Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a dwarf caiman that is 24" long. I just made him a new enclosure but the water seems to be too deep for him. Do they prefer shallow water? Or does he just need to get used to it? It is a 175 gallon pond, that has 100 gallons of water in it. Also, his diet consists of only mice, should I be feeding him something else too? He is highly aggressive and does not like any human contact, but he will take the mice right out of my hand. However, I do not recommend this. I've only been bitten once- not bad, huh?

I have a dwarf caiman that is 24" long. I just made him a new enclosure but the water seems to be too deep for him. Do they prefer shallow water? Or does he just need to get used to it? It is a 175 gallon pond, that has 100 gallons of water in it. Also, his diet consists of only mice, should I be feeding him something else too? He is highly aggressive and does not like any human contact, but he will take the mice right out of my hand. However, I do not recommend this. I've only been bitten once- not bad, huh?

What makes you think he is unhappy? You don't say in your post why you feel he isn't happy. In the wild and in captivity dwarfs often float nearly vertically if the water is deep enough. I have never seen any evidence that they dislike this. If I was to guess I would say that he may be a little unsure of himself in his new enclosure and if so that will change with time. variety in diet is always good if possible but mice are a good staple and many a caiman has been raised on just mice or rats with no problems. However I feed chicks, squirrels, large roaches, minnows, crayfish, mice, gerbils, and cats. Just joking about the cats but you get the idea. Variety if possible.

Seth

I guess you are right about him not being too comfortable with his new environment. For as long as I have had him, he has lived in a 75 gallon aquarium, so maybe all of the new space is overwhelming for him. He does something new now. He lies on the bottom of the water for quite awhile at a time and I have never seen him do this before. Are Caimans known to be aggressive? Also, if I hold him a little more will he get any more used to me? I don't like to mess with him too much because he seems to really stress out. Sorry for all the questions, but I am new to this. By the way, I liked your comment about the cat, we have a cat that keeps going into the room and my girlfriend is freaking out, thinking that he's going to eat her.

Dwarf caiman are naturally shy and elusive reptiles spending most of their time hiding and in burrows. Too large and open of an enclosure could well freak it out , make sure you have plenty of hides and places for it to get out of sight. Daytime activity is not often seen much as they are mainly nocturnal.
Most dwarfs are very aggressive compared to other species but it has been know for some to calm down a bit.. nothing like a gator I’m afraid to say. These are pretty much hands off species and do not make the best daytime exhibits. If you want to see him doing his stuff stay up at night to observe him.. lay off handling and let him settle in. as long as he is feeding I’m sure he will be ok. Hope this helps.
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no way the way no limit the limit

Dwarf caiman are naturally shy and elusive reptiles spending most of their time hiding and in burrows. Too large and open of an enclosure could well freak it out , make sure you have plenty of hides and places for it to get out of sight. Daytime activity is not often seen much as they are mainly nocturnal.
Most dwarfs are very aggressive compared to other species but it has been know for some to calm down a bit.. nothing like a gator I’m afraid to say. These are pretty much hands off species and do not make the best daytime exhibits. If you want to see him doing his stuff stay up at night to observe him.. lay off handling and let him settle in. as long as he is feeding I’m sure he will be ok. Hope this helps.

All the ones I have seen are as active in the day as night and my male definitely is not shy and makes no effort to hide(long term captive). New imports are shy but long terms make for a interesting display. I have heard they are nocturnal in the wild but behavior in captivity almost certainly differs. It is very interesting to watch them dig holes on land after dark though(they don't seem to dig much in daylight).

Seth

All the ones I have seen are as active in the day as night and my male definitely is not shy and makes no effort to hide(long term captive). New imports are shy but long terms make for a interesting display. I have heard they are nocturnal in the wild but behavior in captivity almost certainly differs. It is very interesting to watch them dig holes on land after dark though(they don't seem to dig much in daylight).

Seth

does this count for palpebrosus.........cuviers dwarf caiman?
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no way the way no limit the limit

does this count for palpebrosus.........cuviers dwarf caiman?

Yes, thats the species I was talking about.

Seth

I guess you are right about him not being too comfortable with his new environment. For as long as I have had him, he has lived in a 75 gallon aquarium, so maybe all of the new space is overwhelming for him. He does something new now. He lies on the bottom of the water for quite awhile at a time and I have never seen him do this before. Are Caimans known to be aggressive? Also, if I hold him a little more will he get any more used to me? I don't like to mess with him too much because he seems to really stress out. Sorry for all the questions, but I am new to this. By the way, I liked your comment about the cat, we have a cat that keeps going into the room and my girlfriend is freaking out, thinking that he's going to eat her.

Mine sit on the bottom to. Nothing to worry about. Most caimans are definitely aggressive. I do have a dwarf that is fairly tolerant most of the time but he can be very aggressive at other times. Some people say they can get better with regular handling but with most individuals results are marginal at best.

Seth

Not to belittle you in any way but you didn't read up on Caiman's before you purchased it did you. Forwarning: This is not an attack before someone in this post get's a big head. To answer your question: yes, caiman are known to be very aggressive. The caiman staying on the bottom of the water is just him enjoying the deep water. yes they do feel comfortable in deep water. He's fine. Mice are a good food to feed them. Although you can save a little money by feeding catfish nuggets every once in a while. They do require eating mice because of the nutrients they get from eating whole animals. Calcium,etc,etc. Caiman are not passive and easy going like alligators. Alligators are able to be kept very docile if treated with respect. The most you can really hope for is to clean his area without trying to take your hand off. They can be handled but with extreme caution. My advice is to read about the animal before you purchase it to ensure that you have EVERYTHING required for it's upkeep. Including the knowledge on how to handle an aggressive reptile. Hope this helps. And if you donot feel that keeping an aggressive reptile in your home I would recommend finding someone that you can sell it to or give it to who KNOWS what they are dealing with so the same thing will not happen to them. The caiman needs a good home and someone who knows how to deal with their temperment. Furthermore during handling him I would recommend wearing some thick leather gloves that you can still get a good controlling grip if need be. If he bites it will still hurt some but it will not penetrate as well. Hope this will help you some.

Chris