Caiman Lizards...info?

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foto69man

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May 20, 2010
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That sucks, I would just never think of a zoo closing. Like it would be one of those things people support no matter what.

I figured since they eat snails, and I watched videos of them chomping through the shells that they have a pretty good bite to them. I would be very careful...maybe like a side overflow/chute that can drop the snails down to the bottom? Hmmmm...

None of the videos I've seen do them justice. The video in the thread I linked in my first post shows a 12 second clip of one swimming, but in a good sized tank I wonder how fast they can go.
 
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wespastor

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Feb 28, 2010
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While I wouldn't keep one of those personaly :jaw: :eek:mg: , I applaud you :mwave: on your effort to know as much as you can before you buy one.

I whish everyone in any hobby would be as astute.

Best wishes,
Wes
 
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Slaver

Registered Member
May 23, 2010
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I gotta say, those are some amazing lizards. I had a tyrannosaurus rex toy that looked very similar when I was a kid. The heads have that same plastic sheen like my toys did. And if you could breed the snails successfully, it seems the diet wouldn't be too hard to deal with since you wouldn't have to be buying steaks or breeding kittens. It is an amazing and ambitious idea and I think it's worth designating one room of your house to that.

But, wikipedia says they grow up to 20 feet long. Are you hoping to stunt their growth to make them more manageable? Also, cleaning the tank might be trouble...
 
Vicious_Fish

Vicious_Fish

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Mar 6, 2007
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The Land of the Lost
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Seth
^ LOL, I just read that on Wikipedia too! That's a great example of why that site isn't the best place to get your information. True crocodilian caimans have the ability to get 20 ft but Caiman Lizards rarely pass the 4 foot mark.
 
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Slaver

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May 23, 2010
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Yeah, I started thinking later, if they really got to be 20 feet long, they would have a reputation like komodo dragons and would probably be bigger than anything native to this hemisphere. And komodo dragons are only 10 feet long, these things would be stealing their lunch money everyday.
 
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lindsey crashed

lindsey crashed

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Oct 21, 2007
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wow.. they are super cool looking!!
i think if you have done a great deal of research, have spoken with people that have had real experience with these lizards, and you feel you can handle giving it everything it needs and more, and would enjoy it, do it!
you have already looked into food supply, which is great.. just make sure you can get as much as you need, as often as you need, at a price you can manage.
good luck!! and maybe start being clear that you are talking about a caiman LIZARD.. seems quite a few people are misunderstanding and discouraging you.. :) and they shouldn't.
 
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foto69man

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May 20, 2010
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I figured since the title of the thread was 'lizard' it would have been clear...but oh well... :)

i am looking at a few different house right now, and the living rooms are all a good size, so i have the ability to have a huge tank. My plan is for a 9' long x 4' deep x 5' tall. since they are semi aquatic, the water will only go 3.5' high. That'll be about 943 gallons to swim, and the rest will be land. Once I start messing around in google sketchup, i'll have a mock-up of what i am thinking of building.
 
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