Alligator & Caiman

[Marcel2992]

Hi everyone!!
I just want to know what the prices for American Alligators and Black Caiman would be +/-??

Thanks!

[Marcel2992]

Sorry! forgot to ask this: ''and are they easily available''?

Now Thanks lol

[glencoco]

I think Reptilians had a few months ago, not sure about now though.

[Urucone]

The last I saw was about 2 years ago at a expo, going for R7500 ea, usually between R4500 and R7500, depending you're contacts, they are not that difficult to keep, You need a propper feeding register, and always watch your fingers, You need a large aquarium, basking light,infra red and a UVB won't hurt as an extra but it's optional, a aquarium heater, filtration of the water is pobably the most important and they need a frequent waterchange, food is easy, mice, fish is the biggest part of their diet.

[Marcel2992]

The last I saw was about 2 years ago at a expo, going for R7500 ea, usually between R4500 and R7500....

Are you talking about the American aligator and how big was it?

Thanks!

[Urucone]

I think It was little caimans, around 30 - 40 cm, It was at the SOS, about two years ago.
I don't think they are to difficult to come by (money always have the abillity to make the impossible/possible), I havent heard of any new regulation that's against keeping them, but I was out of the trade for a while, so it could've slipped me by.

[Marcel2992]

Thanks!! Yeah I'll look around and see what I can find because crocs especialy aligators and caimen intrest me alot and the thing I like is that you don't need permits for it. I wish that Nature conservation could just see what life my animals are living. I don't think they are living a life but a dream!lol And I'm sure there are many others that also let their animals live a dream, I'm especialy talking about indigeonus reptiles. Oh well... I'f I would get any crocs/ali's or caimen I'll build an outside exhibit. A leka big one lol with water going all around the exhibit almost like pretoria zoo's aligator exhibit.

Thanks again!

[Wolf777]

If I'm not mistaken black caimans aren't available in captivity maybe due to their low population in the wild etc. or their large size, they can grow to lengths of about 5m which is very big.

[Marcel2992]

Or any other kind of caimen are also fine. But actualy I'm looking for the American Aligator. They are just awesome!

[Wolf777]

Spectacled caimans went for about 6500 at the show and dwarf caimans for 12k, dwarfs are real nice, they stay quite small.

[Marcel2992]

Yeah.. I don't realy want dwarfs because they are a bit more into the ''exspensive section'' lol. I've got the facilities for larger crocs

[Wolf777]

Have you got enough space for a 5m reptile? Your 14 or 15 right? So no offence but are you sure you will be able to house, feed, treat etc a 4-5m animal? Sorry for my skepticism but a little more info on your setup, experience etc would put my mind at ease. Also I wouldn't start with an alligator, rather one of the smaller caimans.

[Urucone]

I could always give him a hand, I'm close, but still a 5 m crock is a little big to my liking, I'll try my luck up to two meters but that's the limit,I handled a few small ones, the biggest was a crock of 1.5 metre's once and It was already a hand and body full.

I'm with wolf777, 5m crock is way to big.Especially for one or even two people.

[Marcel2992]

Yeah 5m is BIG. If they/it gets that big I'll wont go inside the exhibit/cage easily but I'm looking on breeding but it takes a few years to get that size. You see I did some planing on this... If I get a small or almost medium size I will get some even more experience and in 3 years time I'll be out of the house and can then put even more time into this. By that time I'm still going to have to wait because it takes a few years for them to be able to breed. So that is what I actualy want to do is breed. And then I can maybe make my money back. You see?? lol

Thanks!

[Silvrav]

I'll be out of the house and can then put even more time into this. !

lol, no offence, But you will have less time after you are out the house and in the working world, unless you have a pot of gold stored somewhere.