Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking for a citation of a large crocodile or alligator that has been conditioned to move into a shelter on land during poor weather conditions.

I personally can't recall seeing it anywhere but can see how it would be beneficial in a winter like we are having this year. My general thought is to train the animals during the warm summer months to find shade in the shelter and as the year progresses have the temperature remain constant through the winter. Essentially keep it 70-80 year round.

It seems to me a better and more efficient option than heating water. The problem as I see it isn't training the crocs to find the shelter but ensuring they will overcome the desire to use the water as their refuge from cool temps.

Any help?
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CDieter
'Reason, observation, and experience; the holy trinity of science.'

Personally, I haven't heard of this type of training before, however, it might make for some interesting conversation topic with Flavio Morrissiey of Gatorland. I am sure you have seen his website www.reptiletraining.com. He might have some knowledge on examples or ideas on how to accomplish that.

Just thought I would throw that out there.

Chris
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

There was a guy here in Oklahoma a few years back who went into the alligator business. He built a heated concrete building to Louisiana farm standards and bought a handful of adults and a few hundred hatchlings and yearlings (as I recall). The small ones were on either side of a central raised walkway in the building and the adults went into a fenced pond outdoors. He built what I'd call a bunker of concrete, a lot like a tornado shelter with a small opening so the gators could go in and out at will. He never did any training that I know of, but they would occasionally go in and out during the warmer months, but when cold weather hit they would just park themselves near the shore of the pond and ice in.