Dwarf Caiman info

So ive always wanted an alligator as i think they are AMAZING creatures and i would love ot be able to work with them, but i know i will never ever be able to provide the space of food a full grown female, let alone male would need. I recently saw dwarf caimans and thought " OH MAN THIS IS MY CHANCE!!!", and am starting to do my research with them so i dont buy one and end up : . If anyone has links to good caresheets, or person insight id love to hear it.


Also posting pictures could never hurt

CALIFORNIA CODES FISH AND GAME CODE SECTION 2116-2127 2118. It is unlawful to import, transport, possess, or release alive into this state Family Crocodilidae All species.

That's the short version. I don't know if the laws have changed here in cali, but I doubt it.

I will not be living in Cali in 3 weeks.. I havealready called my new city and will be getting permits a week after i move in.

Also i believe you can get permits for them in CA, i do have friends that legally own them (and i know its legal because ive been there when animal control comes and doesnt take them or give them massive fines)

In that case, go for it man, and I wish you luck in finding the perfect one!

Hopefully this helps a bit.

http://www.crocodilian.com/crocfaq/faq-2.html

And you might get a little out of this.

http://www.sandsexoticanimals.com/care/caiman.html

Good for you for doing the leg work BEFORE you commit. Good luck with everything!

I always love to see new dwarf caiman owners that actually researched before buying it makes me happy. We have a little cuviers dwarf named thanatan. He's both awesome and challenging. When we got him he kinda upstaged our green anaconda for what gets my fiance's attention the most.

Heres some things you may or may not know, but I found helpful starting out.

Dwarfs grow kinda on the slow side in my experience, but my experience includes retics that grow really quick so I my definition on "slow" may be a little skewed.

The bite from a baby is pretty much harmless, but I would make sure you not only research their care but also their proper handling cause when their older... yeah, well, you'll see Im going to say the closest thing to it would be maybe if you've ever tried to move an angry monitor lizard.

Another thing to think about is finding a vet in your new city. Finding a croc vet is D@MN hard to do... When their older your vet will want to come to you instead, which will cost you- believe me....

If I could make a suggestion, based on my opinion only... I know that sites will tell you to use a ten gallon or twenty gallon at first. Dont. Its a waste of time. Glass tanks in general are. they just arent wide enough... If you have a little room, we rigged up a good sized tank out of a rubbermaid -50 gallon watering trough we bought from a feed store for $100 its about 4.5 feet long and 2 feet and change wide and only about 14"tall. Huge for a baby definitely room to grow for your first year and then some. A cheaper option that would be smaller is a plastic tub like say 124qt or 90qt rigged with hardware cloth in the lid. Now some people will say that a baby will need a smaller enclosure for security like snakes do, this has not been my experience, and that reflects my opinion.

Although they are not pets per se (surely you know this by the time you are looking into getting one), and you really wont tame the guy....

Dwarf caimans are awesome little critters that I would recommend to anyone who "has the passion"- you know what im saying- and knows what they are getting into.

Good Luck man, be sure to post up some pics for us!

^what he said.

stores like tractor supply will have good options for you. larger tubs for pretty cheap.

I personally keep mine in a 10' by 13' by 4'(tech 6' but the inside is 4') custom enclosure built into my house but thats me