Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm considering getting a gator, a female, due to the smaller adult size. I can easily house a 9 footer, but 14 feet...nope! I'm still in the research phase, and have a couple beginner questions. Will females still want to nest and lay eggs, even without the presence of a male? This gator would be indoors most of the year, but would have an outdoor enclosure for 4-5 months of the year. I live in South Dakota. Would I have to worry about egg binding, if a suitable substrate, conditons, etc.. weren't provided for nesting? I really would like a gator, but don't want to get one, if I can't provide everything required for a healthy life. Space, feeding, and water wouldn't be issues. But, are there more care concerns associated with female gators, than males? Also, how fast would everyone say a female gator would reach an adult size of, oh say, 8 feet? If this would prove unlikely or impractical, can anyone suggest a better crocodilian choice. Fairly docile, not too timid, and not exceeding 8 feet?
Thanks for your input, it's much appreciated.
Jason

First of all,.. a very small percentage of gators actually reach those maximum, documented sizes. If you get a female it is more likely to top out at 7 feet or so. Plus,. it takes 15 or 20 years to reach their own personal genetic maximum size. Even when fed very well they may reach 5 feet within 4 to 5 years, but they then slow down dramatically. The fastest growing female I ever had was one that was kept very warm and fed 6 meals per day around the clock for the first half year or so, then still fed with regularity only fewer meals per day. She grew 6 inches per month for the first two months, then 4 inches each month after that for several more months, then that slowed to roughly 3 inches per month for the rest of that first year. The end result,... a 42 inch female at one year old. As she was still very immature she was only 11 1/2 pounds. On her second birthday she was 52 inches and 25 pounds. After this she slowed down in growth dramatically. At 5 years old she was only 65 inches but her body mass/weight had increased incredibly.

Now,.... this is a female I was shooting for breaking growth records with, so I am not implying that you or anyone should view this as "normal" growth. It's just an example that they grow relatively slowly even when one is trying their best to make them grow. Fed moderately the same female could have been 10 or 12 years old before she reached 5 feet. So I don't think you need to worry too much about your female getting to be an enormous size any time soon. And as she grows you will have ample time to adjust the environment to meet her size requirements. Out of the 20 females that I have, there isn't a single one that I can't lift by myself and carry to a new pond or to wherever when the need arises. I think the heaviest is a 7 1/2 foot, 160 (or so) pound girl. So don't worry,. enjoy your pet female gator.

>>I'm considering getting a gator, a female, due to the smaller adult size. I can easily house a 9 footer, but 14 feet...nope! I'm still in the research phase, and have a couple beginner questions. Will females still want to nest and lay eggs, even without the presence of a male? This gator would be indoors most of the year, but would have an outdoor enclosure for 4-5 months of the year. I live in South Dakota. Would I have to worry about egg binding, if a suitable substrate, conditons, etc.. weren't provided for nesting? I really would like a gator, but don't want to get one, if I can't provide everything required for a healthy life. Space, feeding, and water wouldn't be issues. But, are there more care concerns associated with female gators, than males? Also, how fast would everyone say a female gator would reach an adult size of, oh say, 8 feet? If this would prove unlikely or impractical, can anyone suggest a better crocodilian choice. Fairly docile, not too timid, and not exceeding 8 feet?
>>Thanks for your input, it's much appreciated.
>>Jason
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Human "progress" equates to nature's demise.

Thanks much for the info, it's greatly appreciated. I had a feeling I wouldn't have to worry about having a giant in 4 years, but like to hear it first hand. I assume you keep several, and they are breeders. Have you ever had any that weren't breeders exhibit nesting behavior i.e. egg laying etc without ever having been around a male? That is really my main concern at this point. I could house a male, but a female would definitely be more manageable. I just want to know about any care differences associated with female gators. Specifically egg laying, nesting, etc.. In a female never in contact with a male.
Thanks again,
Jason

Well, I kind of touched on this above when I realized I'd forgotten to answer the egg questions. But you ask a new question here about whether or not I have witnessed non-gravid females exhibiting nesting behavior. I have seen this once and only once, but it was one of the most interesting years I had ever had the privilege of experiencing concerning gators. In one compound (pond/environment) there was a breeding quad (one male and three compatible females). The breeding weeks passed and the females all began building their nests. For the first few days they all had seperate nests, but then one female abandoned her nest and began to help another female with her nest. At first I was alarmed and tried to errect barriers to prevent this as I thought that a female may attack another female near her own nest. But over time I realized that the female simply accepted the other's presence and help. I caught the majority of this activity on video as it was so parculiar to me that two females were working in tandom on the same nest. The nest became very large and it seemed apparent to me that there was ample room for both females to excavate their own egg hole and lay in seperate locations. But they both worked on the same egg hole. (they repeatedly excavate and fill this egg-location to be so as to mulch the vegetation and make for a very easy dig and refill on the actual egg laying night, as well as probably the proper mulch blend for optimum biodegration to generate adequate incubation temps). So I resigned myself to the idea that they would not likely lay on the same night and I would simply get the eggs of the first, then leave the nest for the second. But then another interesting thing happened. When the nest was finished the female that had chipped in to help with all the building and mulching returned to the pond and left the nest for the other girl. At first I became worried and wondered where she would lay if she was not going to return to that nest. But over the next few weeks it became apparent that she had never been gravid to begin with. The nest building activity of the other two females stimulated the same behavior in her even though she had never been bred. And I think something inside her "knew" that she wouldn't be laying eggs (I'm reaching here, lol) and rather than build a pointless nest, she helped her favorite female with the other nest. (she was the dominant female and she favored the female that she helped).

I don't think anything like this would ever happen with a single female like what you will have. This was all brought about by perepheral breeding and nesting of other gravid females and the presence of a male.

Hope my long winded babble here helps.

>>Thanks much for the info, it's greatly appreciated. I had a feeling I wouldn't have to worry about having a giant in 4 years, but like to hear it first hand. I assume you keep several, and they are breeders. Have you ever had any that weren't breeders exhibit nesting behavior i.e. egg laying etc without ever having been around a male? That is really my main concern at this point. I could house a male, but a female would definitely be more manageable. I just want to know about any care differences associated with female gators. Specifically egg laying, nesting, etc.. In a female never in contact with a male.
>>Thanks again,
>>Jason
-----
Human "progress" equates to nature's demise.

Mature females, if allowed to cycle, (or experience their winter sleep), will still likely go through the spring time bellowing/searching for a mate, phases. But they are not likely to develop infertile eggs (though I have seen this once). I don't think it's anything for you to worry about.

In terms of docility or lack of aggression, I don't think there's a better choice of crocodilian to keep as a pet. The only problem most herpers have with gators is the eventual size. Other than this they are really quite easy to keep and they generally lack the aggression that most other crocodilian species have. Though there can occasionally be a bad apple (I have a few that HATE to be touched and will bite if one crosses that line, but are otherwise great pets and still come and eat out of my hand)

>>>>I'm considering getting a gator, a female, due to the smaller adult size. I can easily house a 9 footer, but 14 feet...nope! I'm still in the research phase, and have a couple beginner questions. Will females still want to nest and lay eggs, even without the presence of a male? This gator would be indoors most of the year, but would have an outdoor enclosure for 4-5 months of the year. I live in South Dakota. Would I have to worry about egg binding, if a suitable substrate, conditons, etc.. weren't provided for nesting? I really would like a gator, but don't want to get one, if I can't provide everything required for a healthy life. Space, feeding, and water wouldn't be issues. But, are there more care concerns associated with female gators, than males? Also, how fast would everyone say a female gator would reach an adult size of, oh say, 8 feet? If this would prove unlikely or impractical, can anyone suggest a better crocodilian choice. Fairly docile, not too timid, and not exceeding 8 feet?
>>>>Thanks for your input, it's much appreciated.
>>>>Jason
>>-----
>>Human "progress" equates to nature's demise.
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Human "progress" equates to nature's demise.

Brian, thanks, that's what I was looking for. You've been a great help. Let me throw a scenario at you and get your expert opinion. I am planning to buy a farm soon, to house my current reptile collection. It has several good outbuildings. I planned on using one of the larger building for some of the reptiles. I planned to insolate a 20x40 ft building, install an independent furnace, and lighting. I can easily get large rubber, free standing stocktanks, round 9-12 ft in diameter, and roughly 40 inches deep. I planned to build a raised enclosure, and put forced air vents under the flooring to provide radiant heat. The pond would be ground level that way also. I should be able to keep the temp in the high 70's to low 80's this way. And, of course provide a warmer basking area. That is my rough plan for the winter enclosure. I could easily build an outdoor enclosure for the warmer summer months. I figured I would build it next to the building to allow for quicker, easier, and less stressful transfer from one to the other. What are your thoughts or suggestions on that.
Thanks
Jason