things.....they get big and they bite. very simple. people are ALWAYS giving the impression you need to be some doctor or scientist to have a pet caiman. it’s laughable. i’ve had caimans and american alligators in a Manhattan apartment. people are always going to try to turn you off to the idea of a pet caiman and try to talk down to you. even questioning your age like they are some sort of "authority". i’m 35 years old with 13 years experience and they are not the huge responsibility some claim they are. a f#*king dog is harder to take care of!!
10/20/07  09:30am

 #1484274


Reedie
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   Message To: Ligator   In reference to Message Id: 1484209


 Advice please

There is no way you can properly house a caiman or alligator (adult) in a Manhattan apartment, let alone multiple animals!

Quote:

don’t worry too much. for some unknown reason people think getting a caiman is some great life changing moment and they are some sort of gigantic responsibility.


Keeping a crocodilian is a huge responsibility, at least keeping one properly is. Talk to the keepers in zoos, meuseums, and responsible private keepers that are experienced in taking care of crocodilians. They will all tell you the same, Crocodilians are a huge responsibility and aren’t recommended as pets.

Quote:

as far as i’m concerned "research" is a bunch of garbage.


This is, without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read!!!! No one can buy a caiman, without knowing anything about it, and properly care for it!! As with any reptile, research is required before getting one. Do not attempt to own a caiman without first doing research.



Quote:

even questioning your age


Again, this is very important. Caimans do not make good "pets" and if a bunch of 10 year olds got caimans, there would be missing hands and bans going into effect. It is not a great idea for children and teens to own caimans.



Quote:

13 years experience, my biggest was 5 feet long and i currently have a 20 inch


Your biggest WAS five feet long? What happened? If you keep these animals responisibly and correctly you biggest would still be 5 feet. Caimans have an average life span of around 35 years(= another reason they are a huge responsibility).

-Reed
10/20/07  11:04am

 #1484892


JessiM
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1484274


 Advice please

darn no caiman this year...... none at the expo... only gators!!!!

maybe next year.......
10/20/07  10:32pm

 #1485362


Ligator
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   Message To: JessiM   In reference to Message Id: 1484892


 Advice please

so jess why don’t you just order one off of kingsnake? no need to wait for anything
10/21/07  02:26pm

 #1485369


Ligator
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1484274


 Advice please

reed you’re a clown save you propoganda for some 14 year old. my Manhattan apartment was bigger than you could possibly imagine (or afford) i guess. and as for the 5 foot caiman i sold it to a breeder in florida. you’re full of the same old hogwash and cliches. try to scare someone else. it doesn’t work on me I AM TOO EXPERIENCED.
10/21/07  02:29pm

 #1485405


Reedie
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   Message To: Ligator   In reference to Message Id: 1485369


 Advice please

Quote:

try to scare someone else. it doesn’t work on me I AM TOO EXPERIENCED


There’s no such thing as "too experienced", even people who have been working with crocs for 40+ years are learning something new about them everyday. I wasn’t trying to scare you I was simply stating what it really takes to properly own caimans. They should be left to the experts. And yes, research and the like are recommended by every croc expert, every zoo, and every responsible private keeper. It simply is, there is no way that you can properly go into keeping caimans without knowing anything about them.

Quote:

and as for the 5 foot caiman i sold it to a breeder in florida


Why? Because he grew up and you couldn’t afford upkeep anymore, didn’t have the space? This is why we question and tell people to do research, kids and teens will willingly buy up baby caimans, but what happens when they grow up? They begin to realize what it takes to properly own these animals, it isn’t like owning your common house hold pet.

-Reed
10/21/07  03:05pm

 #1485991


JessiM
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   Message To: Ligator   In reference to Message Id: 1485362


 Advice please

because i dont like animals being shipped in boxes.... the last 2 times i did that i ended up opening the box and finding a dead or almost dead reptile....



10/21/07  10:21pm

 #1489318


Addicted
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   Message To: JessiM   In reference to Message Id: 1485991


 Advice please

Quote:

as far as i’m concerned "research" is a bunch of garbage.



Ligator are you a complete moron?I Can’t believe i actually heard that statement!,any animal needs to be researched before purchase unless you already know how to keep them.
10/24/07  08:09pm

 #1490972


Ligator
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   Message To: JessiM   In reference to Message Id: 1485991


 Advice please

well i can get you in touch with a good breeder if you’re ever interested. the people on here probably don’t even have these types of animals so be careful about the advice you get.



10/26/07  06:40am

 #1490973


Ligator
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   Message To: JessiM   In reference to Message Id: 1485991


 Advice please

well i can get you in touch with a good breeder if you’re ever interested. most of the people on here probably don’t even have these types of animals so be careful about the advice you get.



10/26/07  06:41am

 #1499487


Ligator
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1485405


 Advice please

no sorry reed once again you’re wrong. i sold the caiman to a breeder because they "NEEDED" it. has nothing to do with the size of my warehouse style apartment. go scare some kids you can’t scare me with your exagerations. they are no harder to keep than a common household pet. and i have proved that over the years. keep copying and pasting outdated information to the 16 year olds. you are below me. have a nice life. don’t bother replying just go put your big red shoes on..... CLOWN.
11/03/07  09:15am

 #1499756


Reedie
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   Message To: Ligator   In reference to Message Id: 1499487


 Advice please

For being 34 or 35 or whatever you sure are immature. I don’t want to argue anymore. But please tell me, would you REALLY suggest owning a caiman without ANY previous knowledge of them? Talk to those zoos and parks and breeders who own caiman. They will all tell you that they are not easily kept (if kept properly). You have proved nothing, there is no evidence in what you say so why should I believe you?

-Reed
BTW, that information is thorough and up-to-date.
11/03/07  03:25pm

 #1501151


TJP
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   Message To: Reedie   In reference to Message Id: 1499756


 Advice please

"May I ask how old you are?"


Umm, not to start an argument, but aren’t you 13? You keep crocs, so what point are you trying to make by asking her age?



11/04/07  05:03pm

 #1504003


Gator42567
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   Message To: TJP   In reference to Message Id: 1501151


 Advice please

i can’t see a young boy owning an alligator, or caiman. there has to be responsibility with any animal, and i feel children just don’t have it when it comes to caring for such a dangerous animal. where could i buy an albino caiman? I like the diffrence in color they have, and i heard they would not survive in the wild because of this skin pigment defect.
11/06/07  05:36pm


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