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Today I was giving a gator maybe 3ft by a friend who told me it was kept in a motel bathroom with no heat and was fed beef and worms. What do I do? I am a snake keeper and never owned a gator. I put him in a 6ft vision for now

Well, if you're planning on keeping him, then I can provide some captive care references for your reading pleasure. However, if you are considering finding a new home for it, then please go to this website www.crocodopolis.net and contact us. We can help you find a home for the animal.

Again, however, if you are considering keeping it....

www.crocodilian.com/croc_faq - Dr. Adam Britton's website. Excellent care info.

www.herpfanatic.com - My website

www.thecrocodileexperience.com - Chris Dieter's website

Read through those and that should get you started on keeping the animal healthy.

My best,

Chris
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

1. He don't want to eat. Not even worms and beef yuk ( his old diet)
2. he is kept at 80 degrees plus is that okay
3. he seems active should he be?

>>1. He don't want to eat. Not even worms and beef yuk ( his old diet)
Well, you've only had him less than a week right now. Give him some time. Even my own alligator will go off feed for a day or two when he is changed from his indoor environment to his outdoor enclosure in mid-spring. You are totally different to him and he has a totally different home all together. It might take him a little while to adjust.

>>2. he is kept at 80 degrees plus is that okay
Well, 80 degrees plus is okay, but are you stating all around or is this just a water temperature? Don't forget you need a basking temperature and a variable temperature gradient to allow him to thermoregulate properly. Make sure he has a basking temperature of around 100-105, but even that needs to be set in a way that the temperature can lower as he stands a little further away from the bulb. For American alligators, I usually prefer a water temperature from about 78-82 degrees. Other species it might be a bit higher.

>>3. he seems active should he be?
Provided that he is warm enough, he may very well be active. There is nothing wrong with that. Granted, you should be checking for signs of stress and try to limit that. If this is a small gator, frequent visits to the enclosure might freak him out a bit (Uh oh, predator!).

Hope that helps,

Chris
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

Could I see some or your setups? I am more a boa/python keeper and now I just have him in vision with a heat pad.. I will add a basking light Providing I decide to keep him I will build him a outside pond in summer. my wife hates him but she held it today. Its quite tame for a gator I think he squirms but calms down quick. What should I feed him. I got rats and meat on stock? I was think salmon/ steelhead or rats. I didnt get much out of the sites sorry. I kinda want to see setups and stuff. I never planed on this animal.

Hello, I believe a good part of why he seems so restless and won't eat is your caging.. I can't imagine you've provided him with much of a water area in a vision cage. You should pick up a stock tank or some sort of small pool and I think it'll feel much more comfortable.

I definitely agree with the caging issue. I have a tegu in a Vision cage and she loves it, but can't imagine keeping my gator in it. In FL, the minimum requirements for a gator is an "enclosure of sufficient size to permit moving and turning both on a dry area in a pool of water the water being of sufficient depth to permit submersion." My gator is a little guy, but loves his water. He spends much of the daytime basking with occasional dips into the water, but spends the evening and night prowling in the water and digging around in the rocks.

Just like with other herps, proper husbandry will sharpen his appetite. Proper temps, a healthy swimming area, and a basking spot will do wonders for his outlook on life. After that is corrected, then parasites or infection can be considered.